I’ve been caught saying “the 805 runs through Mind Off”. I give the 28-year-old Icon Collective graduate that unprecedented title because of his position as head engineer at Ventura’s very own Record X Studios, a recording hub for local up-and-coming talent getting their feet wet in the industry. Mind Off (real name Alec Bertrand) is an interesting artist for us to feature in UNDRGRND’s pages. He doesn’t rap like most others we've worked with, and doesn’t have much released music himself. Instead, it was his role as one of the best producers and engineers in Ventura County that caught our attention. The “Tug-O-War” artist is a skilled musician all around, can play multiple instruments, and has an extensive academic knowledge of the game. He is gearing up to release his debut EP, a three-track project titled Alone, with the bulk of the production, engineering, and all the vocals done by the man himself. Mind Off told UNDRGRND he looks at Daniel Caesar, The Beatles, and FKJ as some of his most impactful musical influences. “Human beings are naturally competitive because we have to be able to get resources. But in this world as an artist, that competition isn’t necessarily advantageous...there’s enough room for everybody in art, because if you’re making music that is true to you, you’re the only person who can do that...by supporting each other, that’s how scenes happen"—Mind Off-Andrew Mason