Fyre Dept.

This article is about the American record producers. For the British punk band, see Fire Dept. For the firefighting service, see Fire department.

Fyre Dept is an American record production duo consisting of Adam Deitch and Eric Krasno. Formed in New York City in the mid-2000s, the pair are known for blending live instrumentation with hip hop and funk production. ^[1] Their credits include work with 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, Redman, Xzibit, GZA, and Ledisi. They received a Grammy Award nomination for contributions to Ledisi’s Turn Me Loose (2009).

Background

Deitch, a drummer and producer active in hip hop and jazz, and Krasno, guitarist of the funk trio Soulive, began collaborating in New York in the mid-2000s. ^[1] Krasno explained that the two had known each other since high school and both studied at the Berklee College of Music. ^[1] They established a shared studio in New York, working under the name Fyre Dept. ^[2]

Career

The duo’s earliest notable credit was GZA’s single “Animal Planet” (2005), released as GZA/Genius with The Fyre Dept. ^[3] They later contributed to Xzibit’s Full Circle (2006). ^[1]

In 2007, Fyre Dept produced "My Gun Go Off" on 50 Cent’s Curtis and co-produced "The Nature" with Justin Timberlake on Talib Kweli’s Eardrum . ^[1] Eardrum debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. ^[4] They also produced tracks on Redman’s Red Gone Wild the same year. ^[1]

Their work on Ledisi’s Turn Me Loose (2009), including the track “Knockin’,” earned the duo a Grammy nomination when the album was nominated for Best R&B Album.

Style and approach

Krasno has described Fyre Dept’s philosophy as relying on live musicians rather than samples: “I vibe it out with Adam until we find something,” he explained, noting that they “rarely rely on samples” and prefer to record horns, strings, and rhythm sections with New York session players. ^[1]

Touring and live work

In addition to studio production, Fyre Dept have toured as a live backing band for prominent hip hop artists. They performed with Talib Kweli in New Orleans in 2014, and were part of a JazzFest afterparty ensemble with GZA in 2015, alongside members of Lettuce and the Soul Rebels. ^[5]

Notable productions

Year	Artist	Album/Single	Track(s)	Notes	Source
2005	GZA	Animal Planet (single)	"Animal Planet"	Credited as GZA with The Fyre Dept	[6]
2006	Xzibit	Full Circle	Multiple tracks	Co-production	[1]
2007	50 Cent	Curtis	"My Gun Go Off"	Produced by Fyre Dept	[1]
2007	Talib Kweli	Eardrum	"The Nature" (ft. Justin Timberlake)	Co-produced with Timberlake	[1]
2007	Redman	Red Gone Wild	Multiple tracks	Co-production	[1]
2009	Ledisi	Turn Me Loose	"Knockin’"	Nominated for Grammy (Best R&B Album)

Members

• Eric Krasno – guitarist and founding member of Soulive. ^[2]
• Adam Deitch – drummer and producer, also a member of Lettuce and the John Scofield Band. ^[1]

See also

• Soulive
• Lettuce (band)

References

1. "Eric Krasno: Still Turns It Out with Intensity". Jambands.com. 20 December 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
2. "Eric Krasno Interview". Guitar Messenger. 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
3. "GZA/Genius With The Fyre Dept – Animal Planet". Discogs. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
4. "Talib Kweli Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
5. "FiyaWrapper River Rage JazzFest Afterparty To Feature GZA, Members of Lettuce, Break Science, & More". Live For Live Music. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
6. "GZA/Genius With The Fyre Dept – Animal Planet". Discogs. Retrieved 5 September 2025.