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Travis Keys

@_.travis

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BASSIST // PRODUCER Nashville, TN 📍
Electric | Upright | Synth
TOURING • SESSIONS • REMOTE
III
📩 DM/Email for inquiries

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How to fake the 70s in 2026!

The drums are a sample from 1971 (Michael Kirkland, Together)

The vocal is a stem from 2014 (Silk Rhodes, Group 1987).

I performed bass/guitar, with additional percussion samples.

Here is the recipe to glue a 50-year gap together:
1. Darkening modern sources:
I ran the Silk Rhodes vocal through Izotope Vinyl (50s Setting). It darkens the source is a very pleasant way giving it a unique eq curve that emulates the lo fidelity sound of older recordings. It also adds some fun features like “dust” etc.

2. The Space:
I used Capitol Chambers and Hitsville reverbs exclusively. They both really have the sound of the 60s and 70s.

3. The Glue: Everything was tracked to 15ips Tape.

Two different eras. One room.

#tapebass #musicproductiontips #vinyl #capitolstudios #fenderbass #tascam #analogrecording #producerhacks taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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9 months ago

Testing my new K.O. II sampler. The goal was to find a more subtle Dilla / Soulquarian pocket paired with more aggressive bass 👺🥊 wait for the lick at the end 😉

I hit the tape hard on this one to get that blown out fuzz. 📼📉
0:00: chops on the K.O. II.
0:04: Bass comes in

Gear & Credits:
🎛️: Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II
🎸: ‘77 P-Bass (Flatwounds + Foam)
📼: Tascam 22-4 (Pushed to saturation)
🥁: Breaks by @ohmai4x and @jackantonoff @electricladystudios

#BassPlayer #BeatMaking #SampleFlip #BoomBap #LoFiBeats #TeenageEngineering #KOII #JHipHop #SlumVillage #Madlib #MFDOOM #Distortion #TapeSaturation #BassGroove #Tascam224 #FellowshipBass #JDilla #Soulquarians #NeoSoul #FenderPBass taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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9 months ago

Running some Dilla-style grooves through the Tascam today. 📼

I tracked both basses onto tape at 15 IPS. Rhythm bus (bass/drums/perc) hitting channels 1-2 for some glue. Instrument bus separate (3-4).

A (Precision): Sits deep! Always sounds good.
B (Jazz): Cuts through, especially with the pick.

🎧 Producers: If you were mixing this track, which one are you picking?

Let me know in the comments! 👇

P.S. Hit the @machetefight ep for more sounds like this 🙏 out 1/16

Break from the @ohmai4x pack 🥁

#analogrecording #tapemachine #reeltoreeltape #bassplayer #basstone #fenderbass #neosoul #lofihiphop taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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9 months ago

Low end test! 🎻 vs 🎸

I love both of these instruments, so I wanted to try both textures in this track.

🎻 0:00 - Upright: Woody, percussive, jazz forward.
🎸 0:16 - Electric: Smooth, round, defined pocket.

Which one wins? Drop a 🎻 or 🎸

🕵️‍♂️ Trivia:
The piano sample flip is from one of the most iconic American composers & pianists of all time (a personal favorite of mine). The record was released in 1957.

The vocal flip (can you guess who?) is from the same world as far as (broad) genre, but offers a very different and more straight version of the same tune.

Beat: “SURRENDER”

Drum samples: @ohmai4x

#ghsartist #ghsstrings #boombap #uprightbass #fenderprecisionbass taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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8 months ago

Some of Oscar Pettiford’s solo on “Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are” from the Thelonious Monk album Brilliant Corners.

#ghsartist
#ghsstrings
#OscarPettiford
#JazzBass
#UprightBass by @_.travis

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8 months ago

🍲

#BassGear #AnalogRecording #Tascam #FenderPBass #StudioFlow taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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9 months ago

Uptempo vs Deep Groove ⚡️⚓️

Showing two entirely different feels over the exact same break.

Recorded to tape at 15 ips

0:00: Matching the snare and locking in the ghost notes
0:12: Switching to the deep pocket

Which feel do you prefer? Lmk in the comments👇

🥁 Drums: @ohmai4x
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#BassPlayer #DrumAndBass #LiquidDnB #Jungle #NeoJazz #Tascam #AnalogRecording #15ips #BassGroove #FenderBass #VintageTone #Pocket #MusiciansOfInstagram #ProducerLife #Baixista #audio #audioegineer #producer #joedart #vulfpeck #roccoprestia #towerofpower taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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9 months ago

“Crazy” by Patsy Cline. Playing upright and tic-tac on this tune. One of my favorite bass sounds of all time.

#ghsartist #ghsstrings #PatsyCline #Crazy #CountryMusic #NashvilleSound #TicTacBass #UprightBass #AcousticBass #Bassist #BassPlayer #ClassicCountry #MusicianLife #NashvilleMusic #danelectro taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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10 months ago

One of my favorite bass moments on Aretha Franklin’s 1967 record, “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.” Tommy Cogbill’s playing really shines on the track “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream.” Here’s my attempt at getting it as close as possible, with comparison to the original in the final chorus. I have a little fun at the end 🤷‍♂️

#ghsartist #ghsstrings #ArethaFranklin #TommyCogbill #SoulMusic #bassplayer #bassist #BassCover #BassGuitar #60sMusic #classicsoul #MusicianLife #Music taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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a year ago

Paul Chambers’ first chorus of walking on “Blue Train.” Love revisiting this record and seeing the subtle changes in recording/sound in between tunes.

#PaulChambers #JohnColtrane #BlueTrain #JazzBass #BassWalking #HardBop #Bassist #UprightBass #MusicianLife #NashvilleMusic taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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a year ago

Paul Chambers’ solo on Hank Mobley’s “My Groove Your Move.”

#ghsstrings #ghsartist #PaulChambers #HankMobley #BassTranscription #JazzSolo #JazzMusic #BassPlayer #Bassist #UprightBass #HardBop #BassLessons #NashvilleMusic #MusicianLife taken in Nashville, TN by @_.travis

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a year ago

My take on Paul McCartney’s bass line on “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” I’m making another video to put my playing and recording up against the original. It’s tricky trying to accurately recreate this sound.

#PaulMcCartney #TheBeatles #LucyintheSkywithDiamonds #BassPlayer #Bassist #BassCover #RockBass #60sMusic #PsychedelicRock #NashvilleMusic #Musician #MusicCity #Music #sgtpepperslonelyheartsclubband taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @_.travis

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a year ago