We were lucky to catch up with Ashtraypunk Glocky Ortiz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ashtraypunk, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tony S. Delacruz & Jaylen M. Ortiz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tony & Jaylen below.
Jaylen: I’ve always loved the production part of music. Especially growing up in the later part of the 90’s and getting to hear the change in music entering the 2000’s. A lot of people would only typically care about the lyrics being told on these songs but I’ve always felt production was a whole different story in itself. Having the luxury of listening to a Neptunes production, Kanye West, Timbaland,Just Blaze etc. Really made listening to music even more enjoyable. And those are just some producers that help shift the culture and create some of our all time classics. Being able to create a beat that people would love is something I’ve always wanted to do.

Tony: The production for sure. The older I got the more I understood the soundscapes people were creating like Ye & Pharrell. Listening it to as a whole instead of a track or two because then you can fully understand what the artist was trying to convey. The atmosphere we create sonically in a studio is always expansive & energizing.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Jaylen: I’m a Brooklyn native that loves music and wrestling.

Tony: Greenpoint, Brooklyn to be exact!

Jaylen: I wish I could have alot more to say when it comes to myself but I’m probably not the most interesting. I love being around my family and friends and just sharing great quality time together. As far as getting into creating music and being apart of a collective group of creators. I’d give all the credit in the world to my homies from my neighborhood because there was a time when I was away for school for college. The homies would FaceTime and show me all the new music they were doing when I was away in school. From that exact point I wanted to contribute to what they had going on so I did by starting my music journey on GarageBand. That would be a turning point for me because I would start to work on my craft each and everyday I could until I felt comfortable enough to actually send them beats.

Tony: I remember he made like 500 beats during one summer. I noticed when we’d revisit older stuff & they were all numbered & dated.

Jaylen: Putting an artist on production that you’ve created will always be fire to me. One of the best qualities that I have as a producer/ creative is being open, having input from the artist that I’m collaborating with. Creating an atmosphere where the artist can be comfortable and help bring out their creative vision. One of my main goals moving forward is to become a better producer, become better at my craft, and create a legacy.

Tony: Our friends were the ones crafting a sound with us. We would inherently just come up with visual & musical ideas late night while we’d be hanging out late. We’d be in the coldest of the cold or a studio somewhere just constantly vibing & creating. We still include our friends in all the creative projects we’re involved in.

Jaylen: The homies (Senpaijoe, Luis Christ, Loxzis) really played a huge role in me wanting to make beats.

Tony: The flocks.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Tony; Emotion. Constantly expressing myself. I feel my best work comes from when I am compelled to create something because of how I am feeling.

Jaylen: I want to create a catalog of music that people will enjoy past my time on earth. Something that can bring emotion out of people just like all the artist music that I’ve loved over the years.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Jaylen: The consumer enjoying the final product. Having a following that really cares about all the effort and hard work that you put in to creating. The genuine love and excitement behind the current of next release. Those are things that inspire me to create more and push the boundaries when it comes to my craft.

Tony: Definitely the final product. The work may be tedious at times and that’s because we spend countless nights chipping away at something. When it comes out it’s refreshing knowing what we wanted to present to the world is where we wanted it to be & is no longer ours.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tsdelacruz.myportfolio.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUrQ8biRClI
• Other: Instagrams

  Jaylen M. Ortiz: @glockyortiz

  Tony S. Delacruz: @ashtraypunk

Image Credits

Luis Leiva
Erin Bomholt
Harold Myers
Travis Atson
Brian Sarmiento