When the Coronavirus shut us down, clubs and festivals ceased, and everyone was essentially forced inside with no definitive end in sight, DJ Times wondered: How is our tribe coping? How are DJs getting by? So, we sent out our “Coronavirus Questionnaire” to DJ/producers from all musical genres to find out.
During the crisis, DJ Times will be presenting the questionnaire responses from talented music-makers from all over the world. Here’s our latest entry, this time from Barcelona, the Catalan techno talent Coyu (aka Iván Ramos).
What’s it like where you’re living? Are you locked down? We have been locked down since the 14th of March, when the Spanish government declared the “state of alarm.” Spain is ranked in at No. 2 of all the European countries when it comes to the numbers of cases and deaths from the Coronavirus, and it’s also home to one of the strictest lockdown measures, too. We cannot leave the house at all, unless this is for essentials – food from the supermarket or if you need to go to the pharmacy.
How are you spending most of your time? I am working hard still in the studio and making tons of new music. Trying to keep a normal routine is important, so I’m treating every day as a work day, and then enjoying the weekends being at home and getting a lot of sleep, compared to normal. I’ll soon be starting to release music under two different aliases. One of those is for house and disco and the other for melodic and indie/electro-infused techno. I’ll be announcing them both soon on my socials.
Have you lost income-producing work? Yes, I have lost all and every show which we had planned. They have either been cancelled completely or postponed, but no one knows when we can really start to have events again, so I think re-scheduling is a dangerous thing to do now. Sales of music are down, too, as I think that we have a lot of thanks to give for DJs playing shows, where people hear new music and go out and buy it. That’s not happening now. We aren’t buying new music, as no one is playing. We also had to shut the Suara store and Suara Foundation for now – it’s a sad time.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? It’s hard to generate money from a music-related industry with no shows. Of course, I am doing streams, which are free, and then releasing new music of mine on Suara, but these do not make money to be able to survive or pay the bills. I am also working alongside Bridge_48 Studios and EUMES for their Digital Campus project, where I take part in music-and-sound coaching classes.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? Just making and playing music. That’s what I know how to do the best, and it keeps me happy because I love it. It may not be bringing in a cashflow, but for now, this is keeping me sane.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? Maybe it sounds cliché, but I have realized how much we all just focused on work before this happened. Yes, I still work and maybe busier on some things than I was before, but that’s maybe because I am also trying to consistently solve how to keep the Suara Foundation running during this hard time. I am also busier thinking more about my mind, body and health than I ever did before. We have the time now to make a conscious effort about these things, which essentially are more important than any job. I am definitely working out a lot more than I have ever done, and getting creative with it, as we are locked inside and cannot go out at all here in Spain. I have also started to use more natural beauty products, too, as I think we should all think about the environment. I hope these are things, which I am going to continue doing and become more aware about when we can go back to some kind of normal routine.
Have you done anything online? Have you seen any DJ video streams that impressed you? Yes, I have done a few live streams, and the Suara WorldLive, we shared that across a few other pages which have supported Coyu and the label. The reach was great, and I enjoyed it, too. I think it’s important to stay in touch and connect with your fans regularly. I did also watch the live stream with Helena Hauff, which I loved!
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? “We Love” by Jürgen Paape feat. Boy Schaufler.
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? Take care of yourself. Do yoga, meditation, work out, anything that makes you feel better. Slowing down your life for a short period of time isn’t that bad. And when this is over, go to a shelter and adopt a cat. Life is better with cats around.
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
