PERFXN

PERFXN

American producer PERFXN does it all — she’s worked with artists like VORY, been tapped for corporate and social initiatives by companies like Bacardi and Microsoft, helped run a studio and multiple podcasts, taught classes at nonprofit Girls Make Beats, won a Webby, and even designed apparel. To our delight, her musical endeavors are powered by FL Studio, and we took the opportunity to chat and learn more about her background.

Tell us about yourself and how you got into music.

I was born and raised in the Bronx, NY to Dominican parents. Throughout my childhood, I saw my dad along with other family members creating, practicing and performing music. It was so intriguing to me how you can put all of these sounds together to paint a bigger picture and create a bigger story. I remember vividly watching my dad teach himself how to play the guitar; he even traveled to the Dominican Republic to finish his album. It wasn’t until I got a bit older that I started my production journey. I remember having a conversation with a friend of mine about my passion and desire for music. It was then I realized that getting a degree in something I wasn’t passionate about was not the route I wanted to take. I felt like I was always creative, tech-savvy, and hands-on, and decided to explore the idea of producing. Having access to other producers was very important at the time because I was able to be in the studio environment to continue developing my skills. After about two years, I felt like I needed to push myself further. I enrolled in the New York Audio Academy at Engine Room Audio to expand my knowledge and experience. Upon graduation, I was offered a
position as a personal assistant to the Studio Manager. I stayed with Engine Room for 5 years, rising to the rank of Assistant Studio Manager. While working at Engine Room, I spent countless hours establishing industry relationships and mastering my production craft.

How did you start using FL Studio & what does it mean to your productions?

When I decided to take on music production full-time, I asked a few of my producer friends for advice on the best DAW to get started with. Most reiterated that the key is finding one I felt most comfortable with and learning the software as much as possible. I tested out the trial version of other DAWs but ultimately went to FL Studio because the majority of my peers were using it and I realized how easy it was to get ideas out. That’s one of the most important aspects to me when it comes to making music. I want the process to flow and feel organic. I know that the quality of my sounds and workflow will always be top-tier when using FL.

Tell us about your work and some of the artists you have worked with.

I knew the direction I wanted to go when I decided to take on music full-time, but I honestly had no idea the types of amazing opportunities I would receive with my production experience. I co-starred on “BlapChat“, a music production podcast founded by !ll Mind, where we interviewed notable producers and did beat reviews for listeners. BlapChat released over 115 episodes. I also co-produced and occasionally was a co-host on the nationally syndicated podcast Lip Service, hosted by renowned radio personality Angela Yee. My first major placement was a co-production on “ York Way”, a track on VORY’s self-titled debut album. I was selected by SpringHill Co. to do sound design and post production on DJ Khalid’s podcast “The First One”, which streamed exclusively on Amazon Music.

BACARDÍ Music Liberates Music Mixtape :60 feat. PERFXN

Legendary producer Timbaland selected me to be a part of a Native Instruments/Beatclub Campaign as the only woman producer. I was also selected by Boi-1da as one of three female producers to be highlighted in Bacardi’s Music Liberates Music initiative. Through the campaign, I released the single “On The Way” featuring Niqa Mor as an NFT, selling 200 copies and later releasing on streaming platforms. I was also mentored by Boi-1da in the process, which gave me a whole new perspective on how I approach my creativity. The MLM initiative won me a Webby and a Clio award. I was also nominated by Microsoft into their Legacy project: Women’s History Month virtual museum, a project in collaboration with The Women’s Hall of Fame Museum. I have also been selected by Limewire to be 1 of 100 artists to release a NFT collection for their relaunch into the NFT space. Limewire will be the first mainstream music NFT marketplace that will allow creatives to take control of their work in their own way. I am looking forward to utilizing the platform to connect directly to my audience and using it as a new way to release my music.

Tell us about your production environment and the gear you use.

My setup at home is pretty simple right now. I’m using FL Studio 20 on my Mac with a Beatclub/Native Instruments Komplete M32 Controller and Kali Audio 8” Speakers. This is pretty straight forward and helps me get all of my ideas flowing. If I need a bigger space or a new environment, I’ll go to one of my friend’s studios where they have a ton of synthesizers and bigger speakers.

PERFXN’s Studio

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Always follow your dreams!!! I took a leap of faith and moved randomly to Los Angeles. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and it definitely put me in a new space to create at a higher level. Aside from the music, I’ve been working on my fashion designs as well, making custom outfits for artists’ video and photoshoots. Fashion is another space of creativity that I grew up around and is another way I express myself. I love merging both passions because what artist, producer, engineer, etc. doesn’t want to look good?! I’m super excited to be releasing more music and designs, and creating a legacy. I’m grateful to be a part of the FL Studio community and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.

PERFXN Links:

Website

Microsoft’s Legacy Project: Women’s History Month Virtual Museum

Instagram

Twitter