Amoeba Culture producer Padi talks new album and working with well-known artists
Music producer Padi is making a name for himself by producing music for some of the biggest artists in the industry.
He originally began vocal classes as a teenager but discovered a MIDI class along the way that sparked his interest in producing.
He began his professional career on shows like MBC ‘Infinite Challenge’ History X Hip Hop Project called ‘Infinite Challenge Great Heritage’ and Show Me the Money 6 before officially joining music company Amoeba Culture in March of 2023.
His first track with the company was the perfect-for-summer track "LEMON" that features artists SOLE and MINO.
In May he released his first single album with the company, "Answer Answer," that features artists LeeHi, THAMA, and YDG.
"Answer Answer" features two tracks "DO" and "OUTCASTAWAY."
FOX 13 spoke exclusively with Padi on his career and the future he hopes to have in the industry.
What got you into music?
When I was about 10 to 16 years old, being a good singer was my goal in life, and I took it more seriously when I enrolled in a vocal academy in high school. Then, I happened to come across a MIDI class while I was at the academy for vocal lessons and I immediately wanted to enroll in that class instead. And that's how I started producing.
When did you realize that you wanted to pursue music as a full time career?
To be honest, I didn't think I'd pursue music as a career, up until I was 22 years old serving in the army. While I was there, I thought hard about what I'd do after I get discharged since it was coming up soon, and that's when I decided that I'd dedicate a couple of years to taking lessons, making music more seriously while I was working part-time jobs to see where it'll take me.
You were first recognized as a music producer through ‘Infinite Challenge Great Heritage’ and later on ‘Show Me The Money 6.’ How was that experience getting to showcase your music on that level?
I thought about it then, and I still think about it now, but I don't think I can say that I produced at a high level myself. In the midst of the excitement and pressure of presenting my song with Gaeko of Dynamicduo on a big TV show, I think that I was able to achieve that result because of my passion and drive. Nowadays, how the music is exposed and presented seems to be more important than high-quality music. In that sense, having my music showcased on the shows was a very big opportunity, so I think it drove me to work even harder.
When you sit down to start working on a new song, what’s your process?
I find songs that I can use as references, or just listen to songs that have come out recently or that I like and think about them. If I'm making a demo, sometimes I start by getting ideas and samples from Splice. If I have a certain style in mind and want to be more specific with it, I load the piano on the program and experiment with some chords, choose a drum to make the rhythm, and try to express what I want.
How has it been having such well-known artists such as B.I, LeeHi, and MINO feature on your music?
I had a lot of fun working with them. It was so much fun to have the opportunity to showcase my music with the voices of these famous artists, and I'm really looking forward to what I will make with other artists in the future.
Do you have any artists you’re hoping to work with in the future?
I prefer to sit down with the artist, discuss the creative aspects freely and make music together in person, so I would like to work with an artist who likes doing that as well. Other than that, I would like to work with artists outside of Korea. I listen to a lot of music other than Korean, so I am hoping to work with foreign artists and curious to see what we could make together.
Now that you’ve joined Amoeba Culture, what are your goals?
My goal is to have my music shared and heard as much as possible. I want to make and present an album that I am satisfied with. Other than that, I want to be in the forefront and produce music for TV shows and work with more diverse artists that I haven't worked with yet, whether it's for my album or theirs.
Producers seem to work on new music all the time. Do you have tracks held back for future albums already or do you work specifically on the upcoming release?
I don't think I’m working on any songs for a specific project or release as of now. There are many songs that have been put on hold or canceled while producing my albums, and I'm thinking about how to present those songs in the future. Once things are set in stone, I think I'll be able to specifically work on the next album.
Tell me about your new single album ‘Answer Answer’ and the two tracks it features.
"DO (Feat. LeeHi)" is a song where the singer tells the listener that they will do anything for them if they just say it. B.I and I originally worked on this song for his album, but we got LeeHi to sing on it instead. It's a song that I've been saving because I liked it so much.
"OUTCASTAWAY (Feat. THAMA, YDG)" is a song about feeling frustrated. Not necessarily because of music, but the feeling of frustration because of "something". Although the lyrics and content of the song is about frustration, the overall mood and atmosphere is light and has a message of overcoming it. People especially like this song because THAMA's vocals and YDG's rap skills go together so perfectly.
Lastly, do you have a message for your fans?
Thank you so much for showing support and listening to my music. I will make more songs that are fun to listen to so please keep an eye out for my future releases. There are a lot of fun songs that I've been working on, whether it's a project featuring an artist or just experimenting with different sounds, so please keep listening to the songs that I've already released while waiting for my new music! I'll be back soon with exciting news. Thank you.