Gear Shelf: Elaquent
The legend of the SP-404SX
Welcome to Gear Shelf, a segment wherein I ask various artists all about some of their favourite gear. There are a million reasons why we choose the gear we make part of our arsenal, and perhaps even more stories why we put it to rest (or, in this case, put it in a circuit). In this edition, HW&W Recordings torchbearer Elaquent tells us about his Roland SP-404SX.
Elaquent (aka EQ) and I have been friends for years now but, just slightly longer that, I’ve been a fan. Ever since the night I saw him and Sunclef open for Mike Slott in Toronto, I’ve been mesmerised by his unique brand of time-signature defying instrumental hip-hop. He’s also been likened to a teddy bear before, which only makes the optic of his 6-foot-something frame hunched over the 7" x 10" x 3" box from which he conjures his rhythmic sorcery that much more intriguing.
While far from the first producer in the heyday of the “beat scene” using the famed Roland sampler, EQ has been a fine addition to the ranks of 404 loyalists. Obviously a man of discerning taste, he saw the way some of his idols flexed on the device, and was sold.
“Honestly I saw some YouTube videos of Ras G, Samiyam and DIBIA$E using an OG 404 in their sets and wanted to get it.” Elaquent recalls.
“The OGs have been out of production for a while, plus the SX has the SD card support so I went with that.”
He certainly chose the appropriate medium for his sound. The 404’s lo-fi sample engine has been used by the likes of Teebs, Madlib, MF DOOM, and Flying Lotus. And, as anyone who’s heard his music will tell you, its raw textures, and the freedom it allows him to swing his samples completely free of quantising suit him.
Of course, as industry trends and demands change, a lot of producers are being booked more and more for DJ sets, rather than live sets of all original material, and Elaquent is no exception. In the last few years, he’s introduced an iPad and a variety of apps to the kit, which has opened things up a bit more for him.
“Nothing has really changed. Just depends on whether I’m asked to play a live set, or if I’m just asked to just DJ. Before I had beats chopped and assigned to pads so I could play them out in the 404, which worked fine except, due to the limitations of the 404, restricted how many songs I could play out on it. Once I got an iPad, I could line it into the 404 and use a number of different apps simultaneously to the 404, whether it’s (Mike Gao’s) Polyplayground app, iMPC, Beat Maker, Kaossilator, or others.”
And the benefits of that expansion have already made themselves known, in the field.
My SP-404SX actually crapped out on me while I was on tour once and I had to use a Traktor app to make do, and it worked out surprisingly well. So I like to run a little bit of everything now, rather than just the 404. I like to improvise my sets for the most part, so I don’t like relying on just the 404 or just the iPad.”
All in all, though, EQ seems like he has a deep respect for the 404SX. There’s plenty of gear on the market for live performances, but even with an endless supply of apps he could download onto his iPad, it would take some pretty drastic measures for him to give up his sampler.
“Probably if it breaks down. I don’t “need” it per sé, but it’s just really fun to use still and it’s also one of those things that reminds me of where I came from, if that makes any sense. [The] first piece of equipment I ever owned was a Trigger Finger and I loved it like crazy… until the pads stopped working, and once I got my MPD26 I never looked at that old thing ever again! But the 404 was crucial and helped me get by and make a living for a few years. There’s no replacing it until it gives out for good.”
I have a great deal of respect for Elaquent’s restraint. In a market flooded with hundreds of tools to perform your music (or other people’s), it can be difficult to fight the urge to grab the newest, or even oldest, exciting thing (much to the detriment of your bank account). But I guess it makes sense that building a performance around a mobile app ecosystem might serve as a cost-effective deterrent to spending money on physical hardware that might have a steeper learning curve, and require more effort to care for and transport.
That said, EQ hasn’t completely turned a blind eye to what’s out there. When asked what he’d cop next, if money were no object, there were two items that came to mind.
Follow Elaquent on SoundCloud & be sure to check out his new album Less Is More.
