The Kids Are All Right: Tritonal

Two producers at the top of their game. Two new fathers celebrating the births of their children less than a year apart. You could say it’s been a busy year for Tritonal’s Chad Cisneros and David Reed, who are overjoyed with their good fortune in both love and music. Cisneros, married to wife Carol, has a 9.5-month-old named Stella, and at the close of their Untouchables Tour six months ago, Reed and wife Leah were blessed with a baby boy, Micah.

Fate united Cisneros and Reed in 2008 in an online synthesizer forum where they shared similar stylistic interests. A couple hundred tracks later, one could describe their creative synergy as “efffortless.” Prior to “the ‘08 days,” as they call it, Cisneros and Reed also worked individually.

“I feel like we are more mature in terms of songwriting than we have ever been,” says Cisneros. “The more you write, the more you learn.”

Reed adds, “If you embrace everything you learn, and embrace the fact that you want to learn, there’s no doubt that you will thrive.”

Their largest fanbase resides in Austin, where Cisneros and Reed attended college and pushed Tritonal into existence. Hitting the pavement with a street team and playing gigs in town paid off, and it wasn’t long before Ferry Corsten took notice, playing out with the boys and placing Tritonal’s trance album, Piercing Quiet, on his Flashover Recordings label.

“That record single-handedly got us gigs and shows out in Moscow, and with Ferry in L.A. and Hawaii, I think that put us on the map,” Cisneros explains. “But we were hustling, man. Tritonal hasn’t been an overnight success. We have had big moments in our career, and we had big records, but it’s been a steady growth.”

Tritonal released their fourth single of the year late last week, and are excited to embark upon a massive fall tour after they drop their next artist album in August. But above all, the boys are taking it day by day, and both are thrilled to be fathers.

Congratulations to you both on being new fathers!
Chad: Yes! We are the few and the proud. It’s been quite a big year for fatherhood.

How is it being new dads?
Chad: We are kind of on the other side of the traumatic phase, although it can still get there from time to time.

Can you already tell that they are musically inclined?
Chad: They are young. I mean, they like to beat with sticks.

David: I think we are going to say they are too young to tell.

Do you see them growing up with instruments?
Chad: Yes. We are going to have a piano; we will definitely have some mini keyboards connected with USBs to a laptop or iPad. There are so many apps now in terms of learning the piano visually. There’s Piano Hero and things like that, where they can really visualize the notes coming down onto the keyboard. Then I feel like when they can actually talk, communicate and have patience with a teacher, then we can talk about some sort of lesson.

I don’t want to push anything crazy on my kid. My mom allowed my brother and me to pursue what we wanted. I don’t want to force it on them so they would feel like it’s a chore. It should be more of a privilege.

Do you guys have other producer or DJ friends with children? Are you able to discuss moments of struggle or share stories?
Chad: Yeah. Dave Dresden, BT and Derek Emory are good friends, and they have daughters, but parenting is so personal. I don’t feel comfortable or that close with any other DJ to a level where I would call them and discuss personal advice. I feel like Dave and I have each other for that.

Any funny or challenging moments you care to share?
David: You know what’s been the hardest? Leaving. Even with the schedule as grueling as it can be. You have this baby that you love beyond anything you can ever imagine; then you have to leave. That’s always been the most difficult thing for me, and it is getting increasingly harder, but it’s something you gotta do. I love coming home.

Are you thankful for any specific people you feel are helping you with parenthood?
Chad: I feel very fortunate that my wife takes on a lot of the research on what they can or can’t eat and what they need to do when. Our wives are kicking ass and taking names. A lot of the credit needs to be given to the girls.

David: Oh yeah, for sure.

Do guys have any outside help?
David: My wife is Filipina, so they are all about the family; her family is awesome, and I love having them coming over. They love to take care of Micah. They are always passing him around. It’s great. It’s a blessing to have them.

Chad: Our family lives in another state, but I am not like that, and neither is Carol. I don’t want anyone else over. If I can just have the people that I love around me, that would be great.

What music do you enjoy listening to with your babies now?
Chad: We were and are still are avid Above & Beyond fanatics. We love what they do. Totally classy, how they made their music and their radio show. We would discuss the tracks they played on there at length. They, like Coldplay, hold a special place in our hearts. One of the other artists we can’t get enough of right now is Illenium.

Do you have any advice to DJs or producers who are thinking of becoming parents?
Chad: I would advise others to wait until they are at a place to deal with it, if you can. Dave and I were both at a place where we were married for a while. Our business is structured with a supportive management, label and booking. They work very well together to help us manage everything. We have more organized chaos, I guess you could call it. Our team is on high alert that, if we can be home, we want to be home.

I feel like we don’t have any wise words, because we are relatively new parents, learning as we go. I don’t hold the keys to the kingdom on how to be a perfect parent. I feel like we are just all trying to do the best job we can, love our kids, and provide for them.

David: You learn as you go… and you learn quickly.