Chris Urban

My name is Chris Urban and I am a musician, producer, DJ, and beatsmith. Throughout my life music has been an expression of the variety of influences on my life and beatsmithing is no exception. I am influenced by hip hop/rap, jazz, rock, electronic, classical, and latin music, and I feel that my beats reflect that. I don't try to imitate anyone, but I do try to imitate certain styles, i.e. southern rap with certain beats. My only goal in making music is that I make music that people will remember, regardless of the hit status of the track. I love making hits, and I understand that hits make the band, but not every great song made was a hit.

Music has been my life as long as I can remember. I've done a lot of things in my life, but only music gives me the pride and satisfaction that doing what you feel you were put on Earth does to oneself. I grew up learning jazz and classical piano, and a lot of my music reflects that - I use a lot of jazz and classical chord change structures. I came to Colorado from Illinois right as I was starting high school, and from then throughout college I've been exposed to many and totally different styles of music, from rock bands to house DJs to rapper MCs to trip-hop.

The Roots, Nas, Kanye, Method Man, Blackalicious, Cypress Hill, Dead Prez, Immortal Technique, Jurassic 5, Jedi Mind Tricks, Talib Kweli, Public Enemy, NWA, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eminem, 2pac, Biggie Smalls, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Jay-Z, DMX, Busta Rhymes, Three 6 Mafia, Bob Marley, Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Jamiroquai, John Legend, DJ Shadow, Rjd2, Kruder and Dorfmeister, Massive Attack, Thievery Corporation, Nightmares on Wax, Zero 7, Everything but the Girl, Chicane, Shpongle, Sasha, Andy Caldwell, Miguel Migs, Kaskade, Deep Dish, Ben Watt, John Digweed, Bad Boy Bill, David Guetta, Charles Feelgood, Donald Glaude, BT, Way Out West, A Perfect Circle, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Rage Against the Machine, Rolling Stones, Beatles, the list goes on...

Mostly soft synths/sequencers, using MIDI control keyboard and pads; I do use a Roland XV-5050 for a lot of sample synthing.

I NEGOTIATE ALL MY BEAT PRICES. I don't set prices on beats because I feel that's too subjective, so if you're interested in leasing or buying a beat contact me!