Zeki aka. DJ Tech_Wreck Interview w/ Co-Owner of Digital Angels Creations Lexi!!!!!
DAC:
What influences do you feel helped you start your career and are they the same ones that actually are still influencing you today.
DJTW:
I was mainly influenced by the love of techno music. At the time I started I was a rocker, loved all things metal. But I soon realized the great repetition in most rock songs. To me it started to sound like all rock songs were the same basic beat with only an added guitar solo or drum solo, or different vocals. I began to fall into techno in general simply because of the ever changing sound throughout each song. Yes like all music each song does have the same general pieces such as a steady bass line etc.
But ’’techno’’ in general I think can be broken down into so many sub-genres that the limitations are virtually endless. With a guitar, you can buy it alone and play normal stuff, you would most likely need to invest more money into effects pedals or digital editing software, if not you will run out of sounds to make. With techno, you can buy one turntable and find some old junk records in the attic or whatever or at a thrift store for like 50cents and boom, you’ve got half a million possibilities right there. As far as the influence, it is absolutely still there. Slightly different from when it started, but yes I am still influenced by the lack of limitations.
DAC:
How would you see your music has progressed from the early start you had back in 2005?
DJTW:
OMG, my music is totally different now. I do still listen to my older songs but as far as progression…I tend to go more digital now. I do record a lot of sounds out in the real world every day. When I started I was in a group, I won’t list the group name due to some ‘’bad ground’’ between me and the other group members. But I remember we were totally instrumental as hell. Violins, guitars, drums, pianos, vocals, flutes…we had it all. I didn’t feel that it fit me though so I left shortly after. I began on my own and I was broke so I got myself the demo version of Fruity Loops Studios by Image Line (which I still have and use daily, I love you Image Line but you ain’t getting my cash!) I was suddenly turned on to the digital side of things. I did still have that background in ‘’orchestral’’ music from the instrumental days and if you listen to my first self released cd you can definitely tell where I came from. Today I’ve dropped a lot of the slow moving orchestral sounds but went back to instruments with a combination of digitals.
I think now as compared with the beginning….my music is just me. It is finally reaching a point where I enjoy my creations. It’s hard to describe the exact progression. Now with all the experiences I’ve had with good and bad music, it’s a lot more technical and definitely a lot harder than I thought it would be. Back in the day all my bass lines were simple yet melodic, today if I have less than four beats in my bass line it’s crap. On my first cd, the bass lines were like ‘’thump….thump….thump’’ now they are more like ‘’thumpthumpthumpthump’’ Haha.
DAC:
What advice would you give to a new musican/dj who was thinking about starting out in the music business in today’s market?
DJTW:
If you are into digital music, download Fruity Loops. The demo is free for life and the link to the Image Line website will be posted on the website. If you want to splurge and buy a copy, they offer free lifetime upgrades on all versions.
As far as any other type of music, learn what you can while you can. At the beginning it can never hurt to try new things. Even if you think they might not work out, there is only one way to know for sure. Do them while you can because once you reach the top of your game you cannot afford to make mistakes. Do what you can to learn but always remember to be yourself. Your music should come from your heart, when the fans can feel your emotional connection from across the room, across the stadium, or across the world….you know you’ve mastered it all. Be true to your heart not to your wallet. Don’t do it for money or success, do it for your heart! A big house and a fancy car don’t make you a good musician, money doesn’t make you a good musician, making good music doesn’t even make you a good musician.
Making an emotional bond with your music is the only thing that can make you a good musician. Love what you do and do what you love!
DAC:
When you compose music what is the process that you go through to get the finished product and what elements inspire you to go through that process?
DJTW:
Generally my music is inspired by the simple tapping of my foot against the floor of the car while sitting at a red light. I hear the blasting stereos from five different cars all combined and the mixed beat usually spawns an idea in my mind. Or walking down the sidewalk and hearing a barking dog in the distance. I am inspired by every audible noise I hear every single day.
As far as the process, I usually start by pulling out my cell phone and recording the actual sound if possible or I’ll mimic the sound as best as I can. I’ll get home and open my FL Studios of course (what? It’s just a great f**king program). I don’t like sheet music and writing/reading it. I make my basic beat or recreation of what I heard out on the street then just build on that. I try hundreds of different ideas and effects until I reach my finished product. Sometimes I still use actual instruments but lately I’ve been learning to better produce them all digitally. After I get my basic idea completed I typically upload it into more editing programs (sorry Image Line). I won’t list all the programs I use because I like to think of them as my *secret weapon*. After I have an acceptable version of my song I listen to it on my ipod about a thousand times over to see if it holds up to the test of time for me. If I still enjoy the 1,000th time as much as the 1st, then I know my song is good enough. The last step is just final edit, adjusting volume levels and any glitches that I notice….burn it to a blank cd and poof…I’m done!
DAC:
Who are your influences and explain why they influenced you and would you ever consider yourself to be someone else’s influence?
DJTW:
My influences are Joachim Garraud, David Guetta, and Benny Benassi. As far as professional Dj’s those are my top three. I do have other influences, people that are known to local crowds and some not even known at all. I do take great influence from Christine aka Phantom7 and Caroline aka Charms both from the group Somatoform out of Canton, Ohio. I love Joachim because when he performs live, you can honestly feel the energy radiating from his orb of love for his work. That means a lot to me. I also love David who works a lot with Joachim simply because that man made vocals in techno music cool again!! I just love the easy listening flow of all his work.
As far as Benny Benassi…he just always seems to have half naked women in his music videos…I’m a man so you can obviously see why I like them!!!! I don’t typically feel any passion from his work, not saying that he isn’t passionate because I’m sure he is very much so. I just don’t feel the connection the same way I do when I listen to Joachim or David. Somatoform…oh gosh there are some roots there with Christine hah.
I think they taught me the most valued part of my life as well as my music. You don’t always need money and gear to be happy, You just need passion. I am glad to have had them in my life personally and I will never forget the things I learned from them. I don’t know if I am or have been an influence on anyone but I would be honored if someone found me to inspire them! Those are just a few of the influences I have had directly, again I am influenced daily by any and all sounds and music.
DAC:
So with the comment about naked women in Benny Bennasi’s videos how does it affect any potential female listeners or fans
DJTW:
Female listeners and fans? Get in a tight bikini and oil your body up, we’ll put you in my music video haha. I am always happy to have any fans from anywhere no matter what race, sexual orientation, or sex. Female and male alike you are all welcome. Hell we’ll accept transgender people too, as long as you love the music that is all I’m here for. ( just don’t make a move on me please. I’m here to be a musician not a sexual idol for anyone. )
DAC:
How do you go about choosing the key component for each of your mixes are they something that you out looking for or something that just grabs you?
DJTW:
Honestly, things just grab me. Every single time I’ve ever set out to make a specific type of song…I failed miserably. I go on what my heart hears and tells me to go on.
DAC:
Is any of your music autobiographical and do you channel your emotions into it completely or hold back on some of them because they may not fit the song you are working on?
DJTW:
Yes, I like to think that all of my music is autobiographical. I say all of it because each individual song is directly related to how I feel and what I’ve learned and done in life until that point. I do relate the specific genres I work with to specific emotions in a general aspect. For instance, I would make a slower more ‘’classical’’ song to represent my depression or sadness in my life at that particular moment. I would make fast ‘’speed scratch’’ songs for times when I’m hyped up and excited about something or excited all around and etc. Just things like that, and no…I never hold back. My songs come from my heart and if they don’t follow the path my heart wants to travel on, then I part ways with that particular song and set it aside hoping to return to it later in life if it is good enough.
