Rome wasn’t built in a day. And that’s something Roman Shatskiy (pka godoftrip) found to be true for himself, as well as his musicianship. A professional dancer for over 10 years, Roman fell in love with producing after watching an Internet Money video a few years back (they really made it look easy back then).
Now a seasoned producer, with a placement alongside one of the biggest artists to come out of that same Internet Money era, Lil Tecca, things have come full circle. On top of that, godoftrip has been consistently topping the WAVS charts over the past few months.
We caught up with godoftrip to talk about all sorts of producer-related questions, the story behind his Lil Tecca record, his favorite instrument and FX VSTs, his thoughts on AI in music, as well as his musical arc overall.
godoftrip’s WAVS profile
Q: For people discovering you for the first time, who’s godoftrip?
godoftrip: My real name is Roman Shatskiy. I’m 27 years old, and I was born and raised in a small town called Aksay, Kazakhstan. My journey with music started back in childhood. I spent ten years dancing professionally, and I think that’s where my sense of rhythm and my love for music really came from. I tried getting into music a few times before, but I took my first serious step at 19. I was watching one of the Internet Money videos, downloaded FL Studio that same day, and started making beats.
godoftrip (personal archives)
Q: Do you feel like you have a signature sound? What do you think about having a signature sound versus creating what’s currently in demand?
godoftrip: I believe everyone has their own signature style. Mine is built from being inspired by many different producers. I took certain elements from each of them and focused on what truly resonated with me. I listened a lot to samples from Nami, Coop The Truth, Akira, Oscar Zulu, UNKWN and many others. The artists I listen to also shaped the sound that comes from my hands.
So yes, I do think I have a signature style, but it’s rooted in the things that inspire me.
There are producers who chase every new trending genre and always want to stay current instead of focusing on one recognizable sound. I understand that approach. It’s just a different mindset, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
Q: Let’s get into the production details. Is there a production technique or VST you swear by that you think could instantly level up another producer’s work?
godoftrip: I believe that one of the most important tools for a producer is taste. The more music you listen to, the larger your internal library becomes. Over time, you start to understand how chord progressions are built, how lead melodies work, different techniques, and much more.
godoftrip’s self-titled sample pack series contains 3 volumes
Q: You produced “Wake Up” from Lil Tecca’s album DOPAMINE. Can you share the story behind the sample and how that track came together? What you think made it work at album level compared to ideas that don’t make it that far?
godoftrip: At that time, I was trying to find myself and didn’t really understand which musical direction to take. I made a decision to create 3–4 ideas every day and send them out to other producers. That sample was one of the ideas I made that day. I sent it to Lawzy, and he turned it into a full sample. It was really good, but I didn’t place any expectations on it.
Later, Rio and 1Nother made a beat from that sample. Rio showed it to Tecca on the very last day of the album sessions. As I found out later, the track was recorded that same day, and right after that they finished the album. That day, Rio messaged me and told me we had a song on the album. I was genuinely happy, it was my first major official release.
A lot of things had to come together for that song to happen. But without the work we put in, luck would never have shown up. So alongside hope, you have to keep working, so that one day, luck has a chance to be on your side.
Q: Are there any VSTs, one-shots, or sounds that keep showing up in your productions? More specifically, do you have any go-to instruments or effect plugins you rely on?
godoftrip: In almost all of my samples, I use one main technique. I record a processed piano using Reels and Vulf Compressor, then cut the low frequencies with Pro-Q. After that, I render it and pitch it up. This helps give it a more vintage feel and adds distortion that makes it sound like the piano was taken from an old record.
For guitar processing, I very often use Archetype: Cory Wong X, and in about 90% of cases I add Chorus Jun-6.
For vocal processing, I use Vovious as a pitch corrector, Altiverb 7, and again Chorus Jun-6.
When it comes to plugins, I use Analog Lab the most, especially presets from Beatsinner, NoReply, and Yaseer.
I also often use Kontakt:
– pianos: Noire, Vintage Upright, and sometimes Keyscape
– bass guitar: Scarbee Rickenbacker Bass
– strings: Session Strings Pro 2 and Chris HeinI’ve been using the same mastering chain for a long time: Clariphonic DSP MKII, UADx Verve Analog Machines Essentials, and FabFilter Pro-L2.
