MEET CTRL.
Ctrl. is an artist who is not only brimming with talent but also demonstrates a passion for his work and the positive outcome it can have on those around you. Working in the music industry, Ctrl. believes himself to be an artist rather than just a producer, Ctrl. told Fekr that “I've been spending around 4-5 years perfecting my craft and I always focus on the overall project instead of just the production side”. There is a clear drive for ensuring that his overall work is set to perfection, with songs and visuals that follow with the vision the artist has set for them. Ctrl. is impressively the first producer in the region to ever release an album as a producer that features 20+ artists from the underground scene.
From the mere age of four years old, Ctrl. would never be seen without headphones to enjoy and cherish the music around him. His favorite piece of work is his recent debut album, “That's the first-ever project I've put into regarding my craft and I just love what everyone did there and I do believe that I brought the best out of certain artists and let them shine on a platform I provided. That's why I love that album.” Ironically, this album was never supposed to happen. After the first single “Invicta” was released. This particular single is in direct relation to the album since it features six artists, this inspired the idea of collaborating with multiple artists. Invicta received a lot of positive feedback as Ctrl. said “That gave me the motivation to do an entire album like that showing that the Dubai scene is full of love and energy that can't be matched.”
An issue that Ctrl. sees often in the industry is the lack of kindness and communication and a set platform where artists are pinned against each other. He believes there’s a lack of humbleness. A change that he wishes to see in the industry is more support from the community within the region because most of his streams come from countries other than the UAE. “I have this vision where all of us in the underground scene would be the next big thing, like a whole XXL freshmen list. All of us just being the next big thing is my vision and I would really love for that to happen. Being the next trend. The next topic of discussion as a collective,” Ctrl. told Fekr.
As for a piece of advice he would give his younger self, Ctrl. says; “To keep going and never give up because at one point I did decide to leave the production side completely and figure out other interests. So I'd tell myself to stay patient, that passion always wins and staying real always prevails.”
