Community Highlights: Meet Daniel De La Mora of Strange Figures Music

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel De La Mora.

Hi Daniel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey began at the age of 4 years old when my Dad taught me how to use a tape deck to make my own mixes to cassette tapes. I became obsessed with the songs “Dont Stop The Music” by Yarbrough and Peoples and “More Than a Feeling” by Boston. So much so that at one point they would hide the tapes/CD’s from me if I got into trouble or just because it was enough listening to those songs for the day and I completely understood. Although I discovered my love for music at a young age, it wasn’t until the 4th grade when I was presented with the opportunity to learn an instrument by joining my elementary school’s band class that I became a musician. I chose the clarinet and learned to play it well, quickly. In addition to the clarinet, in the 5th grade I asked if I could learn the saxophone at the same time as the clarinet. It was unusual for a student to do this because band has 3 levels from 4-6th grade, those being, beginner, intermediate and advanced. I wasn’t met with opposition when asking if I could learn both, rather, my instructor Oscar was thrilled to see a student that interested in learning multiple instruments at one time. So in 5th grade I started in the beginner book for alto sax while moving onto the intermediate book for clarinet. 5th grade is the year everything changed for me. Not only was I learning to play instruments but I was taught by my 5th grade teacher Mr. Reeves how to use the the Digital Audio Workstation Garageband. He loved music, so he took the time to take our entire class into the computer lab to learn this program. Furthermore, he made a curriculum based on what we were learning in class so that we could be in the lab on Garageband more. This was not normal as we were not supposed to be focused on learning a DAW but he made it work. We ended up making an entire mixtape. Each student selected their favorite beat to be on the tape and then we were assigned into groups so that the final track on the mixtape was a song about the curriculum we were learning sitting in a desk, Biology. My groups responsibility was to write a verse about the mitochondria and each group had to contribute a verse about another part of a cell that Mr. Reeves had assigned. It was genius of him to do this as we learned about human biology while also being taught how to make music on the computer and to be creative. 5th grade is when this journey began and it has been a wild ride.

I then went on to teach myself how to play the drums by spending an entire day in my Uncle Sergios garage as he had a drum kit set up. He had shown me a basic beat (hi hats being hit on all 4 counts while the kick hits on the 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4). I was blown away and became obsessed once I realized how fast I grasped the concept. I rapidly expanded on the fundamentals and began to really understand that I was given a gift of music from God. This was in the 7th grade and by the I was in 8th grade I had started to teach myself the piano through youtube videos to get really good at making my own melodies and beats instead of using pre made loops or having to sample a record. By the time I was in high school I had dramatically progressed in not only making beats but playing all the instruments I’ve discussed learning. I started to upload beats that I made to Soundcloud and needed to come up with a name. My first name I went by was “NO N@me” and I would be made fun of by my peers in high school for it so I decided to really think about what I should build a brand behind and the name “Strange Figures” just came to me like God put it in my mind. The reason it’s perfect is because I was always met with a strange reaction of disbelief when I would play the piano. In high school my peers weren’t used to an individual like me playing the piano or being musically inclined. I was viewed as a strange kid back in the day, I was behind on what was considered “cool” because I didn’t go to public school during middle and high school. I was blessed and am thankful that my parents were able to provide the opportunity to attend private institutions in middle school and in high school. I had been honing my craft during these years but when I got to high school I didn’t understand the politics behind socializing with people and how to interact with my peers in the way they were interacting with each other. I found myself being a goofball seeking the approval of others. I was always trying to please people instead of being myself. I finally stopped caring about what people thought of me and not being in tune with what the social norms are for that age and for high school. I started being myself and realized I’m more than just a musician and am many people in one individual. So “Strange Figures” worked perfectly. I like that people look at me and assume they know who I am and what I should be like but I love surprising them and once they see me play piano or hear my beats/mixes and the reaction on their face change solidifies who I am. I know who I am. Moving on, without knowing it, during this time while I was uploading my beats to Soundcloud I unintentionally was also learning to engineer because I would record artists in my hometown of Santa Barbara that I collaborated with. The main artist I locked in with and still am friends with to this day is Mauricio Delgado P.K.A “Mogly.” It’s also worth mentioning that we have been friends since kindergarten, what’s even crazier is that he was also in my 5th grade class that learned garageband but he chose to focus on being an artist while i chose to be a producer. So it became full circle when we linked up again in high school when we realized we were both making music and uploading it to Soundcloud. When we joined forces, it just worked. I would produce all the beats either from scratch or sampling, record, engineer, mix and master the first few projects we released. Those projects being Mogly – “Highly Educated” and “Malt Liquor Raps.”

