Dylan Charbeneau (aka BLVKSHP) began composing at an incredibly young age and joined the Score a Score roster in its early years after many years of touring and producing successful albums. His compositions span a seemingly limitless range of genres and land in a variety of mediums, from trailers to ads and beyond. Some of his most notable credits include Disney Universe, Quaker Oats’ "Off You Go" campaign, the LORO trailer, Pretty Little Liars, Cover Girl, promos for HBO’s Ballers, and Fastest Car on Netflix.
When did the journey start for you?
When I was four years old, I started playing classical piano. I fell in love with it immediately, and everything stemmed from there.
Who are some composers/artists you pull inspiration from?
Bach, Thelonious Monk, Gustav Holst, Radiohead, Jay Z, Bon Iver, Tom Waits, Phil Beaudreau, Flume, Nine Inch Nails, Leon Bridges, Sufjan Stevens, James Blake, Amy Winehouse, and hundreds more composers/artists.
What's the strangest method you've used to get the perfect sound?
To make an eerie and unique low atmospheric tone, I set up mics in my old Los Angeles recording studio parking lot and rolled an old busted piano off the roof. Then I took the crash, which sounded amazing with all the wood and strings reverberating from the fall, and time stretched it from about seven seconds to two minutes in length. Overkill but awesome.
Which instrument(s) do you have the most fun playing?
The Korg Radias synthesizer
Other than your studio, where does inspiration most often strike? (or rather, "Where is the second most common place you come up with ideas?")
Even more so than in the studio, inspiration strikes the most when I go on my daily walks through the streets of Barcelona. The architecture here is detailed, spans centuries, and is full of inspiration.
What's your favorite score of all time?
Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Who is your favorite composer, and why?
Stravinsky. He innovated classical music by effectively combining Romanticism, Neoclassicism, and Serialism to create a sound that was uniquely his. I find his work to be some of the most interesting and moving music ever created.
Who is your "guilty pleasure" artist?
Robyn, all the way.
If you were stranded on a desert island with one album on your Walkman that somehow never ran out of power, what would it be?
Channel Orange, by Frank Ocean.
What is the best advice you've been given?
Surround yourself with great people. You always want to continue learning and to be challenged, and the people you surround yourself with serve as the conduit to your future.