Q&A: This is Benny Bronco

“I try to not let my inner editor interfere in the early stages of making a track and rather just try out different ideas to see what sticks.” - Benny Bronco

It was a pleasure to recently interview Benny Bronco! We discuss his musical beginnings, his latest single, the Vienna music scene and his prolific output! Be sure to check out the playlist and his social media links at the end and continue to support his future work!

How did you get started making music?

I actually started DJing first. A couple of friends and I started to throw parties and later on festivals in our hometown in Upper Austria. I was a huge Hip-Hop head but loved music in general.

I wanted to make beats ever since I heard Mobb Deep, Nas, Notorious BIG, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, etc. for the first time but I didn't think I had it in me. Besides having 3 hours of guitar lessons when I was 16, I didn't know anything about making music. It took another couple of years until I made my first beats in Fruity Loops back in 2011. After a few terrible beats I gave up and thought it was too hard to be honest. Back then the amount of available tutorials was very limited compared to today, and I didn't really know anyone who made beats.

In 2012 I gave it another try, but this time I wanted to learn Ableton. I bought my first synthesizer (The microkorg) and just put my head down and practiced as much as I could while working full time. Of course, the beats were still trash. It wasn't until I met a very talented German producer called "NVIE MOTHO", who at the time was already working with top ten German artists, that I finally gained pride in my work. He was my brother’s friend, which is how we got connected, and thankfully he agreed to give me a couple of lessons and showed me how he makes beats. He became kind of a mentor for me. Over the years I made music in different styles, learned piano and bass, took singing lessons and learned mixing and mastering. I just kept learning about music every day in general, which luckily opened some doors for me.

Name a few lofi hip hop musicians that you listen to.   

I don't listen to a lot of lofi to be honest but, when I do, I usually listen to other Austrian artists like Saiko or Osive, who are absolute beatmaker legends here in Vienna!

Tell me about your latest single “Your Shoes Are Untied”. Love the title by the way!

Yeah, somehow that title resonated with a lot of people. I just try my best to give my beats creative titles and still fit the vibe of the song. Music in general has become very generic and lofi hip hop is no different, so I'm always looking for ways to stand out from the crowd.

With this one I think I started with the piano and laid down some drums after that, which is usually my process. After that, I took my new MusicMan StingRay Bass and tried to figure out the bassline. That's probably what took me the longest. I really wanted to find the right groove. I'm obsessed with playing my own basslines on a real bass right now. My last touches included adding all complimentary sounds, transitions, fills, etc., which I mostly make with sending my mellotron through a couple of guitar pedals to add some texture and keep the beat interesting.

I would give you a less technical answer but all I can say is that this production just reflected on the way I was feeling on the day I made it.

You have released over 25 songs so far this year! Can you explain your process and how you can stay so focused and efficient in your output?

After years of overthinking every detail in my production and not releasing a lot of music because of it, I decided to take a different approach about a year ago. I usually give myself a maximum of two days to produce and mix and master a beat and what comes out comes out. Working with those short deadlines helps me to not get lost in the details, make decisions fast and finish the production before I get ear-fatigued. I try to not let my inner editor interfere in the early stages of making a track and rather just try out different ideas to see what sticks. That and just trying to stay consistent is probably what allows me to have a lot of output.

I love your use of the saxophone throughout many of your songs. It immediately gives a vintage feel to your music. Do you play multiple instruments?

Yes I play piano and bass but not saxophone, unfortunately. If you hear a saxophone in my production it's usually a sample or I use my mellotron which also has some great saxophone sounds on it.

I guess it became somewhat of my go-to sound. I'm just in love with the timbre of it.

What are your musical goals for 2024?

First of all, staying consistent with my output and collaborating more with other artists. I also plan on putting out more visual content to add another dimension to my work.

In addition to Benny Bronco, I've got more of an Alternative Pop/RnB project where I produce and sing, called 'Fleming' and hopefully my band and I will be ready next year to start performing live here in Vienna. There's also this collective I became a part of this year called "BABYBOYS". We're a group of musicians, rappers, singers, visual artists, producers, and engineers based here in Vienna.

It's kind of a playground for different music-related ideas and we're planning on putting out plenty of projects next year.

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