In an era where bad business runs rampant and musicians routinely cater to one another’s egos, Kyle “Terminill” Steckley stands alone as a self-driven, honest, and reliable producer/engineer.
Having worked with and produced for artists such as Cool Nutz, Playboy Tre, Illmaculate, Bosko, Punchline, Luck-One, Kenny Mack, Liv Warfield, Braille and Toni Hill – not to mention having his work featured in publications such as The Source and 2DopeBoyz.com – it would be easy for most Northwest artists to start feeling comfortable. Not Terminill… He’s in this for the long run. ”I'm blessed to have worked with all of the artists that I have so far; still, there's so much more that I want to accomplish. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for my music”
As an engineer of the highest quality, one that other engineers go to for advice, most would never guess that his skills were self-taught. “Being able to mix really came out of necessity. Artists were looking for places to record over my beats and I figured if I could engineer and produce that I could be even more hands on with the music. I was already studying music for the instrumentation and arrangement; so I started tuning my ears sonically to what worked for a song.” But while his engineering abilities are highly sought after, Terminill’s goal has always been to make music. Boasting a sound that meshes electronica with a big band sound, his compositions are mainly aimed towards pop and hip-hop artists.
In 2009, Terminill collaborated with fellow Portland producer, Sonny. Under the name of Northe’n Lights, they produced Cut ‘Em Or Pay ‘Em: an original compilation album featuring artists from across the nation, primarily the best and brightest from the Northwest region. Named after a phrase highlighting the duo’s disdain for bad business, the album garnered both local and national attention, and was well-received as a groundbreaking and decisively commercial record coming from a haven of underground music. As Willamette Weekly’s Casey Jarman put it, “The young producers have, admirably, developed a sound of their own – slick and blunt beats with videogame touches…”
Since releasing Cut Em Or Pay Em, Terminill has put everything behind his dream of creating music. ”Once the workload got to be so much at the studio that I was working 90 hour weeks, I knew I had to quit my day job and do recording and mixing full-time. I haven’t looked back since.” At Flatline Studios (currently located in the Portland-area suburb of Vancouver, WA), he spends the better part of every day building beats, recording artists of various genres, mixing records from a variety of artists around the nation, and plotting on the future. “Right now, I’m just aiming to work with more and more people in the industry. Chasing placements and getting more licensing opportunities. The real revenue for producers these days is in commercials and film.”
With a business-first approach, laser-like focus, and a steadily growing buzz, success is inevitable for Terminill, who is currently working to expand both the breadth and the diversity of his clientele. ”I draw inspiration from all styles of music, so I’m shooting towards working with more artists from other genres for a more eclectic sound.”
Eager to learn and compelled to create, Terminill plans to push the envelope with an innovative new digital project in early 2011. While it’s impossible to predict just how bright the future will be for the young producer, one thing is for certain: He’s not looking back.
