Watch the full interview here!
What is your go-to dance move if you were on stage and wanted to break it down?
Oh man, it’s actually embarrassingly simple. I always have one hand on the fader to make sure I don’t like turn it down and just definitely like the headbanging with hands up in the air. It’s kind of like the lasso, almost, but it’s like a play on the lasso.
And then, congrats on your new album, Asleep in the Garden of Infernal Stars. What inspired the title or overall concept?
I’d say it’s kind of based on a lot of the books that I like, so it’s kind of a mix of like HP Lovecraft and more of a fantasy vibe.
Following up with that question, what is your favorite book that you would recommend to any beginner if they love fantasy?
Like for a beginner, what have I read recently that I liked, The Black Tongue Thief, by Christopher Bolman, I think was a really good and easy book to get into.
You always blended genres beautifully – from both melodic dubstep to psytrance to even progressive house. How do you approach creating a track that doesn’t fit neatly into one genre?
I think just experimenting, you know, and I think it’s good to know how to make each genre right, but then once you know that, you kind of go off the rails. So that’s kind of how I would approach that.
What is a sound or element you’ve been experimenting with lately that fans might hear more of soon?
I’ve been doing like some breakbeats and stuff like that, which has been like a little different. I haven’t done breakbeats since Tyven, so then, actually, the title track for the album, when I was working on it was called Tyven II, so it’s definitely like that kind of breakbeats.
Are there any unreleased tracks from your older eras that you’ve revisited or reworked recently?
As far as old unreleased stuff, I don’t think so, like if anything didn’t make it to the point where I wanted to release it, it usually just stays that way unless it was like a remix or something like that, and then, like, I’ll still play it. But there’s nothing like from like a song that I played live that never made it out. There’s no hope for that. I know people sometimes post things that I played like five years ago, and like, ‘Are you ever gonna release that?’, and chances are no.
What is the most challenging song you have you’ve ever finished – what made it so?
I’d say more recently, By the Light of the Moon, because that’s like what I’m known for and I hadn’t like revisited that sound in a while, so I think going back with the expectations of like this better be really f**king good, cause like this is what you’re known for was like a lot to get over in the first few weeks of working on it.
Your albums have always been emotional storytelling and a journey, and then with this recent album, what do you want listeners to feel by the end of this?
Hmm, that’s it. A whole journey for sure! There are some more happier songs, actually, none of them are straight up happy. They all have a tinge of sadness in them, even if like the melodies are somewhat happy, but I don’t know, journey big time, you know. I feel like the main overall thing I want people to take away is, like, individuality and being true to yourself, and you know, just doing what you want. I feel like that’s important cause I think nowadays in electronic music, it feels like things are becoming really compartmentalized again as far as genres go, and I think that kind of sucks, to be honest. So, like, I think a goal of mine was to really push those boundaries and remind people that good music is good music.
You also collaborate with so many artists, going from Wooli to Trivecta to Illenium to even Slander. What has been the best collaboration, and what’s been the most memorable?
That’s tough…the Mega Collab, it’s Pantheon now, was probably one of the funnest cause it was just a bunch of dudes working on a song during the pandemic, so I guess I would call that like the funnest and probably most memorable.
Continuing on with collabs, if you were able to collaborate with someone outside of the EDM, who would it be and why?
I’d say, like Sigur Rós, it would be really cool. Ghost would be really cool. I don’t know, there are a lot of people who are more on the left field. Sylvain would be really cool…Sigur Rós is like Icelandic alt-rock, Ghost is arena rock, I guess, and Sylvain is like this really beautiful like folk black metal vibe, I would say.
Would there ever be a time when you get on the mic or do live vocals one day?
I will never do live vocals, god no, my voice is freaking awful. Why do you think I make music behind their singing? But no, I’ve talked on the mic a few times, and it’s always been awkward, so no, it’s not going to happen…I just don’t know what I’m gonna say, like you didn’t come here to hear me talk, you wanted to hear me play music, so that’s what I’m gonna do.
What is your pre-show ritual like before you hit the stage?
Usually just have a beer or a shot unless I’m not drinking, and then I have the soda water.
What has been your favorite city or festival crowd this year?
Man, actually Canada, Badlands Festival in Calgary, was sick…But I just feel like Canada goes the freak off for whatever reason, everywhere in Canada. Even Montreal is always really high energy. I think maybe they have less shows up there or something, I don’t know what it is, but yeah, it’s always just full send.
After finishing a set, what’s your go-to meal or comfort food?
Honestly, something simple like high-protein, like chicken strips, like that, but it’s pretty basic.
How do you keep your sets fresh while still giving fans what they came for?
I think it’s always mashing up my own songs or making remixes, but mashups for sure would be primarily.
Outside of producing and touring, what hobbies help you unwind or stay creative?
Definitely reading, playing video games, and watching movies are all things that find their way into my music, and I enjoy all those things.
You also share snippets of your life with Emma – how does she influence your creative world or touring life?
I mean, she’s always touring with me, so she makes my touring life a lot better, but yeah, I mean, I run songs by her often and yeah!
Do you find inspiration in nature or travel when making music?
I’d say nature for sure.
Have you always been a big nature person?
I’d say so, yeah, I mean, I grew up in Lompoc, which is not like a big city or anything, so I always run around in the woods basically… It’s north of Santa Barbara by like 45 minutes.
Thank you for reading – and much thanks to Seven Lions and his team!