Who is Command?
Name: Joseph Mosby
Currently resides in: East Atlanta Village
Current Project: Watermouth
Age: 22 years old
Education: Conservatory of Recording Arts – Gilbert, Arizona – 2012-2013
Asoul-shaking synth wave reverberates through a makeshift studio as an imposing hooded figure, Command, twists several knobs simultaneously. He takes a quick glance at a massive computer screen before him, riddled with intricate symbols composing an incomplete beat. Muffled 808 baselines juxtapose gentle, synthesized squeaks as he rocks back and forth, lost in the moment. Command is doing exactly what his name suggests, mastering the final sounds of his production.
Command, better known as Joseph Mosby, is a 22-year-old recording artist from Atlanta, Georgia, ready to take the independent music scene by storm. Despite Command’s mastery of intricate audio engineering, he explains that an unorthodox road led him to his current position.
“My parents never intentionally pushed me into music,” Mosby said. “My mom wanted me to take the school route, but my dad really helped kick start my learning process. He got me the tools I needed to learn the craft, but I had to teach myself everything about producing.”
Developing an early interest in music, Mosby often put his creative energy before educational pursuits. After graduating high school, Mosby found himself immersed in the lifestyle of musicianship.
“I took two years off and just listened to a lot of music, made a few projects and kind of drifted,” Mosby said. “I knew I wanted to go back to school, but it had to be something that I cared about, something I loved.”
Despite Atlanta’s history of musical ingenuity, Mosby found himself attracted to different locations for musical inspiration. Deciding to return to school, Mosby found himself enrolled at the Conservatory of Recording Arts in Gilbert, Ariz.
“I really just wanted to get out of Atlanta for a while. It all worked out because the pricing and curriculum of the school was great for me,” Mosby said. “It was pretty hands on and it made me learn how to work with analog gear and professional engineering equipment. I really needed to break that barrier down, because I felt like I needed to step up my game professionally.”
Command’s musical beginnings:
· Began playing instruments at 15 years old
· Name is inspired by “command” as he was seeking the creative aspects of his personality
· Formed rock band with 2 friends, Corey Brooks and Brandon Hooks, named “The Electives”
· Father produced Jazz music while his mother taught music classes
· Currently plays: drums, bass guitar, keyboards
Command’s music collective: Menace 4 Society
· Sage Guillory – artist behind Watermouth artwork and is featured on project
· Curtis Jones – founding member, independent videographer
· Ron Shaw – producer, rapper, has an independent meditation album
· Command – producer, artist, engineer
Mosby credits his cross-country experiences for his unique musical ear and finds himself preferring experimental forms of hip-hop.
“At home I don’t really listen to a lot of mainstream hip-hop like the stuff you hear on the radio,” Mosby said. “I’ll probably listen to some house music or artists like Tame Impala and Toro y Moi. A lot of the time the genre of music I listen to is affected by how I feel, so it varies by environment and mood.”
Mosby stated that his unique taste in music can be most clearly understood in his newest EP, Watermouth.
“On this project I didn’t really sample anything. It’s all original,” Mosby said. “I did a lot the production on live instruments like my bass guitar and moog synthesizer. I have a record player, so I just play a lot of records until I find something that interests me. That was what really inspired the sound of Watermouth.”
Mosby believes that Atlanta’s new wave of music gives him a better chance than ever to make a mark on traditional hip-hop.
“I feel like Atlanta is waiting for the next Outkast, that group that can create subject matter you can feel but still to party to at the same time,” Mosby said. “I can’t knock anything creatively happening in Atlanta. I’m just glad there’s progression. I feel like my sound can really reach a lot of people and influence a change.”
Mosby claims that his creative process is inspired completely by personal experience, mainly written thoughts.
“Whenever I create music, I try to come from a real place or real from personal experiences,” Mosby said. “I write down concepts a lot, so I have certain things I have in mind whenever get on a beat I’ve made. I take it to the most extreme level whenever I’m making an actual song.”
Performances
· Has Performed at: Mammal Gallery for his for show, 529 for A3C 2014
· Wants to perform at: Club SOB in New York and The Basement in East Atlanta Village
· Will perform at: Noon on Oct. 24 in the Library Plaza
The Management
Name: James Supreme
Classification: Senior
Age: 21
Marketing Major
“I heard his sound back in April. I was originally introduced to it by my friend Justin,” Supreme said. “After I came back from Toronto this summer, I gave it another listen and felt like he had something special. I honestly think the personal situations I was going through at the time made me listen with a different ear the second time around.”
The backstory
· Supreme first met Command during a party in a mutual friend’s home
· Georgia State student Elijah Watson helped Supreme book Command’s first show
Supreme had previous aspirations of being a rapper, and even recorded a few songs
“I just know that we have to work to get him going, so we take every opportunity we get; whether it’s small shows with a ten minute set or something big like collaborating with producers like 1985,” Watson said. “We’re setting him apart and working on a strategy to help brand him to the world.”
“A lot of people won’t listen to you even if you have a quality product to provide. You have to build yourself up to a point where you’re on their radar without even approaching them. We just have to see what we can do for ourselves before we can catch someone else’s attention.”
Featured tracks from Watermouth
- “Watermouth” – Term inspired
by friends in Arizona, describing the sensation experienced prior to
vomiting - “I wonder” – Inspired by former
long distance relationship
[bandcamp width=100% height=42 album=1042094980 size=small bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 track=3274165943] - “Tony Newman” – Command’s favorite song,
calls it “motivational music”
[bandcamp width=100% height=42 album=1042094980 size=small bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 track=4161282380] - “Many Faces” – speaks on
his love for women and also enjoys its effect on them
[bandcamp width=100% height=42 album=1042094980 size=small bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 track=2177019331]
Tremendous…