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 the crisis, DJ Times will be presenting the questionnaire responses from talented music-makers from all over the world. Here’s our latest installment, this time from Québec, Belgian bass master Apashe (aka John De Buck.)
What’s it like where you are? We have been locked down. People seem to respect the social distancing, so hopefully it gets better soon. I’ve spent my days working on the release of my album, Renaissance. I’ve been mostly planning and finishing up all the content for social media, including a documentary and a music video. The rest of the time I cook, eat and sleep!
What income-producing work have you lost? All the upcoming shows in the next two months are cancelled and the ones later… we don’t quite know yet if they are actually going to happen. Hopefully, things will get normal for the festivals this summer. Hard to say which shows are most important, but I had great festival bookings ahead of me this year. Definitely makes me sad, but I still feel this whole thing a lot worse for other people, so I don’t quite feel like complaining about my situation.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Well, I’m releasing music, an album, and, hopefully, people will listen to it and I can make some income…
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? I cook nachos and take care of my plants. It really helps me stay in the right mindset to stay inspired and positive.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? I have been traveling a lot in the last few years and wasn’t having the healthiest lifestyle. Being at home is actually quite fun and I can finally be healthy without too much effort. I’m a bit of a geek and can easily be entertained with a computer, so… so far, I enjoy it a lot.
Have you considered doing anything online? Have you seen anything you like? To be honest, I have been quite busy and haven’t really watched any. It’s not quite the same as a show, but it’s a great way to showcase some new music, so I will definitely end up doing some.
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? That’s a hard one, but I would go with “Here Kitty Kitty” by Joe Exotic.
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? Eat healthy, sleep at normal hours, so you get some sunlight, exercise. Structure your days well, so you can use your time at home efficiently. It’s a great opportunity to learn new things and start projects you thought you never would find the time for. Be kind to the people around you – it’s hard for everyone and staying in the right mindset helps everyone. Finally, stay home, don’t see your friends – and wash your hands.
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
