Smooth Sound of Soft Glas

I remember listening to Soft Glas for the first time. It was one of those moments where I immediately knew he is now one of my favorite artists (considering how much I tweet about it, he knows that too).

Joao Gonzalez, the producer of Soft Glas, is an immensely sweet guy with a impeccable talent for creating smooth songs; perfect for chilling out by yourself, or a kickback. After listening to his music, I decided to reach out and see what this guy is all about.

Here's what I found:

Olivia: Where are you based and what do you do?

Joao: I'm based in Brooklyn, New York & I'm a producer/arranger! I also do music direction, photography, & creative direction.

O: Where are you from originally? Why did you move to Brooklyn?

J: I was born in Cuba. My family moved to South Florida when I was 6 & I grew up in Coral Springs. I moved to New York in 2013 because there was absolutely nothing to do in FL for me. I was so bored & uninspired. It just wasn't a good fit for my goals.

O: Who is your biggest inspiration? Why?

J: My father is my biggest inspiration. He's a pianist & composer. His work ethic is something I'm always trying to emulate. I feel so lazy compared to him hahah. But that's what drives me the most.

O: Whats your instrument of choice?

J: I played drums when I was younger, and that's still the instrument I'm most comfortable playing. I've been learning the keys throughout the last few years. I recently have been getting into the guitar as well.

O: What do you call you music? How did you find and/or create that genre?

J: If I'd have to give it a name I'd say it's "blendwave" or something dumb like that hahaha. It's so hard to define a genre when your sources of inspiration are so varied. The internet shrunk the world, clashed cultures, & as a result, erased traditional genre lines. My friends & I take from so many genres (Jazz, rnb, rock, hip hop, pop, classical, bossa nova, etc) it would be silly to try to define it.

O: What are your favorite classical composers?

J: I LOVE the impressionist era. So natural, Debussy & Satie are my favorite composers. I really enjoy Ravel & Philip Glass.

O: Did you ever listen to the Gustav Mahler song I suggested? How'd you like it?

J: I did! I loved it! Made me dig a little more into his other work. Amazing recommendation.

O: Were you influenced by old records & tapes?

J: Not so much physical records or tapes... But I'm definitely influenced by the music on those records & tapes. When I was a kid, my dad's music collection was already mostly CDs.

O: What's your favorite CD?

J: Most of my favorite albums are records I fell in love with when I was around 17/18. Radiohead's In Rainbows, Pat Metheny's The Way Up, and Brand New's Deja Entendu are some of my favorites.

O: What made you fall in love with producing music?

J: I think my instinct to control as much as I can led me to producing. Production lets me have my fingers on every aspect of a song - writing, performance, recording, mixing, etc. I love that. You can wear so many different hats. You can see an idea through from its conception to its execution to its release.

O: Live or Studio? Why?

J: A mix of both. I think there are things exclusive to each that make it special. There are amazing things that are a result of live instrumentalists interpreting music in the moment. And there are special things that are only possible in the studio as a result of a long process of creativity. Like, you might get an amazing sax solo in a live setting that's magic is exclusive to THAT moment. But at the same time, you can work on interesting sound design in the studio for hours, and the result would be amazing.

O: How often and for how long do you practice?

J: Ah, that depends. I'm trying to be better about practicing more consistently. There are days I'm sitting at the keyboard or drums for 5-6 hours. Sometimes I don't practice for weeks. I'm definitely working to be more consistent.

O: When are you touring / coming to Chicago?

J: Nothing planned yet! We'll see if we can bring the Late Bloom to other cities!

O: Did you meet your goals for 2016?

J: Yes! My main goal was to release an album that I was proud of! I'm incredibly proud of Late Bloom. I'm proud of the process of making it, the people involved, and the eventual reception. It's been a beautiful experience.

O: What are your goals for 2017?

J: My goals are to keep improving and expanding my craft. I hope to release another project in 2017. Anything else that comes as a result of making an album I'm proud of, I'd see as a bonus!

Be sure to check out the rad video of Soft Glas live in New York, courtesy of Joao himself. Tour schedule can be found here:

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Photos given to Juiced© by SoftGlas and taken by Jillian Gomez and Aaron