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"...I was into Black Sabbath because of their keyboard stuff- the gothic shit..." - MIKE DEAN (Davidson, 2023)

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Genre: Pioneered heavy metal using distorted, detuned riffs, dark lyrical themes, and aggressive drumming.

They explored themes of war, despair, mental illness with dark lyrics that resonated with fans disappointed by the government during the Vietnam War era.

Inspiring experimental production in “Symptom Of The Universe” shows blending of staccato riffs with funky acoustic guitar . (Black Sabbath, 2021)

Band formed in industrialised Birmingham. This influenced their gritty, oppressive sound.

Mike Dean was influenced by their gothic and heavy metal sound and evidently incorporated it in his synth-heavy, experimental production style to create dark/gritty atmosphere.

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"... Prog Rock people like Keith Emerson and all types of synth players ..."                - MIKE DEAN (Davidson, 2023). 

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Genre: Keyboard/synth player for Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP), he was a pioneer of progressive and symphonic rock.

ELP’s rock adaptation of Modest Muggorsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” shows classical, jazz, rock influence. (ShoutFactoryMusic, 2013)

He was a pioneer in the use of Moog synthesizers/Hammond organ and heavily influenced the analog synth sound of Mike Dean.

His music had grand philosophical and social themes. E.g. futuristic/dystopian themes in “Karn Evil 9”. (Dona, 2012) Mike Dean is also very evidently influenced by these themes as seen in songs like "Artificial Intelligence" and "All Earthlings".

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"...he loved Jack Johnson and Blink-182..." - COMPLEX (Tasbeeh, 2019)

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Genre: acoustic/folk-pop singer-songwriter with flavors of surf rock, soft rock, and folk.

Very minimalist approach to production with acoustic guitar, gentle percussion, and sometimes piano recorded into analog gear for natural warm tone of voice.

His music is rooted with the relaxed, island way of life he experienced growing up in Oahu, Hawaii.

His stripped back, acoustic sound creates a peaceful, sunny beach vibe that Dominic Fike recyckyes in songs like “3 Nights”. (Fike, 2019)

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"...he was obsessed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and learned to play their guitar riffs on his own instrument..." - COMPLEX (Tasbeeh,2019)

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Genre: mix of mainly funk rock, alternative rock, rap rock, punk and psychedelic rock.

Dominic Fike and I are both nfluenced by their use of hard bass grooves, complex guitar sections, and rap-esque vocals; influenced by their innovative blend of genres

Their music explores themes of California culture, drug addiction, love, and social inequality. E.g. their song “The Power of Equality” showcases their activism for racial/social inequality. (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, 2015)

Dominic Fike's sound has derivatives from RHCP’s guitar-driven style and genre blending discography.

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"...He loved Jack Johnson and Blink-182..." - COMPLEX (Tasbeeh, 2019)

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Genre: pop-punk emerging from Southern California’s punk scene in the 1990’s

Rapid guitar riffs, gritty power chords, and hard-hitting drums showcase blink-182’s simple yet effective use of genre conventions. (Dominic Fike sound has derivatives from this).

Themes: youth, rebellion, relationships, humor with instances of emotional depth. E.g. “Adam’s Song” explores themes of loneliness and mental health. (blink-182, 2009)

Dominic Fike and I both are influenced by blink-182’s humorous yet emotional style enforced by their energetic yet melodic pop-punk production.

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"...Pink Floyd was a big one..." - MIKE DEAN (Davidson,2023)

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Genre: Pioneered progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and art rock.

Experimental production on “The Dark Side of the Moon” with synths like the EMS Synthi AKS, VCS-3, looped tapes, unorthodox choice of sound effects and real-world recordings (e.g coin sounds on “Money”). (Sfirse, 2021)

“The Dark Side of the Moon” conceptually explored themes of conflict, morality, greed, time and mental illness. (Luthuli, 2021)

Pink Floyd’s experimental production evidently influenced Mike Dean (and me)  as seen in his use of analog synths and textured atmospheres.

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Genre: Hip-Hop producer and engineer with flavors of electronica, synthwave, dream pop, and trap.

I'm heavily inspired by his heavy use of analog synthesisers in making warm textures that create a rich, atmospheric sound.

His live electric guitar performance of “Hurricane” for the Weeknd’s 2022 Coachella Set showcases how Black Sabbath gives his sound a "gothic" feel with the distorted chords and gritty atmosphere. (The Weeknd, 2022)

He pioneered the Dirty South sound in the 1990’s.

A significant thing I am influenced by is his ability to blend genres in creating innovative music and experiences.

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Genre: Indie/Alternative with flavors of rock, hip-hop, pop.

Alternative Indie sound influences my use of rock heavy instrumentation in my production such as electric guitars and grunge-inspired live drums.

I admire and want to incorporate his unconventional experimental vocal production styles in my own music and implement conventional rock/rap/pop production into it as well.

His sound and overall repertoire shares similarity with 2000s Grunge aesthetic which I enjoy and want to incorporate as well.