Dpat Unveils the Sonic Alchemy Behind Brent Faiyaz’s Larger Than Life
Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds once said, “Lyrics can be important, but ultimately what pulls people in on a song is melody, the tracks, and the way music feels.” He was spot on. Remember the last awesome song or album that hooked you?
Sure, some lyrics might stick in your head, but the beats and melody are probably nestled deep into your brain. That’s precisely what happened when folks first heard Brent Faiyaz’s new mixtape, Larger Than Life.
While Brent’s usual relaxed vibe was there, the production surprised everyone. The first track, “Tim’s Intro,” felt like a Timbaland classic with a vintage space funk vibe. But, in a twist, it was crafted by David Patino, also known as Dpat.
Dpat, born and raised in Houston, is a self-taught beatmaker. He started his adventure during college and struck gold when he secured a position with The Weekend. Later, he joined forces with Brent Faiyaz and Atu to form Sonder. After some mystery in Brent’s second album, Dpat returned strong for Larger Than Life, producing eight out of twelve tracks. Billboard caught up with Dpat post-release to discuss their collaboration, manifesting success, and the unique experience of having a musical idol.
Before diving into the new album, Dpat shared the story of how he and Brent first crossed paths. It all started with Dpat being a solo beatmaker in a Soulection movement. During a visit to LA for a show, he connected with Atu, another producer. Their meeting led to discovering Brent Faiyaz’s songs on SoundCloud. The three clicked instantly, and Sonder was born almost unexpectedly. According to Dpat, Brent had this unshakable confidence from the get-go, foreseeing their impact on the music scene.
Dpat’s journey into producing has its roots in his teenage years as a skater. An arm injury shifted his focus to the guitar, eventually transitioning to beat-making inspired by Kanye, 9th Wonder, and J Dilla. His breakthrough came in 2011 when, astonishingly, he connected with The Weeknd and secured a placement within a year of starting to make beats. Reflecting on it, Dpat shared a surreal experience of manifesting success, beginning with a beat tape on Tumblr that caught The Weeknd’s camp’s attention.
The conversation shifted to making Larger Than Life, particularly the track “Tim’s Intro.” Dpat, a versatile music enthusiast, described creating a beat for Timbaland’s iconic introduction. The entire album aimed for a mixtape vibe, evident in the producer tags, air horns, and heavy sampling. Dpat emphasized the intentional approach to make the intro impactful, knowing Timbaland would be featured. The surreal moment of Timbaland’s approval, considering him passing the torch, was a studio highlight for Brent and Dpat.
Dpat shared insights into the album’s creation timeline, with a significant portion produced during a week-long studio lock-in in Tulum. Brent’s prolific songwriting during this period amazed Dpat. The conversation delved into specific tracks, like “Best Time,” revealing the homage to musical predecessors. Dpat mentioned working with Chad Hugo and sampling Kelis’s “Caught Out There” for “Best Time,” adding a Neptune flavor.
Closing the interview, Dpat disclosed his current projects, focusing on a trilogy of solo instrumental albums and expressing inspiration to work on full albums for other artists. He admired crafting entire albums, taking cues from legends like Timbaland and the Neptunes. While he didn’t have specific artists in mind, Dpat genuinely wanted to contribute to developing complete musical experiences.
