Audiomack Presents: 20/20 with Alexander Lewis; 20 minutes, 20 samples, one fire beat.

Welcome back to 20/20, the Audiomack series where we give our favorite producers 20 minutes and 20 Splice samples and watch them flip these layers of sound into one impeccable beat. This time, we’ve got trombonist-turned-trap-maestro Alexander Lewis, best known for his work with the GRAMMY-winning duo Brasstracks and relationship to the Los Angeles beat scene.

“Normally, I start with melody, but sometimes I start with drums,” Lewis says. “It all just depends on the feeling.” Diving into the Splice samples, Lewis lands on a few claps and begins, as promised, with the melody. Taking things to the MIDI, Lewis plays out a simple melody and layers that with some deep strings and a snare.

After some tweaking, Lewis has a booming and menacing trap beat on his hands. “There we go,” he says, playing the beat back. As a final touch, he plays out a stuttered organ melody to serve as a nice rhythm section. “It literally just needs a sub,” he says before finishing up the beat. A chef’s kiss of an arrangement, if we do say so ourselves.

Check out the full video to hear what Alexander Lewis cooked up! And make sure to check out the Audiomack YouTube channel for even more 20/20 Challenge videos.

Watch Producer Alexander Lewis Reinvent Trap Music in 20 Minutes Using 20 Splice Samples