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 entry, this time from Sin City, the British house-music maker OFFAIAH (aka Michael Woods).
What’s it like where you are? I’m currently in Las Vegas – the state’s second re-opening phase began in mid-May. During the official lockdown, we are allowed to leave the house as we please – however, everything except the grocery stores were closed so, in effect, there was nowhere to go. I have dogs, so I still had to take them out for walks every day and I was just spending more time at home, getting to spend more time with the family and also get more studio time.
What kind of income-producing work have you lost? I had some amazing shows lined up, which aren’t happening now. This included six shows in Miami, plus festivals in Europe and the U.K., which have either been postponed or cancelled, including Creamfields. The good thing is I’m still able to produce and sign music, as there is still a demand for that, given how much streaming has gone up. So, I’m still able to work in that respect.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Yes, I’m still able to work in the studio from home and make new music, which I can then license on to record labels or just release myself on my own label, AllFire Records. So, basically, I’m still able to maintain an income in that regard.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? Spend all this extra time I have working on new music and videos. I want to, in essence, make an album of songs and create music videos to go alongside them. This will all be done with the studio gear and camera equipment I currently have at home. This is going to be a relatively big task, as it not only involves making all the new music, but also planning out, producing and executing the video side of things, too. Another thing I’m doing is regular live-streams on Facebook and Instagram, so people can hear all the new music I’m making at the moment.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? I’ve realized that I can never have enough toilet paper on hand.
What live-streams have you done? Have you seen any other ones that impressed you? Right, I’ve jumped on this bandwagon, having already done live streams from home, some of them have even been in collaboration with the likes of 1001TRACKLISTS and Data Transmission, and I did one with Radio FG. I’ve seen some cool live streams from the likes of Calvin Harris, Diplo and John Legend, who did a live-stream from his bathroom.
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? Here are some appropriate songs for the times: The Police’s “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” Peggy Lee’s “Fever.”
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? I’d say, try do spend a least 20-30 minutes a day exercising, as that will help relieve a lot of built-up stress and make you feel good about yourself in general. And maybe try something new that you would never normally do, like research a new topic or learn a new subject online, maybe even a new language. Luckily, we still have the entire World Wide Web at our disposal to help get us through these crazy times.
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
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