Some of the godoftrip’s favorite plugins
Q: Where do you stand on using AI tools in music, both personally for your work as well as in general? Is it something you embrace, avoid, or feel conflicted about?
godoftrip: I see AI as a technology that should be treated as a tool. To me, it’s a new branch of development and a great way to help bring your creativity to people. I use certain tools to change my vocals into a female voice or different timbres. Sometimes I also extract artist acapellas and build beats around them, I enjoy doing that because it breaks away from my usual beat-making process.
It’s also a powerful tool for people who want to express themselves visually. There are many tools that allow you to do this in a tasteful and creative way.
godoftrip’s latest release is a collaboration with fellow WAVS producer Era
Q: When you’re starting a new idea, what do you usually begin with? And would you consider yourself a fast or a slow writer/producer?
godoftrip: Most of the time, I start my day by listening to music to get inspired. I’ll walk around and hum melodies that come to my mind while listening. In those moments, I usually listen to instrumental music. After that, I sit down and freestyle on MIDI. Since I don’t have a formal music education, I do everything by ear, relying on my sense of hearing to play out the main idea.
I don’t consider myself a fast producer. Sometimes creating one sample takes 1–2 hours, and sometimes it takes 8–10. I render a demo and listen to it in different situations: walking outside or doing everyday things while the demo plays in the background. That’s how I find the direction the idea should go. But there are also moments when I catch the right mood and finish everything in one session.
glow by godoftrip
Q: From your perspective, what separates samples that get placed from samples that don’t, even when they’re technically solid?
godoftrip: I think everything depends on many different factors. You can have an amazing sample with a brilliant idea, but if no one ever hears it, it will just sit on your hard drive. At the same time, a very simple sample with a basic idea can reach a lot of people, and there’s a chance it connects with someone and turns into a track.
I believe a lot comes down to circumstances and coincidence. But hard work always increases the chances of luck showing up.
inspiration by godoftrip
Q: You’re part of the anmrph collective. Can you tell us more about what it represents, and where you see it going? Do you feel like community is an integral part of making music, the togetherness of it?
godoftrip: One day in 2024, Vagosrose and I had a call, and during that conversation we both realized that we wanted to create some kind of collective with friends and people we were already connected to through music. Based on shared interests, we simply started a group chat and began talking and making music together.
The current lineup of anmrph.co is:
(Godoftrip, Vagosrose, Renzy, Lostfvce, Spv_rt, Prodbyflames, Yugoki, Kriskyle, Lawzy, Safenow, Badyusya, Mullinmadeit)I believe we’ll be releasing a lot of good music in the near future, both individually and as a collective.
Community plays a very important role in my life. My friends and fellow musicians often help me with many things, just as I help them. I truly believe collaboration is valuable because working together gives experience you can’t get alone. Everyone has their own strengths, and you can learn a lot from each other. Sometimes another musician can develop your idea in a way you would never think of yourself, and that’s often where something truly special is born.
anmrph.co’s debut release: phase 001
Q: How do you view content creation and brand building in today’s production landscape, is it overrated or underrated?
godoftrip: Building a brand as a producer is a really important part of what we do, and content is one of the ways people discover your music. I don’t actively create content myself, so there are probably a lot of details I don’t fully understand yet. I just haven’t reached that point. I’m sure there will be a time when I want to do it, when I actually have something to say and something worth showing. But I don’t want to make content just to make content. I want it to come from an idea, not from obligation.
I don’t think content is overrated or underrated, this is simply my personal, subjective view. And since I don’t create content myself, I don’t feel comfortable judging its true value.
isolation by godoftrip
Q: What’s next for godoftrip? What can we expect from you in the near future (this year), and how do you see the next three to five years shaping up?
godoftrip: In the near future, there will be a lot of music from me. In 2025, God gave me the chance to fully focus on what I love, and I decided to put everything I have into it. In 2026, I don’t want to box myself into one genre or limit myself to only making samples. I really enjoy collaborating and building music together with other producers, so there will be a lot of music: both solo and with my friends.
I don’t usually look too far ahead or make big plans, but one of my wishes for the coming years is to work directly with artists, possibly as a songwriter. I love creating melodic ideas and going deeper into the production process of a track, and I’d like to grow in that direction.
eventually by godoftrip, his latest release
