MyGen
Profile GeneratorOptimal started on the scene back in the day playing in several punk and hardcore bands as well as straight out rock projects. Turning his hand to vocals, guitars, saxophone or bass as and when required, as well as writing material and recording demos in small studios he gained an excellent overview of the music-making process during his formative years.
After finishing A-Levels in Summer 2000, Optimal started his own specialist ska, punk and hardcore record label, 'Down and Out Records'. The now defunct label released just one album; 'Going Down Disgracefully', with a 1,000 strong print run, before other commitments forced it to fade into oblivion.
As he got older, his eclecticism and musical curiosity grew. Developing a near obsession with hip-hop and reggae, then later, delving into drum n bass, house, breakbeat, electronica, and other digital styles, he started to turn his attention more to the production side of things and the creation of electronic music.
In 2001, Optimal embarked on his Journalism Degree at Cardiff University and began to dabble with the possibilities of his computer from the cramped confines of his University halls of residence. During this time, he took the opportunity to read on the subject and practice as much as he physically could. He began to write some rhymes and developed his skills at the same rate as his studio was growing, with holidays and other luxuries making way for new equipment. By his second year, he was MCing virtually every week in the Student's Union in the hip-hop room on saturday nights, as well as a being a member of the stage crew setting up for major international acts.
Following University, Optimal took the opportunity to further his production talents by enrolling on a Music Production HND at ACM, Guildford. Here he studied alongside numerous like-minded production and writing addicts, who inspired him to take his music to another level. His time there completed the set of tools he needed to understand what his tracks were missing, and fix the problems with ease, as well as giving him a huge list of future collaborators.
With a broad and varied taste in music, and years of building his skills, Optimal has gathered a veritable arsenal of tracks, covering a huge range of genres. From introspective hip-hop tales of lost love, to cheeky ska bouncers and driving drum n bass and breakbeat, his vast generic knowledge carries a fluidity into his sound that epitomises his unique style.
Enjoy,
Optimal
