D/WILL talks streaming Reset and his plans for next year; at MiniBar on Saturday

Beatmaker Denzel Williams is better known to you and yours as D/WILL. He’s the man who supplies the backbone to many a local MC’s lyrical flow. Whether it’s as part of Heartfelt Anarchy with Les Izmore or partnering with Stik Figa, Williams’ music has made many a head nod.

His solo releases have been few and far between, however, so it’s rare you get to hear his own flow. He dropped Reset, his latest, all the way back in July, but it only just began streaming online. It’s likely that – like us – it completely flew under your radar. Williams was cool enough to talk to us about Reset, now that it’s more readily available for consumption.

The Pitch: Why wait so long for a solo release?

Williams: Actually, this is not my first solo release! In 2008 I released my first solo project entitled Battery Effect, which received awesome blog write-ups. It also made waves for me as an emcee/producer, which led to more production work for artists such as Outasight. Demand for beats was at an all time high, so I had to step away from the raps and focus on production.

Last year I released a follow up to Battery Effect – an EP called Lamb and Lion. Again: after releasing my rap album, demand for my production raised and I found myself in the studio, again crafting beats for others – but this time, I set some aside for myself. Those beats spawned Reset.

Given that you’re usually the back half of a lot of collaborations (“So-and-so and D/WILL”), how does it feel to be out in front?

I never really think about it that way, which is why I fly under a lot of people’s radar. I love the look on a person’s face when they finally meet me and connect the dots. Like, “Oh, wait – you’re the same cat that produced Stik Figa,” or “Wait a minute … you’re the guy with the mask during Heartfelt Anarchy performances!”

So, whether I’m producing an album for someone or for me, it’s all the same! I have so much love for the music, I don’t care if people know and praise D/WILL. I’d rather them praise God for gifting me with the ability to make sounds and music.

It seems like this sort of flew under a lot of people’s radar when it dropped earlier this year. Did putting it up for streaming help bring it attention?

It did, man – we initially released it on iTunes. and it did fairly well for the minimal campaigning we gave it. Putting it up for stream allowed more people to hear the record, and I’m happy because Reset is an awesome project! I linked up with Justin Mantooth – one of Kansas City’s coldest engineers – and we made the Reset’s soundscape big and bold. That first track, “Everything is New”? Come on, man – that’s a huge, chunky, well-manicured track!!

Reset is way more laid-back than the beats you work out with Les Izmore and Heartfelt Anarchy, but also more spare than what you’ve done with Stik Figa. What’s the process of juggling those different sounds?

The juggling of sounds depends on the spirit of the day. It’s all about the energy, connection and conversations with the artist. I want to provide the artist a platform to make the best album they ever have. Those two cats you mentioned are my friends, so studio sessions with Izzy could go from us watching a comedy show to him lecturing me on the power of supporting black businesses to me chopping a sample and crafting a beat with the energy in the room.

Same with Stik – our studio session may start with us talking about God, to him foolishly challenging me to a game of NBA 2K15. I don’t know why he continues to challenge me. He loses every time, B! We laugh and talk about family, then I fire up the MPC and ASR 10, and we finally get to making music.

Your album seems like it has a lot of cross appeal — not just to fans of hip-hop, but folks who are into RJD2 and DJ Shadow, as well. Are you working that angle at all?

I am! I encourage people to listen to Reset at least two times. I am giving you a peep into my creativity and production quality. I plan on releasing the instrumentals soon. Next year, I’ll release several instrumental projects, and I’m currently building live sets for them, so I can get out and perform beats live.

What projects do you have on the table for the new year?

Damn Gina, an instrumental project dedicated to a friend of my that passed away this year with cancer; another instrumental album; Bible Barz, which serves the purpose of a weekly bible devotional; Heartfelt Anarchy’s next, Random Blocks Off Troost; Jobb by Stik Figa, and whatever else pops up and inspires me. I have a full delta blues-style EP already done that’s gonna trip y’all out! It’s … raw – just me and my guitar. But, it may just live on my hard drive. Maybe not.

You can catch D/WILL providing beats for Culture Building, with emcees including Brief and AyEl, among others, at miniBar on January 3. Details here.