I recently got the chance to touch down with the humble dynamic duo behind “The Preemption-Remixtape,” prominently know as “The Teknicianz.” Not do they command my respect for their beat-cranking dexterity, but I must also tip my hat off totheir undying thirst for perfectionism (what I see in myself).
Whether your choice of instrumental backdrop is street inspired, motivational, club-tinged, or tension-relieving soulful, these guys will have you well stocked with sounds that not only help you ramp up numbers, but most importantly, bring a song full circle.
If you’re ever short circuited with inspiration to put the pen to the pad, or even hit the studio, call the teknicianz 
With no further ado, let’s get to know what “The Teknicianz” are up to lately.
How did you guys come up with the name “The Teknicianz”?
Freshmatik: Stepping into the Hip-Hop production scene we felt like we needed our own identity. We wanted to have our own look and sound to reflect our individual styles. We came up with the name The Teknicianz from our approach to making music which is spontaneous but technical at the same time. As a team, we’ve only been established for several months but we’ve known each other since junior high. We’ve always shared similar goals and visions so it only made sense that we would combine efforts eventually.
Trakrunner: Freshmatik and I have always shared a passion for music. It was only fitting for us to connect and start our push for production supremacy. I feel that our individual abilities and creative ideas perfectly complement one another. We have different styles that center around one basic, distinct Teknicianz sound.
2. Describe your brand, what is it like? What are three words that best define it?
Freshmatik: Our brand is The Teknicianz. We’re a production team from the Bay Area with a futuristic sound and mainstream appeal. Three words to best define our brand are versatile, innovative, and visionary.
Trakrunner: The brand I represent is The Teknicianz, an up and coming production duo consisting of Freshmatik and myself. Three words that best define us are innovative, futuristic, and unique.
3. What is your definition of success, and how much of it do you think you’ve achieved?
Freshmatik: My definition of success is being your own boss. Having a purpose for life and not letting anything stop you from reaching your goals. As far as our success as a production team, we’ve made progress but there’s always room for improvement. I’m a perfectionist so I’m always looking for ways to make our brand more effective.
Trakrunner: Success is not based on cars, women, or money. Success is about having the passion and courage to do what you love to do regardless of the criticism you receive in return. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed to be living out my dream.
4. What are some recent achievements you’re proud of and would like to share?
Freshmatik: We just finished our third remixtape “Jay-Z American Gangster: The Remix Album” which we’re really proud of. We remixed the entire “American Gangster” album Jay-Z released back in 2007. We wanted to create our own interpretation of the album to see what Jay-Z would sound like on our beats. Now that we’ve shown what we’re capable of we can start making a push for some major placements.
Trakrunner: The Teknicianz, in a span of a couple of months, have dropped The “Preemption: Remixtape”, “The Fix EP” and “Jay Z American Gangster: The Remix Album”. I’m very proud of the work Freshmatik and I have put into these tapes. I can honestly say that these 3 tapes have exceeded expectations.
5. What’s something that’s always running inside your mind lately?
Freshmatik: Not having a major placement yet. It gets frustrating sometimes but I just have to learn to be patient. Sooner or later we’ll have our shot and we’ll be prepared for it. Until then we just have to grind until it hurts.
Trakrunner: 1 question runs in my mind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: “how can I push myself harder?”
6. What would you spend you a million dollars on?
Freshmatik: A professional studio and new equipment.
Trakrunner: I’ll spend $3.42 for a gallon of gas and drive straight to the bank. No chains, diamond watches or gold teeth for me.
7. What’s one incident that would serve as a turning point to your life?
Freshmatik: My turning point came the first time I picked up a Scratch magazine. I remember scanning through the pages and thinking to myself “that could be me.” Ever since then I knew what I wanted to do and I haven’t looked back since.
Trakrunner: Being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease “psoriasis” definitely changed my perception of life. A sense of urgency hit me. Life isn’t going to be perfect and its up to you to control your destiny.
8. What three pieces of advice would you give to others when it comes to life and business?
Freshmatik: Always be your self, never back down, and never be afraid to take risks.
Trakrunner:1. Everybody has dreams, it’s the ones that wake up and chase after them that become successful. 2. Believe in yourself because if you don’t, I wont either. 3. Love life and live everyday like it was your last.
9. What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
Freshmatik: Every time we submit beats for a project and get turned down is a failure in my eyes. Failure doesn’t have to be something that sets you back it can also be something that motivates you.
