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 Holland, the Amsterdam-based electronic talent RSRRCT.
What’s it like where you’re living? How have you spent your time? Well, in The Netherlands, there have not been too many regulations until now. I was actually enjoying my annual stint in Thailand until mid-March. Once I got back, things were not that bad, but I tried to stay in as much as I could. Luckily, we are allowed to go outside freely, which is something not everyone can do. I’ve been focusing a lot on music and staying healthy. There’s a lot of new RSRRCT music coming out in the next months, and I’ve started training Muay Thai [aka Thai boxing] again here, as well as Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Alongside that, I’ve been doing lots of meditation and calisthenics. Not having any gigs has taken its mental toll a bit and I’ve found that staying extremely active has really helped ease that frustration. A healthy mind and healthy body are very important when everything else has become more or less stagnant, I think.
Did you lose important gigs, or income-producing work? I had many more gigs still planned in Thailand, and a few when I got back and all were cancelled. The last time I played a bigger show was at Half Moon Festival in Thailand. Aside from that, my friend and I are having to sell our restaurant in Thailand due to the lack of tourism. It’s been a bit rough, but life is give-and-take. I’m trying to stay positive and keep moving forward. Alongside music, I’m also working with a start-up medical cannabis brand out of Detroit, called Motor City Mary. Luckily, that is going well and has kept me afloat financially, while giving me the opportunity to continue to make music. A lot of my musician and producer friends have had a much tougher time. I think it’s a bit rough for everyone.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Have you learned anything in the downtime? I’ve actually started working on a more pop/radio music side project alongside Ramon Tapia, and another friend called Maxi who’s based out of L.A. Ramon has been a huge help for me, as I’ve been growing as an artist, and a couple months back I pitched the idea to him and we started getting to work. We will see how it progresses, though! One thing is for sure… it has been interesting getting out of my comfort zone musically speaking.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? For example, any releases during this period? I’ve have my latest EP, “Communing With Spirits,” which is out now on Gem Records, as well as an EP on CODEX coming next month. Aside from that, I’m sitting on roughly 50 unreleased tracks, which I consider worth putting out – so there’s definitely plenty to come
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? How much we take normal life for granted. Humans are naturally very social creatures, and all of a sudden we are supposed to avoid each other, quite literally, like the plague. You can really see the effect it’s having on people with all these public freakout videos on Reddit and the internet at large
Have you done anything online recently? I did a live-stream on King’s Day in May here in Amsterdam that went really well. The link is available on my Instagram, @rsrrctmusic. I’ve also done a couple of mixes. I’m currently working on a new mix to go alongside my Gem release
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? “I Wanna Get High” by Cypress Hill. A nice joint always makes stressful times easier.
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? Focus on your goals and make time for yourself to achieve them. The daily grind is hard enough and now we’re more isolated and stressed out than ever. It’s good to keep your eyes on something to move towards.
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
