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 New England, the masked electronic talent Slow Magic.
How did you spend most of your pandemic time? Well, like most of us, I spent most of my time at home on the computer or TV – and hanging with my wife, Dream Angel.
Have things changed over time? Things are always changing, but the longer 2020 goes on, the crazier it all seems to feel. This year feels like a decade.
Did you lose important gigs, or income-producing work? I had a full U.S. tour planned for the summer that was a huge part of the year. I think the thing I miss most this year is playing shows and getting to travel.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Have you learned anything in the downtime? I’ve learned so much about how to be OK with routine and staying put in one place. I’ve been doing Slow Magic for almost a decade now and this is the most time I’ve ever spent in one place since starting. I’ve been lucky to work with a great team and also work on remixes, video-game scoring, and other various projects.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? I’ve been planning a lot! I’m also diving in and learning more and more about production and mixing – things I may not have had time to do before this year. But I’m also learning to just slow down and remember to breathe, and focus on my mental health.
What’s in your studio? My studio set-up is relatively modest, centered around an iMac with various MIDI controllers and a big TV screen as a monitor. I also have a Moog Mother-32 [semi-modular analog synth] and some nice Hue lights that set the mood.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? That I miss waiting at the airport! Or long, boring drives, going to boring stores… yeah, who knew we would miss these things?
Have you done anything online recently? I launched a Patreon early this year, which has helped a ton with socializing and having a nice group! I also recently did a live show online for Digital Mirage 3, which was super-fun to be a part of.
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? Don’t forget to take care of you. Remember that it’s OK to take breaks, and just be a person. This is probably the hardest year any of us have lived through, in a lot of ways, so just don’t be hard on yourself. We are all getting through it. It’s the end of the world, but it’s OK.
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
