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 Norway, the Oslo-based electronic talent Rootkit (aka Kashif Khan).
What’s it like where you’re living? How have you spent most of your pandemic time? Here in Oslo, Norway, it’s been pretty chill. We had a lockdown earlier, and currently in one as I am typing this as well. I’ve been mostly at home, working on music and whatnot.
Did you lose important gigs, or income-producing work? I had a lot of potential plans for summer 2020, but nothing concrete that I lost, luckily. I recently released my album, Recursion, so most of my time was spent planning and working on it.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Have you learned anything in the downtime? I’m working with a lot of talented people, helping them in whatever way I can with my skill set in music production and mixing. I’ve made some extra income from it, not much, but it’s about the long term and what it can grow into. One thing I’ve learned in my downtime is that even the smallest of steps towards a goal will add up in the end.
What’s your typical DJ set-up & why do you choose that route? My typical DJ set-up consists of just the standard Pioneer DJ CDJs. It’s mostly for convenience while I work on more elaborate sets. In the past, I’ve played on everything from custom-mapped MIDI controllers on Ableton Live to syncing drum machines live with CDJs. I love to get creative with ways to perform music. In the future, I think I’ll have a much more live-focused set-up where I can use my synths and other gear.
In the studio, what’s your set-up? My DAW of choice is Ableton Live. I love the iZotope Neutron plug-ins. I’ve been using them a lot for mixing. They have some really great features and can result in very clean, detailed mixes. I also own a moog Grandmother which I have used a lot in my album, Recursion for basses and leads. It has a very great sound. Other than that, I recently got a Korg Prologue 16 and a Roland TR8s. I’m still diving into those, but really love them so far!
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? In the initial period of social distancing, when the tension and uncertainty was very high, I realized how fast life suddenly can change and how important it is to appreciate every moment of comfort in life.
Have you done anything online? I played a set on the Dreamworld Online Charity Music Festival earlier this year. It was great to be able to contribute to a good cause and a lot of fun!
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? DROELOE’s “Virtual Friends.”
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? Don’t think too much.
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
