With the Custom Keys Challenge submissions now closed, Rhodes invited all ten finalists to share how the Rhodes sound has impacted their musical background, their approach to composition, and what winning the contest would mean to them.
As the competition enters its final stages, it’s important to recognise the astonishing quality of all entries. It was evident how much care, time and attention went into each soundtrack, and for that, our heartfelt thanks go out to the talented Rhodes community for making the Custom Keys Challenge such a great success.
Meet Rhodes Custom Keys Challenge Finalist, Jack Hymers.
Jack Hymers is a live/studio session musician currently based in the UK. Jack has an unending passion for music, and has worked with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, collaborated with Grammy/Brit award winning producers and performs around the world with various artists including Tiffany, Peter Andre, Heather Small (M People), Odyssey, Sonia, T’Pau, Wang Chung, China Crisis, Altered Images, Fiction Factory, Lotus Eaters and more.
Watch Jack’s Custom Keys finalist track:
What does the Rhodes sound mean to you?
Jack: It is the most nuanced instrument I have ever played and heard; I’m always stopped in my tracks when I hear it, listening for that unmistakable bark and bite, the smooth, round tone, the way the felts touch the tines, the tail… the feeling. It’s the sound of my entire music taste.
How did you approach your composition for the Custom Keys Challenge?
Jack: I was sitting at a piano, in a soundcheck, playing around with some major and minor shapes when I came up with the idea for this, and they way they interact harmonically. I began to wonder what the chords would sound like on a Rhodes, so I fired up my copy of Rhodes V8 and immediately got experimenting. I started playing the chord changes along to the Custom Keys Competition video, played around with the tempo, and suddenly everything seemed to feel right! After getting the main progression down, I decided that a solo section was in order, so I spent the next couple of days playing and tweaking, recording and re-recording, until I came up with a section that felt just right.
What Rhodes sounds did you use in your composition, and how did you find this process?
Jack: Funnily enough, an excellent producer named Steve Levine, who I have had the pleasure of working with, created a few presets for the V8 Pro. One of his presets is called ‘JackSolo’ which is actually my go-to preset when recording with the V8 Pro, as I love its smoothness, combined with the bark and bite when you hit the keys hard. I tweaked it to taste, and hit record. I also used some of the experimental features on the V8 Pro, playing around with delay and chorus.
What would winning mean to you and your musical journey?
Jack: I have happily dedicated my life to music in any and every form. I absolutely love playing it, listening to it, analysing it, learning it, transcribing it, re-harming it… you get the picture! My absolute favourite thing to do is listen to the sounds of records and try to re-create that sound. Whether I’m preparing for a tour or a studio session, I strive for only the absolute best version of the sound I’m trying to achieve, and don’t stop until I get it. The Rhodes MK8 IS the absolute best version of that sound. There is no physical instrument that can capture that essence, feeling, or sound like the MK8. Having the ability to bring it to shows and studios throughout my career, it’s honestly hard to describe how proud I would be to be able to showcase it.
How would you design your own MK8? Would you go for a Custom Shop model, and if so, which?
Jack: I’ve thought about this a lot over the years! I’d probably go for the smoked transparent top, walnut bottom shell, black front panel, and black FX/preamp panels. That transparent top and walnut combo is insanely cool!
Find out more about Jack and his music:
https://www.instagram.com/jackhymers_keys/
www.tiktok.com/@jackhymers_music
If you would like to vote for Jack’s soundtrack, follow the link below, and ‘like’ his video: https://youtu.be/26W6T6XLzl0?si=G5HDm5pPoAiS9mAp
