Unicorn Stable

I spent the better part of last Sundays afternoon interviewing Unicorn Stable’s C.E.O, a.k.a L4C trying to figure out how he started, when he started and what keeps him going. (From the SMP tables, Computer Graphics Notes book and others that were lying around, it was clear he had been bonding with his books) It was a lengthy conversation but I’ve published what I think matters most. We here at Scopegater hope you enjoy and find it informative.
Tell us where the name L4C came from.
These are letters that stand for what I believe in and what I wish to do every day. They represent my faith that asks me to live for Christ, so thought I should have a name that combines my faith and purpose in one. It basically means living for Christ and every time someone calls me, it reminds me of my purpose in life; living like Christ did.
And what about the name Unicorn.
Well, unicorn is a term that was used to describe magical mythical creatures that were known for their beauty and purity. They were said to have had the magnificence of a horse and beauty that surpassed everything else so that’s why I chose it because my company is where creative imaginations reside. It will always make sure that good quality services that will leave many in awe due to the magical transformations, beauty and magnificence of the finished work.
Give us an insight about what Unicorn Stable is all about.
Unicorn Stable is a mother company of Unicorn Records, Unicorn Filmz and Unicorn Animate.
Just to confirm, did you say Unicorn Filmz?
(Chuckles a bit) Yes I did, if you invert the letter S you kind of get a letter z, it’s unique.
Could you further elaborate what those three branches of Unicorn Stable you explained earlier on entail?
Unicorn Records basically deals with music production, advertisements and film scoring which entails the production of sound tracks for films and radio jingles. Unicorn Filmz deals with the production of music videos, documentaries, advertisements and visual effects and Unicorn Animate deals mostly with animations like motion graphics and special effects.
How did you start music production?
It all started by chance. One of my friends back in 2004, two years after I had cleared high school, dared me to take part in a rap battle. I wrote down a couple of lyrics and saw they were kind of poetic and that’s when I realized I might be interested in the music business. While I was at Maseno University, I meet a music producer called AB (All Black) when I was a freshman and he ignited the sparks that were initiated by my friends dare a couple of months ago. This was the first time I came into contact with Fruity Loops (software that makes music beats) and that’s when I became sure I wanted to become a music producer. I deferred from my education since I was passionate about my new-found love. I wanted to pursue music both as a producer and an artist. This was in around 2006.
I take it your family more so your parents were not thrilled about you dropping out of school.
No they weren’t and neither were my friends. I had a hard time since no one was willing to accept my passion for music. They claimed it didn’t pay and said it was what losers pursue.
So what happened next?
Despite all these reactions, my mom was willing to sponsor me because she had heard two songs that I had earlier done while at Maseno University though the quality was poor because of the microphones we had used (he explains they were using cyber headphones that have a microphone attachment) though the beats we had produced using Fruity Loops were okay. She took a bank loan of Kes 45,000 and I bought my very first PC; an Intel Pentium 4 2.8GHZ and a 4 channel Phoenix mixer and a “Church microphone” (the microphones normally found in churches)
You earlier on said that your mum had listened to two of your songs; did you have a studio back in Maseno University?
Not really. We used a cubicle in Tsunami block D though I can’t quite recall the room number.
Did you ever produce secular music with the so-called “church microphone”?
(Laughing)Yes I did. A couple of my friends did a couple of secular songs with the “church microphone”.
How was it at first?
It was quite challenging. I did not have an idea of the exact details and complicated terms it involved but I thank God for a couple of people like Blacksmith and especially Haig Anyonyi who were instrumental in helping me in terms of music production and Cinematography (explains it at the study of cinema e.g lighting and video shooting).Haig had better equipment and allowed me to use them from time to time. He advised me on what to do and what not to, gave me literature on music production to read and he introduced me to sites that dealt with the review of music production gear e.g sound on sound which has greatly helped me sharpen my understanding of music production.
Did you happen to produce music for anyone during this time?
Yes I did. I worked with three artists and was able to buy a descent studio microphone, an AKG Perception 200, an Oxygen 49 controller by M-Audio and Haig lent me his sound card that greatly improved the quality of my recordings.
Then what followed?
I upgraded from Fruity Loops to Reason 3.0 and got the opportunity to work with many musicians who for most of them I did not charge a production fee because they could not afford to pay for the studio time but being passionate about music I decided to help as many as I could and this also gave me a chance to sharpen my music experience and gain a better understanding of music production.
After upgrading to Reason, did you produce for anyone else?
I produced a couple of songs for Hey-Z, Jackie B, Mbaire and others.
What about all the equipment I’m seeing around, how did they come about and what were the results?
With Haig’s influence, I bought better studio monitors, upgraded my PC from an Intel Pentium 4 to a Core 2 quad and this is when everything changed. I got more clients, did jingles for some radio stations like 90.7 Truth Fm in Kenya and 99.2 Praise Power radio in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. I also did some adverts then decided to venture into video production. That’s how Unicorn Filmz was born in 2009.
At the beginning you talked about Unicorn Stable, Unicorn Records and Unicorn Animate. When were they conceived?
Initially it all started as Unicorn Records in 2006, then in 2009 Unicorn filmz followed and in 2011, I created Unicorn Animate and Unicorn Stable. Unicorn Stable is the parent company.
Tell us what happened now that you had experience with music production.
I continued shooting videos though I still had to rent cameras and hire a camera crew. I didn’t have a lot of money though I had the desire to succeed in the film industry. In 2010 a couple of people saw my work and appreciated it. In the same year I worked with artist like Soje who I produced for his song titled Bounce, Friz who I produced for Nakuwaza and a colabo which they both did together titled Chapa Flash that has over gained over 160,000 YouTube views to date and was well accepted in the local media. I still continue to help artists who cannot pay the full amount of production and I’ve happened to see some of the most promising talents rise in the Kenyan music industry.
