On this episode of Auxoro, Zach speaks with short story author Chris Cooper. Chris has received acclaim for his irreverence in his stories. During their discussion, they pick apart everything from the philosophy of meaninglessness to the metaphysics of anxiety. Chris offers advice to the depressed young nihilist and the writer who must be true to himself.
Read MoreIn this episode, Zach talks with Gryffin, an electronic music producer from California known for his creativity and organic sound. They discuss the influence of Gryffin’s musical cousin (Dustin Kensure- Thrice), lessons learned from electrical engineering and the connection between imagery and sound. Gryffin also shares how performance has changed during the pandemic and why his remix of ‘Burn’ (Ellie Goulding) changed his career. Other topics include the balance between serving your fans and yourself, the spiritual aspect of music and why conducting over Zoom is as awkward as it sounds.
Read MoreIn this episode, Zach talks with Daniel and Jeremy of East Mane, a producer/rap duo from Chicago. They discuss aliens, how anxiety towards weed inhibits creativity and approaching music as a means of self-improvement. Jeremy and Daniel also vent their frustration with streaming services, and share why the vulnerability of creation leads them to respect music they don’t like. A disagreement about Avatar: The Last Airbender leads to an unlikely competition, and the duo explains why variety is the result of experience.
Read MoreThis time we sat down with Rob Abisi and Nick Shanholtz, otherwise known as Lost Kings (@wearelostkings). They garnered early attention by producing unofficial remixes for Disclosure, Dirty South, and the Killers. Since then, Rob and Nick have been extremely active on tour and in the studio, releasing an official remix with Rihanna and making original smashes of their own. Shortly after New Years, the duo released an EP titled Paper crowns with features from Wiz Khalifa, Loren Gray, Social House, and more. This entire EP is an absolute banger for the house party, pregame, car ride, shower, doesn’t matter. I’ve been bumping Paper Crowns and sometimes that does involve me flexing the pipes in the shower. That’s the power of Paper Crowns.
In this conversation, Nick and Rob discuss building success in LA - the city where many dreams go to die, chasing those dreams while on the verge of giving up and moving back home, the weirdest jobs they’ve had to work, being baked on the set of the ‘Don’t Kill My High’ video shoot, what goes into planning a set for Ultra, and more. Even if you don’t make music, listen to electronic music, or maybe you haven’t heard of Lost Kings, this conversation is one you will want to listen to. If you do anything creative, whether it’s a side project or your main source of income, you need that relentless drive and something unique to offer, which Lost Kings has and then some. So get a little comfortable, maybe light up a j, pour up a drank, and stay tuned for a conversation that will definitely not Kill Your High.
Welcome to another installment of ‘Off The Record’ where the artists themselves speak about pivotal moments, share experiences, and answer questions about the things that matter most. This time, Yoste (@soundsofyoste), a producer and songwriter from Brisbane Australia, talks to us a bit about his approach to songwriting and applying emotion to the actual song structure. In his bio, Yoste writes “I’ve struggled for years with a severe sense of listlessness and general lack of purpose. I still do in fact. It’s something I now recognize in many of the people around me, both young and old. It’s damn fascinating to write about.” Well, I can say Yoste, you are damn fascinating to listen to as well, both your words and the music.
On this week’s episode of Auxoro: The Voice of Music, we sat down with Cautious Clay. He released his debut EP, Blood Type, in February of 2018, but the journey started long before. Cautious Clay grew up in Cleveland and was surrounded by the jazz community. He plays the flute and saxophone among other things, a true multi-instrumentalist. At George Washington University, he started making beats and posting remixes to SoundCloud. It was there, that Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother, saw one of these remixes and reached out to Cautious Clay. Cautious Clay, Blackbear, and Astonomyy ended up being part of the first remix package of ‘Ocean Eyes’ by Billie Eilish back in 2015.
Since then, Cautious Clay has made a lot of music, worked multiple day jobs, and recently quit those day jobs to pursue music full time. In October of 2018, NPR tapped Cautious Clay to perform for their coveted tiny desk concert series. Even if you don’t listen to Cautious Clay, or aren’t an avid music listener in general, this episode has a lot of insight into the overall process of creativity, the effect of religion on upbringing, competition, and other topics that span beyond music.
This week, we sat down with shallou, an electronic producer located in LA, who’s originally from the Greater DC area. shallou is currently on tour until the beginning of January and puts on a show that transports you into his own creative world. His latest EP, Souls, showcases a powerful yet emotional blend of the organic and electronic. Icelandic adventures, inspiration from artists like Porter Robinson, childhood car rides with his Dad, and other elements have all shaped the world of shallou. In his own words, “I just want to make people’s lives more pleasant.” On this episode, we get into the inspiration behind Souls, the revolution of the music industry, the behind the scenes work necessary to produce a live show, and more.