It baffles me to this day that what happened next. After these two projects which were successful as each song accumulated over 10k streams, some even over 20, another friend of ours from our elementary school Alex Valenzuela P.K.A. “Al V” an amazing and talented producer joined us and we took off like a rocket, making a lot of music and made each other better. So much so that we accumulated 1.4 millions streams in total by 2015 on all releases right out of high school on Moglys Soundcloud. This alone lit a fire under me and this is when I decided what I wanted to do with my life. From 2015-2018 I was focused on nothing but getting my AA from Santa Barbara City College and making music. During this time, Mogly, AL V and I met Adam Saini P.K.A. “BettroffDead” & “MaybeTomorrow,” but who was originally known as “Noosance” He became a lifelong friend and we worked on Music together in Santa Barbara up until he decided to be the first to take the risk and move to LA. He went on to do big things in producing and engineering, like work with all of your favorite rappers and artists throughout the entire Soundcloud era. Most notably producing, engineering and being a close friend of Lil Peep. I will always have his back and be there for him because he was the person who took the time to show me how to properly set up a vocal chain which elevated my engineering ability. Once that happened I had all the tools needed to start getting much more serious about a career in Music. While all this was happening I was finishing my AA in Behavioral Sciences and started to network more and more as Adam would invited me down from time to time to work down in LA. Through other friends I had met “Asad ILL” a rapper who I had a lot of faith in at the time. I would go down once a week bringing all of the equipment to his house, 2 blocks from Slauson and Crenshaw. So here I am this kid from Santa Barbara driving to Slauson and Crenshaw because I believed in the music we were making. It was good and it opened the door to an opportunity to potentially be signed by Dante Ross a legendary A&R to a subsidiary he had under Warner Bros. When this happened, I knew it was time to get serious and this is when I opened my first recording studio along with the help of my Dad. That business venture failed because I was a naive 22 year old kid who thought he knew everything. I pity the fool who knows everything because I was once that person. It took me having to lose everything in order to be humbled enough to understand that there is a right and wrong way to do business. It’s impossible to be a successful business owner addicted to substances like Fentanyl and I am thankful that I escaped the grasp that drug had on my life. It ruined me and turned me into a different person. I lost my studio and had to start all over again.

It was demoralizing having to move all of my gear that I’d spent over $30k-$50k back into my room in grew up in back in Santa Barbara. I felt like a loser but I started to fight and not give up. I got clean, focused and slowly but surely saved up money through engineering at various recording studios, even doing home sessions to get back to business. I had also learned to play the guitar through the help of my friend Nick Hail when he taught me the pentatonic scale and once he showed me that it unlocked another instrument in my arsenal.

In the summer of 2023 I went to US bank, after saving up around 15k and got a business line of credit and reopened Strange Figures Music. Originally I wasn’t able to go back to the studio space I previously had due to me ruining it within my addiction. So it was time to prove myself. I rented a room from The Williamson which is a great company that provides production ready rooms for rent. It was hard to run business as usual there because I needed an environment that had a booth instead of just one room and it needed to be an environment that my clients could smoke in while working. After being at The Williamson for a year I had asked my previous landlords if I could be given another chance and I showed them through my year of being at the Williamson that I am no longer a liability. Liabilities are bad for business so I understood when they had second thoughts. I’m thankful that PRStudios gave me another chance and it’s a blessing I was able to get the same studio back that I had lost, it has everything I needed for my clients to feel comfortable while creating. It’s more evidence that God has a plan and if I stick to doing things His way, success follows. If I’d been told back in 2022 I’d be back and in a better position in 2025-2026 than before I lost everything I would tell you that you were insane. I’m thankful to be here and couldn’t have done it without the help of my friends and family.

