Michael Montoya aka Morgoth Beatz is a producer/songwriter/guitarist who started his career as the guitarist of his band Goliath over a decade ago. Since then he’s slowly but surely climbed the ladder, and has worked with the likes of Travis Barker, JuiceWrld, Lil Xan, Jonathan Davis, Issues, and many more. He’s not afraid to blend genres and balances a career playing guitar for Winds of Plague while producing and songwriting for prominent rap and metal artists. In this episode, he dives deep into his writing process, making the transition into rap, and much more.
ON THIS EPISODE:
4:12 – Looking back on how his career has changed since his start in Goliath
5:55 – Be known for working hard because it’ll pay off
14:50 – Main ways to get past the local level of production
19:37 – Making the transition into rap
32:36 – Having a vision is crucial
39:06 – What are must-haves for mixers and producers?
51:59 – How Michael ended up working with Jonathan Davis
1:06:14 – You can’t fake something that you don’t like
1:17:22 – A change in power structure could change metal music
1:23:51 – How to make genre-blending natural and having your ideas taken seriously
1:35:26 – Getting people to give you a shot before you have a reputation and continuing to get better
1:50:02 – Handling rejection and ascending to another level
2:03:39 – Know what you’re good at and put out music that reflects that
2:20:38 – How Michael’s process differs based on who he’s working with
2:31:26 – Cultivating your tastes and knowing when an idea isn’t going to work
2:37:28 – The process of collaboration
2:46:16 – How Michael avoids writer’s block and what his writing template looks like
2:58:20 – How the melody packs are sold and knowing how to get paid
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