If rappers were surfers, beats would be the waves they ride and flow on. Beats consist of chopping & looping sounds, layered drum breaks, etc, created via synths, drum machines, samplers, sequencers, turntables and more used in conjunction with a variety of software. Music producers like the eminently talented Brett Fullerton craft these beats.
Based out of Detroit, Brett Fullerton, is a well-known local music producer who specializes in recording, mixing & mastering and instrumentals. Earlier this year he dropped the popular 14-track album ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’.
“I had 200 vinyl albums and they sold out in two days,” says Brett, who also has a solo project coming out in October 2015 and another 7-track album dropping January 2016 under Faceless Entertainment.
Brett’s Sound
“My sound is hip-hop based, especially the drums, but more experimental, more electronic sounding. I started getting into music 2002-2003 when I joined a hip hop group of five people called ‘Oral Punishment’. I played keyboards and it was fun because we only played with punk and metal bands. After that I was in a group called ‘The Apostles’. We opened for Tech N9ne and some bigger groups. About 2012 I started doing things on my own. Two years ago I did my first solo album under the name Pusha Breaks. Album was called ‘Mid-Morning Coffee Breaks’.”
The Early Years
Born in 1982, Brett grew up in the Detroit area and learned classical piano from ages 7-14.
“Learning classical piano was the foundation for my music experience. It was incredibly influential later on in learning how to make beats. In the band Oral Punishment, we were making the beats collectively. After we split up, I started making beats on my own. Started off with a Midi Controller and Fruity Loops software. Then moved up to better software, Propellerheads Reason. I started making beats for my brother Ian Fullerton who raps under the name Nameless Face. Together, Ian and I comprise a duo called Faceless Entertainment and we’re about to release a 7-song album. Our DJ, DJ Fr8-One (Joel Frates), has been a big part of it as well since Fr8-One and I also have our own duo called Beat Molesters.”
Brett Gets Into Beat Battling
“I got big into the beat battles scene after a while. My first one was for Pig Pen who was throwing it. I lost the first one. And Uncle P (Diarra P. Collazo) of DetroitRap.com, I owe a lot to him. He’s the organizer of the famous annual March Madness Producer Beat Battle at The Shelter. That show has about 32 competitors and 400-500 attendees.”
How a Beat Battle Works
“You get in and compete against another person. You get two 1-minute long beats and the crowd judges it. In addition to your mix, if you’re sample-based or original and mainly the amount of cheering and audience response are how it’s judged.”
The Detroit Scene
“Detroit is a very soulful city. The Detroit music scene is a hard environment to function in sometimes. There’s a tremendous amount of competition and not enough cooperation and focus on building fanbases. But it’s getting better. I’m just trying to do my thing and push the creative side of things. In addition to Detroit, I play Cinci, Chicago, Grand Rapids, NYC, etc.”
Brett’s Musical Influences
Jaws That Bite (Mike Sabatini)
Pig Pen Productions (Phil Desharnais)
Foul Mouth
Aztek
Cancer75
Mr. Dibbs (Atmosphere’s old DJ)
Mark Cooper
Peace of Mind
Motown Records
Metal and punk rock
DJ Premier
RZA
Dr. Dre
J. Dilla (Detroit)
Madlib
Brett’s Setup
“MPD Midi controllers, MPC2000 drum machine, laptop computer, Propellerheads Reason, ProTools, Cubase software which I use more than ProTools since its more user-friendly, turntable to sample records, etc. The beats I make start out at $150.00-$200.00 and they can go as high as $400-500.00 depending on the level of complexity.”
“Derek Gauci is a local Detroit-based film director who runs Falcon Film Studios and he does all of my music videos. He directs, shoots, everything. He just did a music video for Kool Keith in Detroit.”
“Eyes Bleed Defiance (aka: graphic designer Emilio Cardiel) does all my album covers.”
“My main goal is to pay everyone before I get paid. Whoever is helping out with my projects, I always want them paid up front and paid in full. And ultimately, personally, I would like to become a touring national act.”
Brett’s Favorite Detroit Hangout Spots
“My absolute favorite is jazz club Cliff Bell’s, then chicken shawarmas at Bucharest Gill, The Old Miami, Corktown Tavern, the Corktown neighborhood and I like going ‘Up North’ to Torch Lake and the Traverse City area when I need to relax my mind.”
Final Thoughts
“As a lucrative sideline, I DJ for parties using Serato software and play live beats for private parties and will gladly consider all requests. I have my own gear, enough equipment/sound to fill massive halls since I’ve been investing and building my arsenal for years. If you’re interested, hit me up at [email protected]”
Upcoming Albums & Shows!
Brett Fullerton has a 16-track solo album coming out October 13th, 2015. “I’ll have hard copies and also online downloads via Bandcamp. Half of the album is original tracks, the other half is sample-based.”
In January 2016, he is releasing another album with his brother Ian Fullerton (aka: rapper Nameless Face) under the name Faceless Entertainment.
March 2016, catch Brett at The Shelter in downtown Detroit for the famous annual March Madness Beat Battle!
And stay tuned for more from this talented music producer. Keep up the great work!
Brett Fullerton on Reverbnation
Faceless Entertainment facebook page
Falcon Film Studios (Detroit, Mi) facebook page
Detroit photograpgher Theresa Squires ‘My Eye on Detroit’ photos
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