Krystal de Cent is a Founder and CDO of Trubify. We asked her some random questions in order to reveal more about who she is and how she .
What five words describe you?
Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire.
Have you ever secretly identified with a cartoon or movie character?
I am the lovechild of Freya and He-Man. I wish I had the sick burns of Dr. Smith from Lost in Space.
What songs are featured on the soundtrack to your life?
1980s – Experimental rock. New wave. Classic Rock.
B-52s, Tears for Fears, The Clash, Bowie, Eagles, Genesis, Mamas and Papas, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Seal, Crowded House, Simply Red, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, Queen, Eurythmics, Phil Collins, Prince, The Police.
1990s – American rap & RnB
2Pac, NWA, Snoop, KRS-One, Destiny’s Child, TLC, Lady of Rage, Bone Thugs, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Timberland, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifa, Janet Jackson, MJ.
2000s – Metal, industrial electronica, Rock
Deftones, Em, Placebo, No Doubt, The Cranberries, Tori Amos, Massive Attack, Portishead, Outkast, The Roots, Meshuggah, Marilyn Manson, Hole, Johnny Cash, BB King, Tool, Ian Brown, Radiohead, Korn, Cypress Hill, Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, UNKLE, 50 Cent, Nine Inch Nails, Spice Girls, Shapeshifter, Skunk Anansie, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Audioslave, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, A Perfect Circle, Bob Marley, Eminem, Black Eyed Peas, Pendulum, Red Hot Chili Peppers.
2010s – Jazz & World Music
BBNG, Dave Brubeck, Diana Krall, Fatoumata Diawara, Ali Farka Touré, Bjork, Tanya Tagaq, Cerys Mathhews, Heilung.
Now – Come at me, bro
Danny Brown, Little Simz, Jam Baxter, Ocean Wisdom, Aesop Rock, Killer Mike, Shotty Horroh, Lunar C, Nipsey Hussle, ONEFOUR, Mick Jenkins, Shirley Bassey, B-52s. I love live covers.
Shout out New Zealand music – Lord, Bic Runga, Crowded House, Furpatrol, Electric Wire Hustle, Hollie Smith, Che Fu.
With what song would you audition for American Idol?
Let’s hope they don’t get that desperate, but: Fly me to the Moon.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
Queen Elizabeth II. I’d love to hear her insights on both national governance and international balance.
Prince or Michael Jackson?
MJ.
What was the first album you bought with your own money?
A cassette of the Spice Girls’ debut Spice. Played until it got loose and warped and became it’s own psychedelic remix.
What are the top three love songs of all time?
Subjectively:
- I put a spell on you
- Jamie Cullum’s live jazz cover of Rhianna’s “Don’t Stop the Music”
- The Best is Yet to Come – Dianna Krall v Tony Bennett.
If you don’t get goosebumps when Whitney Houston hits those crescendos on “I have nothing” you need to see a cardiologist fam, I’m worried about your heart.
What are the top three break-up songs of all time?
I can’t make that call, but if these songs will help you purge your way through each stage:
- Dax – “She Cheated Again”
- Adelle – Rollin in the Deep
- The Spice Girls – Who Do You Think You Are
Stylistically, who was the biggest musical influence on you when you were growing up?
If I had to whittle it down to one? The Blues Brothers movie.
Who was the biggest personal influence on you when you were getting into music?
My mum! Everything I listed to in the 80s is owed to her.
She also made sure we caught the classic musicals including The Sound of Music, Singing in the Rain, and The Labyrinth, and passed down a love for big band performances of that Golden Era of Hollywood.
How did you get your start in music?
A summer job in a West African music shop in Melbourne, Australia. It turned into so much more. I had the chance to learn from exceptionally talented drummers from Mali, Senegal, Ghana, and Aussie too. Got into a few bands, did countless corporate workshops, school lessons, and performances… all while keeping the desk job on lock.
Shout out to Simon Fraser, Jeremy Prentice, Madi Keita, Ben Coleman, Djudju Black, and Simone Lang.
What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the music industry over the past 20 years?
Artists realizing their gig isn’t fair. TLC were broke when Waterfalls was out!?!?
What is Trubify to you?
A creative space where artists come first.
Why Trubify?
Redressing an asymmetry of power between those selling music and those making music.
What keeps you happy to come to work on the daily?
My team!
Name a characteristic from one of your coworkers that you would love to adopt:
Steve’s vision.
Say the first thing that comes to mind with each word:
- Musician – Dedication
- Future – Bright
- Gig – Fun
- Technology – Y2K
- Kernel – Fonts
- App – Function
- Free – Freedom