Whenever an artist or A&R passes on our music it motivates me to become a better producer. I want to prove them wrong by perfecting my craft. You might not be interested in our music now but you’ll be hearing about us in the future.
Trakrunner: In my opinion, every opportunity for a major placement that slips away is a failure. I’ve learned that failure is a part of life and the only thing we can do is to prepare ourselves for when opportunity passes along.
10. What’s a typical day in your life like?
Freshmatik: I usually wake up, get ready and head off to the gym. Once I’m done there I sit down to take care of any business that needs to get done like updating our profiles or working on new graphics.
After that, I usually work on new beats or remixes. Before I go to bed I always listen to music and write down any thoughts or ideas that come into my head.
Trakrunner: I wake up, thank the lord for blessing me with another day and get down to whatever needs to be taken care of.
11. What’s one of the highlighting moment in your career? Why is it so?
Freshmatik: I’m still waiting for my highlighting moment but I look forward to it when it does come.
Trakrunner: I’m still waiting for The Teknicianz’s first Grammy Award because that is the ultimate highlighting moment of any producer’s career.
12. What stops you from throwing in the towel and giving up during those frustrating days of being in this industry?
Freshmatik: I’m so focused and determined to reach my goals that I never think about throwing in the towel. I’ve invested too much time, money, and energy to stop now. It’s not always easy but I believe something isn’t worth pursuing unless you face challenges along the way.
Trakrunner: To be honest, I love those days. These days are what separate the pretenders from the contenders. I cherish pressure and thrive off of adversity.
13. Biggest risk ever taken?
Freshmatik: Starting a graphic design company with little experience to draw from.
Trakrunner: I don’t take risks, I take opportunities. Being asian and trying to make it in the music industry is one that jumps to mind.
14. Who has influenced you most and been your greatest inspiration?
Freshmatik: My biggest inspiration in my life is my mom. She suffers from rheumatoid arthritis but she remains strong and still manages to carry on with her life. I admire her courage and resiliency.
Trakrunner: My mother greatly influences my everyday life. She’s inspired me to follow my dreams and to just be myself.
15. How do you go about marketing your business or yourself? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Freshmatik: The Internet is probably the most effective way since we can spread our music worldwide without having to travel far. Aside from that, our remixtapes have also been an effective form of marketing for us. Ever since we released our first tape people have been responding positively. Its good to know that people like what we’re doing which motivates us to work even harder.
Trakrunner: Who people see is who they get. The money, fame, and exposure isn’t going to change me. Im just happy to be blessed and in the position I’m currently in.
16. In three words, characterize who you are.
Freshmatik: I’m an artist.
Trakrunner: Dedicated, determined and down-to-earth
17. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Freshmatik: Famous Stars and Straps for their marketing, appeal, and relevance to hip-hop/rock culture.
Trakrunner: Cash Money Records has always been a company I’ve admired. After the fall out with the Hot Boys and Mannie Fresh, everybody counted them out. 10 years later, they are still a major player in the music industry.
18. How do you achieve balance in your life?
Freshmatik: I’m a workaholic so most of my time is spent behind a computer or in the studio. I try to keep myself active by going to the gym and staying in shape. Working out keeps me grounded and helps alleviate some of the stress in my life.
Trakrunner: I keep myself grounded. I interact with people the same way I’ve socialized with them since I was in preschool. I humble myself and don’t take my blessings for granted.
19. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
Freshmatik: In 5 years, I see myself becoming an all around better producer. I want to learn as much as I can about music and business so we can put ourselves in a better position. As a team, I see us landing significant placements and building up our track record.
In 10 years, I see bigger and better things for our brand. Eventually, we want to become the next big production team in music. We’ve got a long way to go but the drive and determination is in us to succeed so failure’s not an option.
Trakrunner: At the Grammy’s. That, to me, is the ultimate goal in the music industry. Somebody has to be there, so why not The Teknicianz?
20. What’s the first thing you would say to the world if all attention was on you?
Freshmatik: I would say we’re lucky to be in this position. Many people around the world don’t have the same opportunities we’ve been blessed with. We need to start looking at the bigger picture and stop focusing our attention on the insignificant things.
If there were more media coverage on issues that matter maybe more people would pay attention to what is really going on in the world.
Trakrunner: Don’t take anything for granted. Chase after your dream and be confident, but never loose sight of reality. Work hard and prove your haters wrong. Humble yourself because there is always going to be someone better at what you do.
For more information on The Teknicianz, make sure you visit www.myspace.com/theteknicianz
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