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 Europe, the Murcia, Spain-based house-music talent HVME (aka Humberto Javier).
HVME, Murcia, Spain, Cactus Jack/Epic
What’s it like where you’re living? How did you spend most of your time? I am from Murcia, a city in southern Spain. We have a friendly vibe here. People always find a reason to celebrate and party together. Like most people, I was under lockdown for several months. It wasn’t the easiest time in my life, but I really hope that this will be over soon. To be honest with you, I can say that lockdown was good for me – I had way more time to focus on myself and my music.
Did you lose important gigs, or income-producing work? There were definitely opportunities that I lost, but we first have to take care of ourselves and our loved ones before coming back to parties and shows.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Have you learned anything in the downtime? Every day I learn and work on something new and will continue to do so. I think I developed my sound quite a bit and really can’t wait to show it to you. Content seems to be the key, and that’s something I do every day.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? For example, any releases during this period? The latest release was the remix for “Goosebumps,” but I am working on several very important projects that I am excited about. I hope to reveal them to the world soon!
In the studio, what’s your set-up? I use FL Studio, although the DAW is the least of it. Any tool is a good complement. In terms of plug-ins, I use a lot, but no doubt lately I’m using mostly [Vengeance-Sound] Avenger and [Xfer Records] Serum.
What’s your creation process in the studio? I let myself be carried away by the inspiration of the moment. I believe it is the most important thing in music – to live and feel what you do.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? How important we are to each other! How to appreciate the small things in life. Like a walk in the park, going to the mall or just going to the movies – things that we took for granted in the past. I’ve also realized the importance of music. It is a language that keeps the world united.
Have you done anything online recently? Have you seen any DJ video streams that impressed you? To be honest with you, not yet. I am waiting for the right moment. We are preparing some cool surprises that I hope to be able to share soon. Yes, I have seen so many incredible performances. I love how everyone is getting inspired to do new things during these times.
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? I think my biggest anthem will be and has been “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd or “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo. She has such a beautiful voice and lyrics. I can’t stop listening to those songs.
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? To think of all the good moments that await us when all this is over, to think that we are not losing them, we are saving them for later.
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
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