Ones To Watch: Ivan 'Orthodox' Barias

As a friend and colleague of Ivan "Orthodox" Barias for almost two decades, I can attest firsthand to his true passion and love for the art of music. As half of the production tandem known professionally as "Carvin and Ivan", Barias, an ardent student of his craft, cares about even the most diminutive of details when bringing a song to life. His penchant for "quality over quantity" consistently manifests itself in their body of Grammy-nominated work.

Drawing from an ever-diverse palate of musical influences, this gifted duo run relentlessly toward the pursuit of creating both timeless and classic material. Ivan took some time from burning the "midnight oil" with Carvin to give us some insight into how they do what they do, why they do it and what they hope to do with it.

Knowing you personally for many years, I’ve observed firsthand that your love and appreciation of music extends beyond being a casual listener and spans several genres. You’re a constant student of different expressions and genuinely care about music. How did this appreciation come about?

First, let me say thanks for this interview. I'm honored at the gesture. To answer your question, my love for music began while I was growing up in the Dominican Republic. I was constantly surrounded by a lot of Latin music. I grew up around a large family and everybody was always playing some salsa, merengue or bachata. ..lol. Then, I moved to the U.S. at age 8 and fell in love with Hip Hop. I lived briefly in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. and was exposed to Caribbean music like Reggae, Calypso, etc. I also grew up listening to 80s pop and R&B on MTV and BET back when those stations' programming revolved around music. When I started rapping, I decided to start making beats and began digging for wax (vinyl records), like you and I used to call it. Soon after, I discovered soul, funk, jazz, Brazilian and all sorts of records to sample in my music. Then, when I thought I would become a guitar player, which never happened, I got into a lot of classic rock. So there you have it. 

You’re a successful yet humble producer and have made a name for yourself synonymous with quality. What do you feel has been your biggest asset in accomplishing this?

I think I would have to credit me being a student of music history and knowing the legacy of some of the great producers throughout all eras. Looking at their vast catalogue keeps me driven to someday reach that level. I also noticed that the common denominator between all of these greats was that their passion for the craft never allowed them to be bigger than the songs they created. That in itself is quite humbling.

How difficult, if at all, has it been to remain true to your creative identity in an ever-changing musical landscape where it seems the music is getting less and less musical?

I think I've been fortunate to get my start back when it was looked upon with admiration to have some semblance of musicality. I have been able to combine that with my Hip Hop aesthetics and ride that wave of commercial acceptability and critical acclaim. But above all, I've tried to maintain an honesty in the music that transcends any trends and seasonal flavors which seem to be common nowadays.

What gets you most excited about working with a particular artist?

I get excited the most when working with new artists because there is a certain hunger and naiveté that reminds me of that basement on 444 N. 3rd (Philadelphia) where we all grew up together. I think, at that stage, their spirits haven't been tainted and they’re more prone to trying new ideas for the sake of being different. Not to say that you don't get that from more experienced artists, but they usually tend to have an idea of where they want to go and like to stick within those parameters.

Do you have a specific approach to creating a new song? Walk us through it.

It varies. It used to start with finding a cool sample and trying to figure out a fresh way to flip it. I'd make a track with it, then present it to a writer to write a song to. Then, when I learned how to play piano a little bit, I started coming up with chord changes on my own and collaborating with musicians to create original compositions. I've also created music around top-lines (hummable melodies) that Carvin may have had like "Don't Change" and "Teach Me", two records we wrote and produced for Musiq.

What’s a typical day in the life of Ivan?

I usually try to handle anything pertaining to business in the early part of the day. I also tend to handle family affairs early also. Then I usually get in the studio in the early afternoon and go to the wee hours. Sometimes I may have an artist to work with, so I go around their schedule. If I have a writer come down to write, I try to start early so that we can have time to get to know our working habits and develop some chemistry. If I'm making tracks, I just try to go with the flow. I may listen to music to get in the zone. I'll pull up some sounds in Apple’s Logic and just start coming up with some ideas, and put down maybe five to eight quick musical ideas. Then, I'll listen to those and decide which ones are the strongest and go from there.

