Anthony Church Has an Unknown Advantage
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking again with prolific producer Anthony Church who released their most in-depth project yet "Unknown Advantage" exclusively on artist-friendly platform EVEN.
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Anthony Church in October 2022. Before diving into our latest conversation check out our initial conversation here.
Mustard has observed that some humans love strategy. Strategy comes in many forms. It shapeshifts dependent on the situation. You are reading this on Substack; a platform where writers and journalists have strategized what to post about and when. If you enjoy what you are reading you can show your support by subscribing to their newsletter. On the other end of the spectrum strategy can also be used for terrible things such as planning a violent attack, genocide against other humans, and stealing from charities for your own personal gain.
Thankfully Anthony Church, a producer from Ohio, is using strategy for good. They have figured out that within all of us - is an unknown advantage. You reading this right now posses the ability to create and do something special. Like strategy this unknown advantage can shapeshift and be used potentially for positive or negative situations. For Church their unknown advantage explores what it means to be human. Church is passionate about music. They have been active in the independent music scene since 2016 showing their range in genres such as Hip Hop, Pop, and R&B.
Simiarily to TARRA who Mustard interviewed last month Anthony is selfess. Church is one of the co-founders of podcast and clothing brand Proven Knowledge. On the Proven Knowledge podcast Anthony connects with like-minded individuals who have a clear vision of what they want. Since its inception Proven Knowledge is over 200 episodes in highlighting other independent artists within the community.
In our latest conversation we discuss Anthony’s creative process, omlettes, their newest album Unknown Advantage, and so much more. You can check it out below:
1. Mustard is grateful and appreciative to have you join them again at Music Shelf. How are you doing today?
I’m doing great and thanks for having me back on your platform!
2. When we spoke last you shared that your top five producers are: Hit-Boy, DJ Dahi, Mike Dean, No I.D., and Kanye West. What song from each do you think best represents their production style? Are these the songs that have also influenced you?
This is definitely tough because they all have amazing catalogs of material but here are some that come to mind
Make Something by Kent M$ney is produced by Hit-Boy and I really love the sample chop he did on this song. He somehow took a couple parts of the it that are more unorthodox and still made them fit well with the other production elements included.
Shame by Elmiene is a track Dahi produced and was released last year. It’s an R&B record that really immerses you in the raw energy and I felt Dahi made the perfect sound bed for Elmiene’s vocal tone that really created a perfect match.
With Mike Dean one of my favorites he was a part of id 90210 by Travis Scott. That to me is one of Travis’ best songs and Mike’s guitar riffs towards the middle always stand out as well as the way he used distortion to his advantage and really gave the track a unique aesthetic.
No I.D. has so many tracks with a lot of diversity but one I’m a big fan of is The Dreamer by Common. To me his work with Common in general is some of the best between a producer and artist but this song always stood out as a really inspiring cut especially when incorporating James Fauntleroy’s outro and Maya Angelou’s spoken word to close it out.
Kanye’s production always has a signature feeling and to me a track that embodies that very well is I Wonder from Graduation. The sample choice and the story he created around it in his rhymes always made it a really amazing song to experience in the context of the album and it’s one of his best songs in general to me.
These tracks are definitely all influential and for sure helped influence my production as well!
3. You tend to come up with things on the fly. When inspiration strikes, how soon after do you begin crafting a beat?
Usually I’m creating from random places. Most of the time I’ll hear a melody and begin to chop that up and craft drums and the other parts around it until I have something I feel can become a full idea. During the day I’ll have random ideas but most of the time things tend to come when I’m actually sitting down and intentionally trying to create something from scratch. Life tends to be where that inspiration comes from though.
4. There are over 200 episodes of your podcast Proven Knowledge which allows you to connect with other like-minded artists. Could you share what it is like to put an episode together for Proven Knowledge? If someone was interested in being a guest on the show how would you recommend they reach out?
Believe it or not the episodes usually don’t take too long to put together. I have a pre-recorded intro and mid roll segment and usually will just try to level out the volume for the episode itself and the outro so everything meshes well. I use FL Studio for my editing and it usually only takes about 20 minutes or so.
If someone is looking to come on the show definitely send an email to Anthonychurch24@gmail.com or reach out to me on social media primarily Instagram @anthony_church24.
5. Mustard really digs your Sound Origin collections. How do you decide what is included in the collection? What was the first sound ever heard by humans?
