Music
Spotlight On: Cee N Tee
Find out what the East London-born producer and DJ got up to at Red Bull Studios Cape Town
Hailing from East London but based in Cape Town, Cee N Tee produces primarily house music however he dabbles in RnB and hip hop at times. In studio to work on his new EP he spoke to us about falling in love with music, getting his start in the industry and the evolution of his sound.
What kind of music were you surrounded by growing up?
There was this South African music style called Bubblegum, almost every Sunday I’d wake up to it because my mom would always clean on Sundays and she would play that type of music. As I was growing up loving music I could relate to almost everything I was listening to back then because it was instrumental. When I grew up I started realising that when I used to wake up to that sound I didn’t like it at first but when I started falling in love with music I knew that was a learning process for me in music. It really played a big role because I’m doing something that is related to it. Looking at Black Coffee, he used to collaborate with Hugh Masekela.
Cee N Tee
© Jonathan Ferreira
How did you discover music for yourself?
I started falling in love with music, nobody told me that this is about music. Up to a certain point even the reason that I’m in Cape Town was because of music. I had to leave where I’m from because I knew that I loved music. Back at home they didn’t see what’s so fascinating about doing music. They didn’t know that you can meet a lot of people who go to different places through music.
How were you introduced to production?
We had a PC at home while growing up. We installed Fruity Loops and tried to fiddle around. At some point, I ended up losing that PC. After matric, I decided to go to Joburg. That was in 2012. I went to South West Gauteng College and they had music. At some point, I started a few classes even though I didn’t finish because of problems at home and money. So I had to go back to East London. It was heartbreaking because I was starting to feel the vibe of being in Joburg, meeting different artists, just being in that environment. Because where we come from you hardly get to be surrounded by people that are into it. After that I told myself there is no way that I could go back because I’ve always loved music and knowing that at home they don’t have enough money to put me in some university or college and pay for my fees. So I said to myself if I can earn something out of it, at least I can have pocket money to at least sort myself out. I could travel and stuff with the money I’d be making. Even if a guy said to come through and it was 100km away, I’d go and play as long as I had enough money to go home. That’s how much I loved music. It started off by being a DJ and later I thought I should expand and be a producer. I loved mixing, so I wanted to know, what do you do before you mix?
When was Cee N Tee the artist born, when you finished matric?
I belive it’s then. After my matric I was 18 and I knew I could try and hustle my decisions. As much as my mother didn’t like it at first, when she heard I was coming to Red Bull Studios she was like “what!?!”. On my EP, the 2nd track is her favourite.
How has your sound evolved?
It’s evolved. I’ve met different artists and I’d try to fuse my stuff with what they do. But I always try and make it different. The house that I produce is like something you’ve heard before but it’s something new. You can’t say I’ve heard this track before but you can jam to it, even though it’s the first time you’re hearing it. It’s mostly inspired by Black Coffee, Da Capo, a bit of Heavy K. There was a time when I was in PE and I started meeting producers and collaborating with some of them. Just by meeting them I kind of got the PE sound a bit. I didn’t want to make it so obvious that it’s PE. As much as it’s not deep, it’s not too commercial. But I want people to feel the vibe.
Cee N Tee
© Jonathan Ferreira
What have you been working on at Red Bull Studios?
It’s an EP. I’ve made over 6 tracks. I’m trying to come up and introduce myself as the producer that I am now. There are people that haven’t even heard of Cee N Tee. I think now that I’m around Red Bull and meeting artists, it was a very wonderful experience. I was so down on the last day, it feels like we’re never going to come back. That’s how fun it was.
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