A CLASS INTERVIEW: 3 SONIC ARCHITECTURE SECRETS BEHIND MAKING CINEMATIC AND UNFORGETTABLE BEATS
A CLASS INTERVIEW: Birmingham producer A Class talks cinematic soundscapes, scoring BAFTA-winning TV, the evolution of Grime, and why production software should be accessible to everyone.
For Birmingham producer A Class, beatmaking is less about chasing trends and more about solving sonic puzzles. Building a signature style rooted in deep, cinematic atmosphere, the Midlands producer has quietly carved out an expansive lane—lending his talents to local Rap royalty like Jaykae, Mowgs, and RK, while scoring BAFTA-winning television and national theatre productions.
Starting out making raw Grime and Bassline before falling in love with the technical wizardry of controlling sound, A Class approaches production with the precision of an architect. We sat down with him for our Sonic Architects series to discuss television scoring, West Coast influences, software accessibility, and his forthcoming project, ‘M.U.S.A’.
A CLASS INTERVIEW: How do you define the core blueprint and style of your sound?
Hi, my names A Class I’m from Birmingham, I would say my production style is cinematic. Most my beats could be used in movies because of the depth carried in my production.
What was the exact catalyst that first drove you to start making music?
My production journey began because I used to spit bars and wanted my own beats. I made Grime and Bassline but I was ass [laughs] my beats were horrid. Then I kind of fell in love with figuring out how to become good so the music is cool but the actual understating of how to control sound is what has kept my attention this long.
Have you ever lent your sonic identity to any alternative musical projects?
Yeah I’ve done a bunch of things, I recently worked on a show that won 2 BAFTAs called jungle; I produced the intro music. I’ve worked on a show that’s on Netflix called champion and last year I did a theatre show that toured around the UK, Romeo and Juliet.
Who are the foundational figures that shape your creative DNA as a producer?
Back in the day I was highly inspired by Brotha Lynch Hung and the west coast. Other than the usual Dr, Dre and Timbo, I really appreciated Boi-1da because he would actually produce records for multiple types of artists; not stick to one sound but perfect bringing the best out of the artist’s style.
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This interview is part of our long-form content series, now hosted exclusively on our Substack. To read the full conversation with A Class and gain access to our archive of deep-dives into the architects of Hip Hop and global culture, head over to the Viper Substack.
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A CLASS INTERVIEW
