About Essay Read
Essay Read is the producer alias for Steven Arthur Reid (He/Him). Specializing in Hip Hop production, poetry, and guerilla recording styles, Steven creates anything and everything in between evocative, introspective, silly, goofy, relaxing, engaging, but always authentic and honest.
Essay Read is committed to exploring Hip Hop production styles, researching and paying homage to the Hip Hop greats both past and present, and providing a listening experience not easily found in Canadian Hip Hop.
Essay Read incorporates “found-sound” sampling and avant-garde soundscapes. The music is inspired by philosophical overthinking, overbearing cynicism, cathartic self-indulgence, tenacious transparency, progressive social ideation, and a desire to establish evocative artistic connections with others. Since 2018, Essay Read has released 8 full length albums, 3 EPs, and 7 singles available for streaming. His dedication to his craft has resulted in a wide variety of sounds, genre off-shoots, and stylistic intentions.
The new effort by Reid, “Doctor Manhattan Syndrome”, is an exploration into the sounds of “Experimental Jazz Rap” and poignant doom-speaking. Wrapped up in an 11 song tirade, Reid wants to challenge listeners to think a little deeper about themselves, their future, and an increasing sense of hopeless optimism in the face of chaotic neo-liberal capitalism.
Reid's last major release, “Same Thing, Only Different (2022)” acts as a summation of everything he taught himself before taking Music Production and Engineering at NSCC, the record explores self-destructive bad habits, rising from the depths of emotional despair, and searching for a reason to continue waking up everyday.
Recording Standards
Skills
Equipment
Equipment
Highly proficient in the usage of DAWs such as Pro Tools and FL Studio for multi-tracking, overdubbing, and "In-The-Box" productions.
Equipment
Equipment
Equipment
A variety of mics, including SM7b and WA-47jr, as well as a plethora of industry standard plugins and techniques.