I appreciate that! For me the tracks were picked based on the words being said in the skits so I really tried to just match the vibe based on that. I picked 6 tracks for each volume and just wanted them to serve as different inspirational points for listeners to be able to experience so I was happy with how they all came out!
6. When is the best time to enjoy an omelette and latte? What is Anthony Church's go-to omelette and latte?
Well I do enjoy a good omelette but surprisingly I don’t drink lattes lol! To me it’s a morning or maybe brunch thing though so can’t go any later than that. O.G Proce$$ actually named that track so you’d have to ask him more about his take.
7. This year has seen you collaborate with the likes of O.G. Proce$$, LuiKangOZ, and Tommy G. Could you share more about your collaboration process? Who reaches out to who first usually?
I’m always just looking to work with like-minded individuals who know what they want and have a clear vision. Other than that just being a cool person can go a long way and I can safely say everyone I’ve worked with so far fits that criteria very well. In the beginning I definitely had to reach out more often but in recent years I’ve been blessed to have people reach out to me which has been super cool! Either way as long as I feel it’s a good fit and mutually beneficial then I’m good to proceed with the collaboration.
8. As a food product Mustard is curious what ingredients are required to create an idiot stew?
“Great question and one I know my buddy Soma79 would appreciate lol! Well the song to me is about the political climate and how people can lose themselves chasing things they can’t control while also bashing the other side for their beliefs as well. So I’d feel the main ingredient would be people who fall into that category. Again though I’m sure Soma would be able to give you the full spectrum of the flavors in that one!”
9. Would you consider yourself to be upfront? How does Anthony Church approach a situation?
I’d say I’m a pretty direct person so ya. I usually never am hesitant to ask for what I want or bring something up that I feel needs addressed when it comes to working with others. I just approach each scenario with the same demeanor and attitude while also understanding each individual is different and will act in their own way. It’s important to just be yourself throughout all of that and stay true to you.
10. Mustard would like to wish you congratulations on your newest album Unknown Advantage. Could you share what it was like to put this album together?
Thank you! This was the most in depth project I’ve done so far and it was over a year in the making. It really just took a lot of planning and executing to reach the point it’s at now so it was a time commitment but It was definitely worth it for sure!
11. Mustard wonders: what is an unknown advantage? How did this concept inspire the album?
To me the name means having a creative spark within yourself and using that in any way you’re able to express it. It’s something I feel everyone possesses but not everyone is aware of unless you’re an artist or actively using it everyday. Having that ability gives us a distinct advantage to always stay on the pursuit of the good fight each and everyday so it’s really an ode to that and what it means to be human in general.
12. You released this album exclusively via EVEN which is a new platform that supports artists. Can fans expect to find more of your work on EVEN in the future? What sets EVEN apart from other platforms?
Most definitely! It’s a fairly new platform but I really love what they’ve been putting in place for artists to generate a better return on the projects they work so hard on. So I’ll for sure be continuing to experiment with the platform and its capabilities moving forward and I’m already planning my next release for 2025 with it as well.
13. The album opens with Break Through and ends with On The Path. Could you share more about how you structured this album? What type of path is Anthony Church on?
The sequencing was all based off of feeling. I really just did my best to tell a story through instrumentals which was a challenge but I felt the end result really does convey the overall message of the album if you experience it front to back.
I think my path is a mix of one I’m actively carving out and one I’m letting lead me wherever it takes me. It’s really all about balancing the ups and downs while learning what you do and don’t have control over and when you do that things tend to fall into place exactly how they should.
14. What is on the horizon for Anthony Church?
Definitely closing out the year with more collaborations and finishing up some more solo works as well. So really just staying consistent and keeping the music and podcast episodes coming!
15. Can readers still find your music on all platforms?
Yes all streaming platforms under Anthony Church and be sure to support Unknown Advantage on EVEN starting September 1st!
Music Shelf with Mustard is a publication that interviews independent musicians from all across the globe. It is read in 32 states and 19 countries. Check out previous interviews here.
Music Shelf with Mustard originally began in early 2021. Inspired by independent musicians on social media application TikTok Mustard knew they had to do something to help share their music. Shortly after Music Shelf with Mustard was born. Its goal is to highlight independent artists from all across the globe. Mustard appreciates you taking the time out to read this interview.