Today we’d like to introduce you to Khris Audio.
Hi Khris, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Miami with aspirations of becoming a music producer and audio engineer. So I moved to Orlando in 2006 to study audio engineering at F.I.R.S.T. Institute. During my time in that program, I started to network with several different artists in and around the city. That stint only lasted a couple of years. After moving back to Miami briefly, I decided to go back to Orlando in 2011 to pursue my passion more aggressively. To that point, I had produced random tracks for artists from all over the country but had not released my own project. So in 2014, I released Superhero Vol. 1, which essentially is a compilation project featuring a slew of different artists rapping over my production. The primary idea behind the “Superhero” concept was that many of us have a passion in our life and may not know how to turn that passion from a hobby to a career. The real superheroes don’t wear capes but are everyday men and women who push and grind daily to make their dreams a reality. With every intention of promoting Superhero Vol. 1 as hard as I could, I began to start setting up shows and tours with my business partner and fellow Hip Hop creator, Ben Phrases. Over the course of the last six years, we have had the opportunity to tour several markets, as close as Daytona and Tampa and as far as Seattle and Spokane.
After a number of smaller events, we realized that we might also have a knack for event production too. So in 2016, we began to promote larger events featuring nationally touring headliners. All of this ended up resulting in the development of our flagship event, the Ozone Hip Hop Fest, which is an annual event that celebrates conscious Hip Hop and all other similar styles of the genre. At this point, I consider myself to be pretty diverse. I am still producing for other artists, working on my own projects, and setting up events. However, we have also branched out into podcasting, fashion and are starting a new promotional platform that will attempt to provide exposure to up-and-coming artists from Orlando and elsewhere.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. There have been several obstacles along the way, some of which I am responsible. At times, I allowed personal relationships to distract me from my passion. At other times, it became difficult to move forward with certain ventures because I had not developed the skills or experience to do so. It took time, but eventually, I realized that I needed to shed myself of negative personal relationships and start surrounding myself with like-minded individuals. The other part was me deciding to stop relying on others to make my ideas happen. For a while, we were trying to land shows through a number of different routes. But then we realized that we might be best served to learn how to set up the shows ourselves. Why have to answer to someone if we can be the bosses ourselves? Why try to get signed to a record label if we can start our own ourselves? At the end of the day, not a single person offered to take me under their wing. Every skill that I have acquired was developed through my own research and work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create Hip Hop. The two primary things that I am known for are producing Hip Hop beats and promoting events. But my audio engineering background goes pretty far back as well. Over the years, I have learned how to take on a number of different roles, including graphic designer, web designer, DJ, and artist manager. More recently, I began to co-host the Elevated Audio podcast, and entered into the fashion realm with our new brand, Respect The Culture. I believe that what sets me apart is that no one can say that I am locked into one role in this industry. I have proven that I can wear several hats at once and still deliver the same quality product, whether that is production, mixing/mastering, events, or anything else that I have my hands on. The one thing that I am most proud of is beginning the Ozone Hip Hop Fest with Ben Phrases. Putting in the work to set that up each year since 2017 has been some of my favorite memories so far. And what made it particularly special is the feedback from people who have been involved or attended. So many people each year reach out to me and thank me for setting up an event that is positive and resembles the Hip Hop that we all originally fell in love with. That feedback makes all of the work worth it.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I always had an interest in music, but like many kids I was also heavily into gaming and sports. No one who meets me now would believe this, but I was extremely shy and awkward for most of my childhood. Thinking back on that, it’s crazy to think that I handle so many managerial duties and communication for our team. But honestly, that’s turned into one of my greatest assets. So I am grateful that I have learned so much over the years, and how to turn my love of music into a career. Because throughout my life, one of the few constants that I’ve been able to count on to drive me is my passion for this field.
Contact Info:
- Email: soundbreakingmusic@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.soundbreakingmusicllc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khrisaudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khrisaudio/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/khrisaudio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/KhrisAudio305
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/khris-audio
- Other: https://khrisaudio.bandcamp.com/
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