Trying to form an identity as a music artist has been something I've wanted since middle school, where you might have found my band performing Sublime covers during lunchtime on the quad. Festivals such as Coachella and bands like Radiohead inspired me to follow this passion in hopes of spreading music to a large audience in the future. Luckily the boom of EDM came when I decided I could no longer play in a band and I wanted to perform solo. With the start of college began the start of my career as a DJ, something that now seems saturated with constant party flyer spam and Virtual DJ users. Originally I wanted to create something that acted as a screenshot of where I was in music, this moment of leaving one lifestyle to begin another, and with that I began this project called Imaginary Conversations.
This thing took about two and half years to finally release because I wanted something solid to put out, something of perfection. I collaborated with two of the best singers I know and recorded countless others that never made the cut. I thought that if I drilled on the production I could create something that would push me out into the light as an artist. I spent my entire freshman year learning how to produce using this EP as a canvas. Once I got the itch to create EDM I spent my sophomore year putting out DJ ready originals and remixes, about 11 of them can be found on my Soundcloud. As I worked on side EDM projects I began to realize that production skills don't stem from obsessing over something, but instead through experience. Throughout the process I would always learn new ways to make something clear in a mix and with that I constantly went back to touch up this EP.
I was able to finally conclude this project starting my junior year when I came back to these tracks and realized that they couldn't be saved. It didn't matter how much I equalized something or compressed it, the songs had a rough bedroom quality and the only way I could change it is by starting over from scratch. Instead of dropping it completely I decided to do what I could and put it out as is, with the exception of the first track, Bit Abstract. I tossed this one and remade the entire thing using Ableton, with only the vocals remaining in tact. One quarter later I was able to finish it, master the tracks, and release it on my own.
It is a strange feeling when the past two years I had something that was a secret to everyone I met but now its on display for the world. A lot has happened since the original concept and I think these songs reflect an angsty hipster conforming to EDM. My original plan was to put this out then focus on club, mainly trap, music. After seeing a positive response to a different style of electronic music I plan on embracing this direction in the future and I hope more producers follow the rule of no rule, as Porter Robinson did on Worlds. In the end it's all just a bunch of sound waves flowing from your laptop speakers to your ear drums, why not make every listener experience something personal and interesting?
If you've listened to the release and wanna share your opinion with me feel free to shoot me a message!
Thanks,
- Louis