We met up with 3-Six to learn more about his music production, his love for the craft, and the presence of mind required to create

When MasterKiii invited us to watch one of his live performances at One Park one chilly August Wednesday, we never expected to become part of such a beautiful community. You can read more on that experience here, but this is a different story. 

This is the story of Yaaseen Sadan  who goes by 3-Six - a producer, engineer and artist. More than that though, 3-Six is a fellow Cape Town creative who speaks on his experiences through his art

Having first experienced his craft when we walked into One Park, listening to the beats and singing along to the flips, we caught him outside and chatted briefly about the experience he curated. That alone was enough to whet our appetite for a deeper dive into his musical journey. 

Who is Yaaseen, and who is 3-Six?

“3-Six and Yaaseen are two different things I would say. Yaaseen is me, it's my everyday life. 3-Six is the identity I chose to be the messenger for what I’m trying to say in my music.”

“My connection with music is firstly, beyond words. I love the instrumental side of music, and even just sounds in general. I think music is one of the most powerful things. I feel blessed to be able to create small worlds with every song, and influence how people feel.”

“So 3-Six is a part of my ego that I use to put music out there, to speak to people.”

Why did you choose the name 3-Six?

“A couple different things actually. It definitely wasn’t the first, there were a few different versions. I was trying to be creative and looking for something that connects to my own name. Yaaseen was one of the names of Muhammad (PBUH), but it is also the name of a chapter in the Quran, the 36th chapter.”

“Also Wu-Tang Clan and their philosophy through the Shaolin and the 36 chambers, I feel connected to that as well. Old School Hip Hop is very core to my sound.”

I met you when you were on the decks at the Listening Session, and to my surprise I later found out about the songs you’ve released. As a producer, beatmaker, rapper, even singer, how would you describe your craft?

“So I do all of those things that you mentioned. I sing, but I don't call myself a singer. It’s one of the tools that I use when I create, or help other people create. That’s what I do as a producer as well. Creating from scratch, from ideas from other people, or ideas that come to me in the shower.”

“I’m a producer and sound engineer by trade. I’ve worked in a bunch of studios and I’m mainly freelancing. I am a musician, but not professionally. I do play instruments though, just what I need to help me make the music that I do.” 

“When you met me that was the first time I did something like that. I wouldn’t call it DJing in the traditional sense, that was just me playing mostly my own stuff. I wasn't really worrying about what people were responding to in the moment. But I guess that’s what people were responding to.”

“The music I make definitely encompasses a wide range of sounds, but I guess I would say music that makes you feel…hopefully for the positive. Music that gets your body moving, I love making dance music. Soulful music is another way I would describe it, because I put a little bit of my soul in the music that I make.”

Where did your love for music start?

“From the music my older siblings were listening to, and my mom a little bit as well. One of the earliest memories I have is jumping on my brother's bed listening to music on his headphones. He was very into Linkin Park, System Of A Down, those types of bands.”

“One of his favourite bands was Limp Bizkit and so it became mine, you know how it is as a younger sibling. I didn't even know what they were singing about, I just loved that energy.”

“That’s why I say music is so powerful because you can just feel what people put into the music. My mom used to play more Old School like Duran Duran, Buddha Bar and Sade. My older sisters were very into 90s and 2000s RnB but back then I didn't care for it, I just wanted to watch football or wrestling.”

“In high school when I got into learning how to produce and experimenting with sounds, I think that’s when it all actually came together. When I first learned to use Ableton I actually started playing around EDM and Dubstep. The sounds were just so crazy, I wanted to learn how to make them.”

“Later on I got into house music and then trap became popular, which I think was my gateway into more hip-hop genres and eventually R&B and soul. I guess that’s a quick run through of my musical journey, it's a bit of everything.”

What is it like now reflecting on that musical journey and appreciating the toolkit that you’ve accumulated over time?

“It's definitely interesting. Oftentimes I felt like I stood in my own way a little bit and that I haven't used my time wisely. But looking back at the things that I’ve done and been able to experience, I’m very grateful.”

“My love of music is something that I can hold onto, and I love it so much that I wanted to try it from different points of experience. From the technical side, to helping other people to create in the moment, and how that inspires me to create in the moment, it's just amazing. I love learning more about it all. Learning is the main way that you grow and approaching things with that mindset will never lead you astray.”

“Something I find myself talking about more recently is that we often find ourselves looking at things, specifically music, through the lens of something else and understanding it by comparison. What I’m actively trying to do is approaching things with little or no reference point and experiencing something for what it is. That presence of mind is a powerful thing in general, but especially for creating.” 

When you’re creating, how do you wipe the slate clean and achieve that presence of mind?

“It's tough to do for sure, and there are a lot of ways to practise it. A famous way to practise is meditation, and that can also be anything. It could be stillness, it could be washing the dishes, it could be sitting outside. But once you form and practise the habit, it becomes more accessible. Everything has a natural rhythm, it's not always 100% on all the time or you might burn out otherwise.” 

Would you say that you’re a curator? In the full scope of your craft, how do you go about curating your taste and your sound?

“As long as I’m making an experience for someone and things are moving, I’m telling some kind of story. Whether it's long or short, whether there are layers to it or not, as long as I’m making an experience for someone I can call it complete. And you can always create more layers on top of that, something is only done once you decide it’s done. As long as I do that, I’ve accomplished what I need to.” 

“At the same time, I’ve already accomplished what I’ve set out to do as soon as I’ve started. And sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do. I appreciate discipline, because through discipline you get closer to the thing that you’re trying to appreciate. I would say if you want to have a deeper appreciation of something, try approaching it with more discipline and devotion.” 

“To answer your question though, my curation comes from things that I’ve liked, that I’ve seen or heard before. Pulling from my past experiences to create new experiences.”

For my last question, how would you define a creative?

“Every human being that is alive. I think maybe the response that people would be looking for is someone that is aware of what they’re creating, and is always consciously doing so. But at the end of the day everyone is creating something. That is definitely something to aspire to, but all of us create experiences every day. We create the next moment. You and I created this discussion right here. We all create every day.”

“The people that are more known for being creatives are more expressive with it. They turn the thoughts and ideas that they have into physical things or sonic expressions. They are just more in tune with the creative power, the life giving power that is in all of us, the divine power. But it’s in all of us. We do that at every moment, we just need to remember to tap into it.”

Whether you’re looking for a story, or just something to move to, give 3-Six a listen. His wide range and versatility is something not often found in an artist, and I find myself always surprised when I get to experience his work. Even after sitting down with him and getting to know him, and his music, when I watched him perform at Kaya Cafe this past Friday I heard sounds I never expected to.

Give him a follow on Spotify, or check our his Soundcloud for the deeper cuts. And be sure to check out his new single dropping this Wednesday the 27th, a collaboration with Yamiko, Prod.Nine and LordKeyyZ.

I know that I definitely cannot wait for the new experience he has curated for us