Akachi – “Make music your everything if you want to go far”

In this exclusive interview with Studio Talks, we sit down with the incredibly talented producer Akachi, whose innovative sound and relentless passion for his craft have earned him recognition in the music industry. From his early fascination with EDM and dance music to his transition into hip-hop production, Akachi shares his journey, creative process, and the pivotal moments that have shaped his career. He reflects on working with major artists such as Chief Keef, Rod Wave, JT, and more, while offering a glimpse into his future goals, including plans to launch his own label and contribute to the Boston music scene. The interview was conducted by Andrej Aroch via video call on November 13th, 2024.

Can you share how you first got interested in music and how that initial interest developed into what you're doing now?

So, my first interest in music actually started because I wanted to be a DJ. I was probably around 11 or 12, just getting to that age where you start exploring hobbies and figuring out what you like. I was really into dance music at the time—lots of deep house, future house, that kind of stuff. I remember one Christmas I asked for a little iPad DJ controller, and I was just messing around with it, listening to a lot of EDM, and even watching Tomorrowland live. I became pretty obsessed.

That obsession led me to start tuning into a radio station on SiriusXM—either BPM or one of the other electronic channels. I’d listen all the time, especially in my parents’ car. This was around the time when groups like Flosstradamus and DJ Carnage were starting to blend hardstyle with trap music. Flosstradamus, specifically, was mixing hardstyle with trap drums, and DJ Carnage was creating what was called "Festival Trap" music.

I still remember hearing this song for the first time: “Total Recall” by Flosstradamus. It was this crazy hardstyle-trap mashup with a big room melody and intense drums, and it blew me away. I started getting really into Flosstradamus—they were a duo back then—and I’d watch them work with drum kits and software. They were using FL Studio and maybe some Ableton, too, but FL was their main DAW. They even used a Lex Luger drum kit, which was cool because I’d always been into rap and different genres. That started me down a rabbit hole.

This was around the time that producers like TM88, Southside, Sonny Digital, and Metro Boomin were just starting to gain attention—probably around 2011 or 2012. And from there, I got really into watching producer videos, downloaded FL Studio for myself, and, the rest is history.

Can you share a bit about when you first started producing? Did you begin with hip-hop, or did you stick to EDM since you mentioned being interested in that?

I actually started with a lot of EDM. I wasn’t particularly skilled at it in the beginning, but I was really into doing mashups. I’d take older songs and rearrange them, add some bumpier kicks, different parts—mostly dance music elements. It took me a while to find the kind of sound I have now.

My producer name, Akachi, is because I was a big fan of this French DJ named Tchami. I wanted a name that had a similar vibe. “Akachi” also has a deeper meaning; it translates to “wave in the hands of God.” I thought it fit because I was a DJ setting a trend and it was a cool match.