Im extremely grateful and appreciate to individuals like my close associate and friend Gabriel Acevedo P.K.A. “GMBeatz” for believing in me to collaborate on music at the highest level. He is someone I have a lot of respect for because he has been through it all and working with him as elevated me to another level. Along with him I’d like to thank, JP The Specialist from Melrose Hills Sound, Sam Solomon P.K.A. “SamK”, Jeffery Turner P.K.A “HefeMixedIt” and all from Legacy Sound, Parker Tolen, Mc Carter and everyone from “Producer Retreat”. Without these people and most importantly without God I would not be in the position I am in today. I cannot stress enough how thankful I am to you individuals for giving me the opportunity to prove that I belong working at the highest level because you have believed in me after I lost everything and ruined my reputation. It isn’t easy to navigate this industry, but having a solid team and faith have helped me conquer everything I’ve set out to do. There have been many highs and many lows upon reopening but it’s all been worth it because I know that I was put here on earth to make music and help others make music at the highest level. It brings me great joy to be able to make a living with my passion. Furthermore, I want to thank my family for never giving up on me and for illustrating to me me what it is to be loved unconditionally. For I certainly not be alive today without them, their faith and most importantly I am thankful to God, Father Yah for protecting me because truly without God I wouldn’t be here today.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wish I could say so, but no. Although it hasn’t been a smooth journey, I can share some of the struggles I’ve faced. Opening my first recording studio in 2018 was a bit of an eye-opener. I definitely underestimated some challenges, particularly managing the cash flow and expenses of a business, which required a significant learning curve. Initially, I struggled with budgeting and understanding how to effectively manage the studio’s finances. I also didn’t consider the fact that the recording studio market is highly competitive. Not only do you need to have an esthetically pleasing studio but also the skill and “sauce” to retain clients and “to be invited back to the party.” It took time to find my niche and build a strong brand identity. With that being said, keeping up with technology was the biggest obstacle I had overlooked. The music industry is constantly evolving. Staying updated with the latest technology and software was challenging, especially when trying to balance it with running the business. When you’re first starting out, it’s hard to get the best hardware and software needed to run an industry standard environment because technology is expensive and hardware is not cheap. Although it was tough at first, I quickly adapted and the studio gained traction in addition to contributing mightily to helping establish a strong networking foundation. It’s the reason that when I opened my studio again in 2023 I was able to quickly prove that I am the professional I always was and who I am.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Strange Figures Music provides the industry standard for quality control in engineering/producing music that is unique focusing on Hip Hop, Rap, RnB & Pop. What distinguishes me is my unwavering honesty and confidence in my ability no matter who I am working with. Whether it’s a song or a take, I’ll always provide my honest feedback, ensuring my clients receive the best possible results without compromising professionalism. I am most proud of being recognized as a jack of all trades, which comes with both responsibility and humility. Furthermore, I am most proud that my brand is known as the go-to place for working with an individual who has an appreciation for studying the greats and producing records from scratch, overseeing the entire record all the way through from start to finish. With that being Strange Figures Music is available 24/7 365 days a year to book and help you manifest your ideas into reality. Let WORK!

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
To always look at losses as lessons, not failures. Losses are inevitable when building a business but as long as they’re looked at as a lessons then you don’t lose anything but rather learn what not to do next time. I didn’t appreciate what I had when I opened my first studio. I fell into vices and ruined relationships that I forever regret.

I’ve learned it takes discipline and a strong faith in order to accomplish goals. Most importantly is that in this business you have to be confident in yourself, accountable, reliable and responsible for your own business because if you’re not then people will use you and make it seem like they did you a favor. Lastly, who you hang out with or the 5 people you are closest to define who you are. I realized if I’m the most motivated and most intelligent in the group Im around then it’s time to change the people I spend my time with. I cannot stress this enough, you are the sum of the people you hangout with.

Pricing:

• $80 an hour (2 hour minimum) (with enineering)
• $40 an hour (2 hour minimum) (no engineer)
• Block Rate (with engineer): 8 hours $500 12 Hours $700
• Block rate (studio only) 6 hours: 200 12 hours: 300

Contact Info:

• Website: https://strangefigures.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strangefigures
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strangefiguresmusic/#
• Twitter: https://x.com/strangefigures
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCngfh5-Ilg7XqK_G3s5qN8g

Image Credits
Daniel De La Mora