Read the Kaotic Shock Interview below and share it on social media.
Please tell our readers who you are and what you do?
A. J. Dawson is currently an active Producer, beat maker, and DJ in the Denver metroplex under the alias Kaotic Shock. Kaotic Shock started in 2011 with an unofficial remix of the Knight Rider theme song and a few uploads to soundcloud. In 2013, Kaotic's first release on iTunes titled "The Haunting" established him as a pioneer in the EDM scene with a unique sound and diverse production capabilities. Rising to prominence in 2015, Kaotic Shock was invited to perform DJ sets at Toad Tavern, Beta Nightclub, and The Church, all located in Denver, CO. Kaotic became known for drawing crowds of local fans and packing the dance floor to his original music and remixes. Following a brief hiatus, Kaotic returns to his production roots with the latest single entitled "The Darkway" in 2018. Follow Kaotic Shock on soundcloud:
How would you describe your influences and how have they changed over the years?
Initially, before I called myself Kaotic Shock and came up with the idea to create a project, I was just a hip hop producer making beats and writing pop songs in Garageband. The biggest shift in my style happened in 2007 when I started listening to Daft Punk, MSTRKRFT, and Danger, in addition to upgrading from Garageband to Logic. The use of live instrumentation blended with electronic elements heavily influenced me to begin producing house and electronica. During this time I also found Ableton Live and began experimenting with synthesizers and vst plug-ins. After attending festivals like EDC and Global Dance, I began to follow the modern trends of dance music until I hit the clubs. Playing DJ gigs at nightclubs further changed my musical style and taste because I was actually able to test my own music on the crowd and see how they reacted. I felt like I had come full circle when trap music started to become popular, because it was so similar to the southern style of hip hop that I had been producing so many years ago. As a DJ, I began to blend House and Trap in my mixes, and subsequently found more ways to have fun and be creative.
What´s new right now?
The newest and best thing about Kaotic Shock is the amount of music on the horizon for this year. We will see more releases and more music from Kaotic Shock this year than ever before, starting with a full-length album and a three track EP, both streaming on Spotify January 21st. In addition to the double release in January, we will be seeing at least one new original track a month on Spotify, just to keep things fresh for avid fans. Also be prepared for new hour long mixes, set to be released monthly on Mixcloud.
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Sure”]
Are you a superfan of anyone? How did you become a superfan? Do you remember how you become a fan and what turned you into super fan? Have you ever thought about why you´re such a fan?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What was the biggest mistake you made when you started making music and what would be the number one tip you could give to a newcomer musician?
The biggest mistake I made was not trying harder to get gigs. The best tip I can give to a newcomer musician is network, network, network. Having 1000 #1 hits that you made in your bedroom will do you no good if you don't know the right person to get them heard. Music is all about knowing the right people, so finding those people is essential to your development as an artist.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
How do you get gigs? Can you share any tips?
The best advice I can give on getting gigs is prepare accordingly and make sure that you have a very clear idea of what you want your performance to be, then find the right place to make that performance possible and network until it happens. In a little bit more detail, plan accordingly means practicing your mixing skills or routine before hand until you have more than enough confidence in your performance ability. The goals I set for myself were: Record a 2 hour mix with no mistakes 3 times, and once I did that, I felt confident enough to post mixes and tell other people to listen to them (people I had met through networking at local night clubs), which led to all of my gigs.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Do you have good promotion tips for other musicians?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Do you have insights on how to grow your audience on soundcloud that you want to share with our audience?
With soundcloud, it is best to find artists similar to your style/genre, and liking their tracks, adding them to playlists, and reposting them.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What has been your biggest challenge right now? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
My biggest challenge in 2017 was not being able to actually create music. My software had corrupted, I had to re-install my operating system and lost all of my plug-ins, so I was very frustrated not being able to continue to release music in a timely manner. I overcame that challenge by investing in an MPC Live, which meant that I would no longer have to deal with hardware/software compatibility issues, software crashes or latency. Thankfully, the MPC Live has been a life saver and extremely useful tool for me as a musician.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
How do you personally discover new music?
All the most common music outlets, meaning: soundcloud, YouTube, and Spotify. Boredom doesn't exist in my vocabulary because I know there is always a song that I haven't heard yet, I just have to find it. Listening to mixes is a great way to find music quickly, but also hear how a tune works with other similar tunes.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Once you discovered new music, do you tell others about the new music/artist you discovered? If yes, how exactly?
“I am constantly looking for new music to put in my mixes, which is my way of telling people about the artists I discover. I try to include a new artist in every mix I post, so that the fans always have something new to look forward to, and never anticipate whats coming next.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What is your number one tip to improve your music production or songwriting skills?
Improving music production skills comes from repetition, goal setting, experimentation, and knowledge. Truly, I mean all of these things together, and not any one individually. I always think back to J.S. Bach when I say repetition because Bach wrote hundreds of chorales, preludes, fugues, and other pieces of music, and I believe that's one of the reasons he was such an amazing composer. Next, set goals to make each track better each time, whether it be to improve the mix, the melody or the overall concept of the track. Experimentation is invaluable because trial and error is the only way to know if something will work or not in music, and creativity can easily come from just taking a risk and experimenting. Finally, increasing production knowledge is essential for today's musicians because techniques are constantly evolving, new technology is being developed, and peoples musical tastes are constantly changing, so you have to know what you want to sound like, or how to create whats in your head.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What is your best tip for those who struggle with finishing their tracks?
Goal setting is the best way to finish tracks, because it should be every artist/producer/songwriters goal to finish the song. If the song isn't finished, the most likely cause is form and structure. Developing a large scale structure for a song will turn a 30 second idea in to a 3 minute song very quickly. The most common issue I see with those struggling to finish tracks is not knowing how to get past the initial jam, pattern or loop phase. Learn how to create contrast, juxtaposition, or change the initial idea, and continue the process until a structure can be created from the variations. In other cases, it may be best to listen to songs and physically write down the structure and apply it to your own track in order to understand how to effectively complete song ideas.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
We meet again in one year. What has changed?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
[/gravityforms]
http://www.soundcloud.com/Kaotic-Shock
http://www.facebook.com/KaoticShock
http://www.twitter.com/KaoticShock
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Enter your questions to the artist in the facebook comment section below.
[/gravityforms]