What are some of the challenges you face as a producer in today’s music biz?

Some of the main challenges are the people tasked with finding the music for the labels. In years past, the A&R (Artist & Repertoire) was synonymous with someone of pure taste with a vision. That has changed considerably now because record labels now are run by a corporate board that care nothing about that special artist that has a unique musical gift. It has to be marketable and palatable for the masses to consume and be monetized. So you have to constantly figure out ways to make art more appealing, which in itself is a contradiction.

It seems like every week there’s a new product to totally revolutionize the ways in which you can efficiently manage your workload and output. How do you keep pace with all these innovations in musical technology?

I embrace it. I always tell the story of my four-track recorder with the knitting needle on the record button slot and the Casio SK-1 sampler with all the keys missing. I did some impressive stuff, or so I think at that time with such a limited setup. What I use now totally devours that. It's like Galactus from the Fantastic Four. I'm constantly looking for new software that allows me to be creative and keep the workflow from becoming stagnant.

As a producer what’s your weapon of choice in the studio?

I currently use Logic as the central point for my productions. Last year, I started using Native Instruments Maschine to sketch out ideas. That brought me back to my AKAI MPC roots. Recently, I discovered Ableton Live. It's amazing. I'll have to show you what you can do with that.

Who inspires you as a producer and why?

Man, you were a big inspiration in my sound. You were the first person I saw firsthand that dominated a sampling drum machine like the AKAI. That influenced my approach. I was also a huge fan of Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest. I had the pleasure, like you, to experience J Dilla's music before anyone. I remember that beat tape we had from '98 that we were trying to get those beats for our LNO (Limitless & Orthodox) project from. He inspired me by showing me that you could make music that could cut through the clutter in the market and stand out. I'm still inspired by a lot of what I hear. And my record collection is still a great source and will always be.

You’re an alumnus of DJ Jazzy Jeff’s historic A Touch of Jazz camp. What are your thoughts on what it represented and how it influenced you as a producer?

I credit Jeff and ATOJ with allowing us to discover our voice and artistic vision. He gave us a blank canvas to paint on and didn't try to influence the outcome the way I've heard other producers did with their camps. I also learned the value of teamwork at ATOJ. Those classic albums we were a part of were examples of collaborations between a group of talented individuals with passionate energy.

Your creative partner Carvin Haggins is a gifted songwriter in his own right. How do you two motivate each other to get the best possible product in the studio?

I think what we do is understand and define each other's roles and try to give each other the room to be creative before we allow the outside influences to come in. I think that's key for any partnership in any industry. Mutual respect for each other's abilities has been the factor in this long-term collaboration.

How do you balance the rigors of studio life with your personal?

You don't. Hahaha. You just try to do your best. At some point you have to completely shut the music off and tend to family matters and that's it.

What’s meaning/significance behind the name “Orthodox”?

It's actually a play on me being very un-orthodox. There's some irony to it, but I was almost ascetic when I first decided to pursue music full time. There was almost a rabbinic approach in trying to master my craft. I don't know how successful I was, but I found out that was the type of discipline you'd need to be make it in this business.

What are some of your proudest accomplishments as a producer?

The first time I heard Just Friends (Musiq Soulchild) on the radio. I remember driving to the studio and hearing that beatbox intro, which was your idea by the way, and being overwhelmed. The other time was picking up my first Grammy nod as a songwriter. Reading your name on a Grammy nominations list is one of the greatest feelings in the world. I'm sure you can attest to that.

What’s next on the horizon for you and Carvin?

Continuing to help create new artists and to keep trying to get songs placed to build our catalogue. That is the closest thing we have to a 401K retirement plan in this business.

How can people keep tabs on you guys electronically?

We're both on Facebook under our names: Ivan Barias and Carvin Haggins.  We’re on twitter as well: 

www.twitter.com/doxortho

www.twitter.com/carvinhaggins