Peace Peace!

This is Dom from Sunday Dinner Records, and I’m excited to introduce our new blog series, “CHEF TALK”!

CHEF TALK is a conversation with the artists, DJs, and producers cooking up the next wave of independent music. We talk influences, process, inspiration, records, and everything happening behind the scenes.

PIECES 01

We’re kicking things off with producer Noewan! The St. Louis–born, Las Vegas-based producer is set to deliver Vol. 9 of Culinary Arts School this month, and we had the opportunity to sit down with him to talk about his origins, inspirations, creative process, and more.

Make sure to follow Noewan and support his work on Bandcamp!

Chef Talk: For those who may be discovering you for the first time, who are you and where are you from?

noewan: My name is Noewan (pronounced no one). I am a producer from St. Louis MO, currently residing in Las Vegas.

Chef Talk:That’s dope! I would love to know, where’d your artist name came from?

noewan:Long story short: Depression, haha.

I actually used to go by another name. From about 2005 up until 2020, my name was Centipede. It was a childhood nickname due to a scar I've had on my arm since I was about 10.

Chef Talk: Damn! Fuck Depression! Did the name change give you new life in your art?

noewan: Honestly I think it did. Even though most people who fucked with me already knew who I was after the name change, it definitely helped me move past the bullshit. I think relocating to the west coast around that time also had a lot to do with it. Trying new things, reinventing myself a bit, it also helped that almost nobody knew who I was out here in Vegas.

Chef Talk: I feel you G. Change is scary but good for you. Who or what has influenced you the most creatively?

noewan: I feel like if I had to narrow it down to someone specific, it would be a toss up between Dilla and Madlib. Hearing Donuts and the Beat Konducta series made me realize how narrow my view on beats, really all of music, used to be. I know that sounds kinda cliche, haha

Chef Talk: I don’t think it’s cliche.. because for me, as a far of both producers, I’m still hearing new things from their catalogs. 

Do you have a fav song or album from them?

noewan: Madlib has a beat on his first Beat Konducta album called Filthy. It's one of the most simple beats I've heard from him and it drives me crazy every single time. The textures he comes up with is something I'm always striving for.

Dilla has a song from Welcome To Detroit called Give It Up. I always love when he's doing that offbeat/onbeat style. Dude was also super creative on the mic, mad slept on.

Chef Talk: GIVE IT UP! 🥶🥶 Welcome To Detroit is my shit! 

Being a student of music. What’s something you’ve learned recently that has changed the way you create?

noewan: I've been trying to get better at mixing. After years of doing this, I feel like I'm finally learning how to properly use an EQ haha. If anything, I feel like it helps me put things together with more intention and not just adjust levels and hope for the best.

Chef Talk: Yeah..salute all the engineers man. lol. Such an essential tool to have in the toolbox. What artists, producers, DJs, or albums are you listening to right now?

noewan: Black Milk has been going crazy lately. His newest Ceremonial album and Food From The Gods with Fat Ray has been getting heavy play this year.

I'm also listening to alot more R&B. I absolutely love Gwen Bunn, just started digging into her latest tape. Devin Morrison is amazing, and I somehow missed out on Jon Bap all this time. Dude is insane.

DJ-wise, I'm always digging House Shoes' sets. Still kicking myself for missing him when he performed in St. Louis a little while ago.

Chef Talk:Jon Bap is an amazing artist. Seen him perform in 2016 in Dallas. Yeah.. there’s a lot of dope albums that came out this year. I haven’t stopped listening to GENA (Karrim Riggins & Liv.e)

What’s one piece of music you’ve made that you feel really represents who you are?

noewan: I made a short beat tape a couple years ago called meadowsweetvibes. If I ever had to introduce myself to someone by showing them something I made, that would probably be the one.

Chef Talk:Amazing! Make sure yall go check that out! 

What’s something you want to accomplish with your music that you haven’t done yet?

noewan: I'd like to make music for video games. Might be a little tricky with what I do, but I'll figure something out.

Chef Talk: We might have to get Rockstar on a call lol

noewan: Man, if I could get my own GTA station playing beats....

Chef Talk: It will definitely happen G. What are you currently working on? What’s on the plate for you next?

noewan: I've been trying to focus on more collabs. I've got an album with my homie from STL Steve N. Clair that we've been building forever now, we're finally locking in on that. Hopefully a tape with Davie Napalm and Treevilla from STL as well. I feel like I've put so much emphasis on my own solo projects for years, it'd be fun to bring other people's visions to life for awhile. I'll still do more beat tapes here and there.

https://stloser.bandcamp.com/music

https://davienapalm.bandcamp.com/music

https://treevilla.bandcamp.com/

Also hoping I can get in the stu with my bro Weirddough in the near future…

https://sundaydinnerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/culinary-arts-school-vol-8

Chef Talk: Def looking forward to hearing more from you and I always appreciate collaboration projects. Definitely send that collab with Weirddough this way. lol.

Alright time for some rapid questions, we like to call “Chef’s Special”. Are you ready?

Favorite record to sample?

Coffee or tea?

Morning sessions or late nights?

Favorite city for music?

One piece of gear you’d never sell?

Dream collaboration?

Favorite meal while creating?

Vinyl you would save in a fire?

noewan:

Billy Brooks - Forty Days

Tea(Peppermint)

Late nights

LA, for sure

SP-404sx(I'll never get rid of it, even when it stops working)

Joey Bada$$

Veggie St. Paul w/cheese, chicken fried rice and Pineapple Vess

J Dilla - Donuts

Chef Talk: Dope! Make sure you check out noewan’s new instrumental album “CULINARY ARTS SCHOOL, Vol. 9”. Available everywhere on 9/27. Anything you want to say before we go?

https://sundaydinnerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/culinary-arts-school-vol-9

noewan: Thank you for having me! Hug your people regularly if you can.