This month’s student spotlight introduces you to Truth x Lies, the NY-based collaborative project making waves on the house music circuit.
We are proud of our students and their accomplishments. Each month, we connect with Icon Collective students and alumni who have taken programs in Los Angeles or Online to showcase their hard work and success. Their achievements offer a glimpse into what’s possible after pursuing music education at the Collective.
About Truth x Lies
Icon Online Graduate Ian Bertles and production partner Ryan Howard make up the NY-based duo Truth x Lies. Since 2015, their remixes have hit #1 on Hypem and SoundCloud. Also, this year they won Insomniac’s Discovery Project and played a debut set at Beyond Wonderland. That momentum doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. Hear more from the guys in the short interview below, and check out their latest release “What is Love.”
Truth x Lies Interview
In the following short interview, Truth x Lies talk about their collaborative project and their creative process. The duo also share some experiences studying music production at Icon and discuss what’s in store for the future.
Pablo Picasso said Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth. Can you tell me a little bit about why you guys decided to call the project Truth x Lies?
We wanted a name that would reflect the duality in our backgrounds as well as something memorable and easy to brand. When we started Truth x Lies, we weren’t sure which direction to take our music. At the time, we were making trap and moombahton, and we hadn’t yet delved into the house music scene. As time went on and our sound changed, the name truly began to reflect the duality in our music perfectly.
Icon taught me a lot of the technical details that we use everyday in our productions. However, the best perk of studying with the Collective is the awesome community that it has created, both online and at the campus. Also, the Facebook group always holds it down with dank food suggestions when we’re visiting LA. Ian Bertles
What was your experience like studying at Icon as an online student, and how do you feel it’s contributed to the success of your project?
Icon definitely helped us level up our production game. Ryan has a Master’s in classical music and I studied audio engineering. We also both play instruments (trumpet and drums). However, that doesn’t mean it’s easy just to sit down and become a producer; it’s a totally different skill set and requires a lot of time to learn. Icon taught me a lot of the technical details that we use every day in our productions. However, the best perk of studying with the Collective is the awesome community that it has created, both online and at the LA Campus. Also, the Facebook group always holds it down with dank food suggestions when we’re visiting LA.
That is one of the best perks of working as a duo: you compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Ian Bertles
What is your collaborative process like when creating tracks? Also, what are some benefits of creating as a duo, rather than individually?
Our different musical backgrounds definitely play a role in our creative process, as each of us has different strengths. For example, Ryan is awesome with chords and melodies whereas my strengths lie in rhythmic content like bass lines and drums. That is one of the best perks of working as a duo: you compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s awesome to be able to bounce ideas back and forth and nerd out about production stuff all day. We definitely help keep each other focused on growing the brand.
What can we expect from Truth x Lies in the coming months?
We’ve written a bunch of tracks in the last year, and we’ve finally started releasing them on a regular basis. We also have some exciting releases coming up on labels that we’ve been fans of for years, so it’s pretty exciting to check the inbox and see our work paying off.