Native Flow

Gavin Samples, a Los Angeles native (no pun intended), sits in his room/studio as he works on a new project that he is sure is going to “blow some minds”. The way Samples navigates his way around his equipment to find the exact sound he wants is an amazing feat in itself, but that is not why I am with him. Samples, or known by his DJ name Native Flow, is preparing to release his new EP called “Flowers”. As I sit beside him, I am amazed by the amount of beauty and simplicity there is too his music. The EP opens with a remix of the song “Always” by the Australian group Panama. The remix stays true to the original piano chords and vocals, but once it drops, there is nothing but Native Flow. The rest of the songs on the EP all stand out from each other greatly, which is a fine testament to Native Flow‘s eclectic sound. “Cough” is a slow synth-y journey into a musical bliss that is sure to make you feel. “Her”, with its vocal sample and key progression from “Where Is My Mind” by The Pixies, opens softly but quickly becomes something bigger. Lastly, “Flowers” closes with the song “Exist” which is a thoughtful track that is practically made to vibe out to. In my opinion, the greatest thing about this EP is the sheer emotion it gives off. This isn’t festival dance music to be played in front of 30k teenagers who just want to “get plurnt”, it’s something to experience. Something you really need to listen to and let it envelop you. After Samples finished showing me the EP I was able to ask him a few questions:

What does “Flowers” mean to you?

Flowers represents the feel of the EP. Native Flow is nature oriented, so calling the EP “Flowers” gives people more of a personality to put behind the music.

When producing, what is your creative process?

I usually beat box most of my sounds when I’m trying to get out a basic layout of a melody I’m hearing in my head. Then I just start with the kick and the bass line and build from there.

Which artists do you draw inspiration from?

I really like Kaytranda, Flume, and Flying Lotus. They all use pretty unorthodox methods when making their music, but it’s unique and they create a sound that really captures their personality. That’s what im trying to do with my music. I want people to hear my songs and it makes them think or want to dance.

what is the significance of the name Native Flow?

I’ve gone through my fair share of names, but Native Flow was a name that kinda came naturally. I thought of the name when I was driving back from a trip and it basically means I’m native to my sound. I believe that there is no music like mine because I put my personality into it.

If you could say one thing to your 10 year old self, what would it be?

Keep doing what you’re doing.

What do you hope people get out of your music?

I hope people get inspiration from my music. I want people to hear my songs and it makes them want to dance, create, sing, whatever they can think of. Anything they’re passionate about.

Any final thoughts? comments? dreams? goals?

I’m excited for what’s to come next. This is EP is the next step for my music. I think people will know my sound now. - Jake Federman