What's your name, where are you from, and how old are you? How do you enjoy where you live? Is their a vibrant music community for you to indulge? Would you say you find that your local scene influences your attitude and/or creativity?
So first off I'm a 19 yr old Named Erik from a shitty grey town called Hagerstown, Maryland. Overall the city I live in provides little to no cultural influence unless your culture is overdosing on hydrocodone behind a ruby Tuesdays so every local musician around here is influenced in their own way depending on their personal tastes. Electronic music influences are basically non existent in western Maryland so i'd have to say any producers around here work off a sense of cultural isolation by building their own sound without help.
Have you been making music for a long period of time? Did you have any previous musical background?
When I was younger (about 14) I played the bass guitar and messed around fruity loops from time to time but I didn't fully start to produce music until I was about 18. When you first started making music, was there a particular sound or artistic/musical influence that you would say was your biggest inspiration to start pursuing the creative path yourself? What led you to electronic music, particularly the heavier kinds of it?
When I first started to produce I was mainly influenced by producers like Odeza and blackmill but as I got older I started listening to vaporwave shit like Yung Lean and Bladee and that really had a huge influence on the style of my beats. Instead of a the classic four to the floor type of beats I was use to I began to create trap-like drum lines with pads and string melodies to really give it that dreamy cloud sound.
Would you say that your choice to pursue music has changed your life since you started? Would you say that creativity has evolved you spiritually, emotionally, or logically? What are some of the biggest challenges you have had to overcome in your musical career?
Since I've started making music I can definitely say that music producing has altered the way I live my life in a sense that almost everything revolves around making beats now. I've even caught myself jamming to the way my ceiling fan makes a repetitive bumping noise, its like once you start really getting into making music everything you hear is a beat like in its own way. The biggest challenges I've had so far would definitely be learning how to produce music itself, tirelessly watching every damn youtube video you can find day after day and still being completely clueless on where to start can really be a game changer for a lot of beginner producers.
What would you say are your favorite themes and topics to write about? What draws you to those themes?
I'm pretty into world politics but it doesn't really show up in my work.
Are there any bands that you would say are your "core" or "prime" inspirations when making music? Are there any new bands, or styles of music, that you are currently exploring that may possibly be evolving your sound?
Ever since I've transitioned to cloud rap type beats i'd have to say my core inspirations would have to be shield gang and the sad boys although my recent tracks have had a lot of influence from Yung Hurn and Lgoony.
What genres of music would you consider yourself to be the most active in, or influenced by? What are your thoughts on genres in general? Do you find them creatively helpful as a template to work with? Or do you find them restricting? Or possibly somewhere in between? Now that the internet has caused so much crossover in music, would you even say genre labels are relevant any more?
I'd consider most of my work to be considered cloud rap but I've always felt that going for a certain genre could make you try and produce something put of your skill set. I think the best way is to just produce the music that plays in your head and have your fans decide what genre they think it is if that makes sense.
Are there any particular instruments, programs, or effects that you would say are vital to you making music?
I started off using Fl studio but have since upgraded to Ableton Live 9, as for instruments I've always loved imagelines buzzsaw.
Other then the genres that you are most typically known for working with, and being inspired by, are there possibly guilty pleasure bands or genres drastically different your usual repertoire that find themselves working their way into your inspiration?
I've always really liked dj alice and Darude but I don't think they have much of an influence on the music I produce.
Is collaboration something that is actively important to you? Do you have any individuals you are particularly successful, or unsuccessful, in collaboration with? Has there been any collaborative based songs that you would say stand out to you?
I've always been actively into doing collaboration tracks with different people and I plan on producing a mixtape for Slug crew in a few weeks. As a producer its important to do collab tracks due to the fact that a track with vocals is nearly always catchier then an instrumental beat.
Do you have any other musical projects that you are involved with, or do you have any other musicians or artists that you collaborate with in some capacity? If you could collaborate with any musician or artist, dead or alive, who would it be? And what in particular draws you to want to collaborate with them?
I plan on producing tracks for Slug Crew in a few weeks once we get a better mic setup, As for if I could produce tracks for anybody in the world it'd probably be late 80's / early 90's snoop dog for sure.
Are live shows an important part of your career? Or are you predominantly a studio musician?
As of now I have yet to do a live show but I definitely plan on doing a few events once I get a proper mixer and drum pad.
When it comes to non-musical media, what do you find yourself most inspired by, and what about it draws you to it as a source of inspiration?
Sadly I am only an eeeeeeeeelllll
Have you had any particular moment(s) that you would like to share, that you would consider to be a crowning achievement in your musical career so far, or moments that you would say truly continue to inspire you to pursue your artistic path?
I havent really had any inspiring events happen to me yet, I figure it'll come with my first shows.
What do you see in the near, and far, future for your creative output?
Alot more cloud beats and sooner or later a mixtape with the Slug Crew.
Thank you so much for participating in this episode of Infidel Interview. Any parting words for your fans, or my audience?
Shouts out to the Slug life and the Infidel Netwerk for doing this interview.