I recently had the opportunity to sit down with each of the guys from DMS and talk about their history with music and how that's translated into the music they make today. I asked each of the guys the same set of questions and let them just run away with the conversation. Thank goodness for Zoom and the ability to record, so I could gather it all. It was great to get to know them a little better and see how their different approaches and personalities contribute to their music!
Before I start talking about Forrest's musical beginnings, I have to say that I laughed when they called him the machine, as if you provide the input and data and all these bells and whistles happen. In the last week or so, though, as we've discussed the score for the forthcoming musical, Storyville: A BlueBook Chronicle, I've gotten to see that machine first hand. Whether it was a vocal arrangement or a smooth transition, Forrest churns out brilliance. During our interview, he told me that he loves the technical aspect of music and how technology has evolved to support the development of music, and it is clear that The Machine is the perfect moniker.
Forrest McFeeters was born in the Bronx and grew up in the same projects where Afrika Bambaataa and Zulu Nation got their start. During the interview, Forrest talked about growing up through the birth of Hip Hop and how the community building that happened within that process influenced him musically. When he moved to North Carolina in 1982, he brought a love for the genre with him. He stated that at that point, Hip Hop was his favorite genre and it was in meeting Kenny and Darrelle that he was introduced to, and grew to love, Jazz Fusion, Funk, and R&B.
Forrest does not consider himself a musician, saying that he simply dabbled in trumpet in high school and college, enough to get him into the Marching Band where he first met Kenny in 1986. Music majors at WSSU had to be in one of the bands, so he played his role, but his real love and focus was on musical production for the technical side. Looking at his home setup, I'd say that love hasn't changed much.
After his first year, he moved into sound production with dreams of starting his own music label. Forrest said that he had so many ideas floating around in his head, so he started writing lyrics. It was shortly after that time he, Kenny, and Darrelle started creating music together and working on their sound. At that time, they were known as Art of Progressions Productions, though that was not the first name they were known under. Their first name was Lan O Prestor John Productions, though it didn't last very long. As you can tell, the guys of Dynamic Media Services enjoy a long, descriptive name.
Forrest gives much credit to his preferred style of musical sound to Luther Vandross. He loves the simplicity of his music and how it highlights and allows the lyrics to breathe. Forrest talked about dissecting the music he loves and looking at the decomposed parts for their individual brilliance and how they work together. He shared that working with Darrelle helped him create an ear for what was "good" musically, and so he has developed this database of what he would consider good (what works together) and bad (what doesn't). When it comes to creating music, Forrest says that he takes what Kenny composes and "cooks the ingredients." He starts by recording himself humming or scatting over the music, which then lays the natural foundation for lyrics. Once he has those two pieces, he adds beats that fit and other elements.
I asked Forrest to tell my his favorite tune from their entire catalog, and he couldn't give me just one. Instead, he gave me a reason for his two favorites--Everything just fits! One of the two, What Is Your Name? is on the recently released EP DMS Presents Rise of the Next Afro Future Renaissance. The other, Waiting For You will be featured in the musical Storyville: A BlueBook Chronicle. The idea of fit doesn't only apply to his favorite songs; it's also how he describes the working and creative relationship he, Darrelle, and Kenny have. Forrest talks in analogies, so it was no surprise for him to compare their creative process to the development of visual art. He said that Kenny brings abstract art with lots of chords and inspired instrumentation. Forrest, The Machine, then takes that composition and mixes it into pop art, much like Andy Warhol pieces. Then Darrelle molds it into something that is refined and yet consumable. They depend on, and genuinely appreciate, each other.
When asked about the music business, and how it feels to have finally released a set of songs to be heard by the general public, Forrest had mixed feelings. He shared another analogy: "Music is like dating a woman who doesn't care about you, but you hold out for the one time she does reciprocate." Music is a brutal business, and times have changed since they first started their creative journey over 30 years ago. The passion for it hasn't waned, though, and he simply hopes the next 10 years are more reciprocating than the past 30.