Were there any highlights in 2011?
Yes, there were. It’s when Unicorn Animate was born as a result of the realization that amazing videos can’t be created by the point and shoot policy. This meant I had to integrate CGI elements (explains it as Computer Generated Images), that included the creation of virtual worlds, set extensions and matte paintings .Towards the end of the year I bought my very first camera, a Panasonic GH2.It’s arguably one of the best video cameras in the world that’s under a $10,000 price tag (takes it out of its case to show me).Before I bought it, I was using Haig’s equipment that included a cannon 5D MK2, Cannon 7D and a Sony Z7. I also have a closet of four studio microphones inclusive of a Rode microphone, AKG microphones and Shure microphones.
I also happened to work with sleepless society and others who brought in different music styles like electro house.
What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered since you began?
-finances in terms of buying studio gear which can be very expensive and getting a return from artists isn’t assured since some aren’t willing to pay well enough and some aren’t able at that time to pay altogether though they are quite talented.
-Envy among producers. Some producers aren’t willing to help each other to improve.
-Government bodies that are meant to protect intellectual property rights sometimes fail to do so or fail to pay musicians and producers royalties that will help them in the future.
-Rampant corruption in the media scene, whereby to have your music aired, you sometimes need to pay someone some money.
-There is lack of local acceptance by Kenyans. Most of them want international music.
-Piracy is still present in the media industry. Most Kenyans would rather pirate than buy original music.
What’s your take on the entertainment scene in Kenya?
-Shooting of movies in interlaced format is dead but some local producers still use it. This should be changed.
-Local Cinematographers should be educated on the right gear to use when shooting films to kind of have a Hollywood look.
-We have good actors though they still need a bit of training on how to look natural on camera.
-Local directors need to change their concept of over exaggeration when it comes to their cast.
-Local producers need to learn more and understand the art plus get the right gear if we are to scale to international heights.
I think we’ve exhausted much to do with your label, now tell us who the man behind Unicorn Stable is.
L4C’s formal name is Lawrence Magaya.
Where do you get your Inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from day-to-day life and the things I see people go through.
Is there any other activity else you engage in when not in the studio?
Yes. I’m a BSC Math and Computer Science student in JKUAT Karen Campus finishing up my degree (that’s why there were several math books lying around)
I’m curious to know whether you sing.
Yes I do but I mostly downplay my artistic side to give my clients the most attention but occasionally I do when I’m free. I’ve  written well over 70 songs.
What’s your relationship status?
I’m currently dating, hoping to get married at 35.
What other interests do you have besides music?
Film production, animation, programming and software development (just to mention a few)
Okay…What should we expect from Unicorn Stable in 2012?
I’m currently working on a couple of videos that will change the local scene in terms of video quality and visual effects. I’m also looking forward to helping talented artists who cannot afford studio fees as well as be able to reach out to the rest of the world in terms of entertainment and to basically see someone encouraged and motivated.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Having bought more gear. Currently I am saving to buy a VoigtLander 0.95F.I also see myself bringing change into the local scene and help it get the respect of international music labels. I also plan to help as many artists as I can to realize their dreams.
Speaking of dreams, what’s yours?
To see Kenyan music reach international standards and the local film industry attain Hollywood status in terms of Cinematography and Visual effects. The technology is available but the older generation seems unwilling to change.
What were some of the highlights earlier on this year?
I’ve had the opportunity to work with Hype Pack who specialize in electro hop (electronic music fused with hip hop) and electro house. It’s a genre that is spreading fast across the world.
Have you worked with artists outside Kenya?
Yes I have. I’ve worked with artists from Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda, Germany and Japan.
Who’s your target audience?
Everyone; I deal with music that has a positive influence though most of the time it’s of a gospel genre.
Do you have any mentors?
Yes, a couple of them. Timbaland a music producer, Philip Bloom a cinematography professional who has popularized shooting movies using DSLR cameras, Andrew Kramer who carries out video tutorials on animation and visual effects (he shows me a video of Kramer’s tutorial). Locally I would say Inovater because of his mixing, Musyoka and Haig Anyonyi.
What piece of advice would you give anyone interested in music either as an artist or a producer?
They should be passionate and hung around people who share the same interests with them as iron sharpens iron. They need to learn about the ins and outs of the industry e.g reading articles and other related materials is a good way to get updated. They also need to get the best gear money can buy but most importantly they must never give up, they should keep on singing/producing even though it won’t be readily accepted. Remember stars only get noticed when they begin to shine not when they were being formed and every legend in the industry was once an amateur.
How does one get in touch with you?
They can friend request me in Facebook (Lawrence Hicks) or follow me on twitter @l4cunicorn

Here’s a glimpse of his work:

Soje’s Drop Down Preview

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHIHWhjQjwA[/youtube]

…….the Video

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q4YGZQai_w[/youtube]

And the preview of a song he’s working on

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYA_CKVNi-c[/youtube]

So that was how I spent the better part of my Easter Sunday afternoon. Share your thoughts and comments and let the rest of the Scopegater community hear what you have to say.
Here’s his latest production

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yqudq-t5ks&feature=share[/youtube]