Even if you don't know his name, you know Mike Dean's sound.
The super-producer and "Synth God" solo artist is a pillar of modern music production. The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Travis Scott, Madonna, Jay-Z, Christine and the Queens—these artists and more have made classics with Dean, and that's just his recent work.
Before that, he helped craft a whole era of Southern hip-hop with the likes of Scarface, Geto Boys, UGK, and Devin the Dude, after getting his start as Selena's keyboardist and musical director.
Ahead of an upcoming solo performance at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre on March 1, we got the chance to see the genius at work, learning first-hand exactly why so many artists seek him out.