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 this period, DJ Times will continue presenting the questionnaire responses from talented music-makers from all over the world. Here’s our latest entry, this time from England, the Hull-based electronic talent Forbid (aka Brandon Forbes).
What’s it like where you’re living? Very much Silent Hill vibes – it’s like a ghost town! We were locked down, but life is slowly getting back to a new normal here. I’ve had so much time to be creative and work on my sound. So, there’s always a silver lining.
Did you lose important gigs, or income-producing work? DJing was my full-time job pre-pandemic, and because of it, I lost all my residencies and gigs – bummer!
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Have you learned anything in the downtime? Constantly grinding – it’s hard for DJs to get work now with the changes to our way of life, but we adapt, I suppose! I’ve learned not to take things so seriously, and that I’m too hard on myself when it comes to being creative.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? For example, any releases during this period? I’m just about to film the music video for my next single [with Samuel Pack] “Diamond Heart,” which I’m super proud of. It’s the first time I’ve been able to be a sad boy and translate that to dance music.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? How little people care about social distancing and hygiene.
Have you done anything online recently? Have you seen any DJ video streams that impressed you? I did some Facebook live-streams a few months back – they were so fun! People saw me DJing with speakers and a full set-up, but I just saw a laptop and a kitchen, so it was very different to say the least. [laughs] AC Slater has been using his platform to showcase upcoming producers’ demos in his live-streams – that’s dope.
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? Lady Gaga’s Chromatica.
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? Lockdown has shown me how important my friends are and how important going the extra mile to check in on each other is. Talk about your problems – it helps me tons. And also, use your time to get creative!
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
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