Xavier Capdepon is a Dominican born and raised producer and DJ currently living in Queens, NY. Both his mother and father grew up playing music, so naturally they passed their influences down to their seven kids (five of which are in the music industry). His father was a native of the Dominican Republic while his mother was originally born and raised in Jamaica. The music that Xavier creates and plays in his gigs is an interesting combination of Latin/Jamaican dancehall, moombahton, trap, and electronic house. He attributes his interest in music to his upbringing and developing music industry. As Xavier’s music roots keep him in grounded in the Caribbean, the money in music is found in the clubs, festivals, and record deals played for the masses.
Xavier Capdepon’s music roots started with typical Latin style merengue and dancehall. Merengue is typically a fast paced tempo with a 2/4 beat. Merengue was originally heald at around 130-140 beats per minutes (bpm), but now it can get up to 160 to 190 bpm. The typical instruments used in merengue are the accordion, the tambora (a two-sided drum), and a güira (a sheet of metal with bumps on it plated with a rigged brush).
Dancehall originated in Jamaica in the late 1970s. Dancehall is associated as a mix between the rise in digital technology and reggae music. Dancehall typically has a faster rhythm than reggae. It is considered the predecessor or rap music with a more rhythmic style focused on the dancing aspect of music. Dancehall dances are popular in the hip-hop realm, as many of the dances you see in the rap industry come from dancehall. These dances bring a high level of energy to the dance floor. Dancehall can be anywhere from 85-130 bpm. The tempo is really all over the map.
Dancehall originated reggae due to the rise in digital recording in the late 1970s, and now that even more time has passed, more developments in the music industry have given a rise towards electronic dance music. This type of music can range from all sorts of tempos and is made on a computer with various MIDI controllers. The “electronic” in electronic dance music solely refers to how the music is made, on the computer. Since, only a computer can make an entire song using any instrument at one’s disposal, the realm of possibility and creativity is limitless and more easily accessible.
Because of this, Xavier Capdepon has switched focus towards electronic dance music fused with his Latin and Jamaican roots. This blog will be devoted to Xavier’s favorite music as well as music of his own. He is focusing on producing and mixing in the city. Keep an eye out for his new radio show!
Xavier Capdepon has recently began focusing on slower tempos and melodies to enhance his productions and explore different genres that his is not formally used to making. He has been exploring quite a bit with creating dubstep bass sounds to work on his bass sound design. What Xavier has found most difficult is the manipulation and design of sounds. He has created multiple synth sounds, but has had trouble making the sounds clean. He feels that making the dubstep bass sounds are one of the most difficult parts of sound design, so he wants to start off with the most difficult and move from there.
In his spare time Xavier Capdepon has been exclusively focusing on music and his production company: Under the Sea Productions. He has made some friends in the music industry that he is not ready to list because they are currently a work in progress. Xavier has been focusing less on his radio station, and more on mastering music production. The purpose of creating his own production company is to be able to hire established DJs in the industry to man the radio station as he can focus on production value.
Xavier Capdepon wants to build a brand that is passed around via word of mouth. His marketing strategy is a little different than most. While a lot of producers want to spend time DJing and meeting people, Xavier wants to build his brand from this inside out and create an atmosphere rather than a company. His ideal goals are for Under the Sea Productions to start their own music festival in NYC, where they can build an atmosphere different to what a typical new yorker is used to. For more information and interest in joining the team, you can email Xavier Capdepon at xaviercapdeponmusic@gmail.com. Xavier loves to take time out to discuss music production and exchange feedback with fellow music producers. He feels that he learns best when a discussion between two producers can take place. Collaboration is critical in music production, and Xavier only hopes to promote further collaboration as Under the Sea Productions grows with more and more producers.
Xavier Capdepon Music
When Xavier is not spending time with music, he is spending time with his family and friends exploring New York City at their leisure. Xavier loves to explore the city and learn everything he can. He is an artist himself, so he frequents art museums and concerts of all different types of music. As a musician, Xavier will go to every music show that he possibly can. From opera and classical, to heavy metal and punk Xavier has seen it all. Xavier Capdepon is trying to perfect the music atmosphere by finding a commonality in people that varying genres don’t typically give to the public.