GAIJIN on SoundBetter

Hey! I'm GAIJIN, a singer, songwriter, and producer who is currently based in Southern California. If you're looking for a producer, co-producer, or songwriting partner - reach out to me and let's get to work! I pride myself on breaking a song down to the core emotion we want to express, and building it back up from there in a beautiful way.

I am a self-taught producer, songwriter, and singer. If you would like to check my work out as a reference -> https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Dg6KrGNjifvsVUPriCTvh?si=A8d8eRI7RmuomNt1Yze18w

I offer full production services as well as a-la-carte beat making services. I am also available to sing on songs if producers need a vocalist. I can also contribute keys to songs and productions as necessary, as well as operating as a mixing engineer for studio work.

I hope you take a listen to some of the stuff I've worked on, and if it speaks to you then get in touch and lets make something :)

Contact me through the green button above and let's get to work.

Credits

2 Reviews

Endorse GAIJIN

by Aamowi
I've worked with GAIJIN several times as a producer, singer, and songwriter and in each capacity, he has added exceptional value to my work. He intricately understands the vision and creative direction I desire and works very hard to achieve it. We have worked together for years and will continue to make amazing art together for years to come.
by Mystc Productions
It has been an absolute pleasure working with GAIJIN!! He is the perfect balance of being professional about the work, and great at keeping the art alive. I always come to him first to make sure a mix is sounding clean. He has been a fantastic singer for features, and a great pianist as well.

Interview with GAIJIN

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: This would be my own project "Rose Quartz" by GAJIN. There are four singles out and the full project is due in September. I am really proud of this because I pushed the boundaries of my production, and I was able to do most of it on my own, which was challenging, but it was a great experience I will always cherish.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Working on finishing up an album under my name GAIJIN. I am also working on producing songs for artists such as Narah and Aamowi among others.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Mystc Productions
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both. I believe a more balanced approach goes a long way.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: That I'll try my best to give you a song that you love.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Having the space to create.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Whether or not I like their song. My answer is usually that if they have an idea that they confidently believe in, then I believe in it too, and my job is to make it the best version of their own original idea.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That it's easy, which I'm sure every musician gets. However, this all takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What do they want out of their song? What kind of artist are you when it comes to working with producers? What kind of vocal delivery would you like me to use? etc etc
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Listen to my music, and then have a conversation with me to see if I'm the right fit.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators, Midi Keyboard, Korg Volca Beats, Teenage Engineering OP-1, Laptop with my DAW
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started out simply as a songwriter and a singer. I worked with a few producers and it wasn't the best experience. So I started to teach myself more about production in 2016 and I picked up playing the piano as well, and since then I've been primarily making my own songs as well as songs for others.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Soulful, Minimalist, Cinematic.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: James Blake - he's an endless inspiration to me and I believe it would be a great challenge and also a fun time to work with him.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Sometimes less is much much more.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Primarily alternative r&b, electronic, and afrobeat
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Conveying the right emotion and tone in a song, even though the production.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: An ear for bringing the right emotions to the forefront of any song + clinical editing and out of the box ideas.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: When it comes to building songs for other people, I like to talk to them and get to know them first. This helps me figure out exactly what they want out of a song, and what emotion or sentiment they want to convey. Once I establish this I start to build the song from the ground up.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I work primarily out of Logic Pro X and I tend to record my piano and synths through my UAD Apollo Twin Setup that incorporates my TC Helicon as well. I also work with my Minilogue, Microkorg, and Spectrasonics software among others.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: James Blake is one of my biggest inspirations. As well as Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, Amy Winehouse, D'Angelo - to name a few.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Full production work that involves songwriting (music), songwriting (lyrics), and music production.

Gaijin - Til Death

I was the Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Mixing Engineer in this production

ProducerContact for pricing
Songwriter - MusicContact for pricing
Keyboards - SynthContact for pricing
Songwriter - LyricContact for pricing
Singer - MaleContact for pricing
Mixing EngineerAverage price - $250 per song
Beat MakerAverage price - $300 per song

Please contact me to discuss the terms of service. It will vary based on the client and the nature of the song/project that we're working on. Looking forward to hearing from you.