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 Scandinavia, the Oslo-based house-music maker and prolific TV/film sync-licensor Simon Field.
What’s it like where you are? Norway has been shut down since March 12th, so we are kind of getting used to it now. I am at home with my family, so it feels like Christmas break. Fortunately, the studio is in my house, so I finally get to spend long hours there – something I’ve missed lately.
Have you lost important gigs, or income-producing work? My income is a mixture of label duties, streaming revenue and film-sync, along with DJing, so it feels like I have lost just one leg on the gig front. I realize that the situation is not gonna change back to normal overnight, so it will require a shift in focus and being more creative about my business side of things. I was scheduled for some of my career’s biggest gigs this spring. It’s sad to see them go, but I am sure it will come back around.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Quarantine has allowed me to rethink and look for new revenue streams. Increasing my number of releases is definitely one cure. With the newfound spare time, I have managed to finish more tracks than ever, finishing my single releases, remixes and music for an alias. My newest, “Siren” featuring Yasmin Jane, is out soon.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? I think having this time to think, re-think and plan was much needed. Having lost one part of the income forces you to be creative around what you do. Besides organizing my rekordbox, rearranging the studio, making back-ups, eating too much and all the obvious things, I think the creative thinking around the business and artistry in this period is super-valuable, and will be fruitful moving forward.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? I usually a very social guy. I feed of off other people’s positive energy and I’m totally dependent on seeing people to be a creative and happy person. When you see people in shops these days, they might look at you as if you are the walking plague. That is so depressing and harmful to the society. I wish we had a positive way to say: “Stay away from me!”
Have you considered doing anything online? Have you seen any DJ video streams that impressed you? So, one thing I love about DJing and clubbing is to actually feel the music. That requires a minimal volume… actually, a pretty high volume. Hearing the music on the beach with a drink in hand also is an unreplaceable feeling. Seeing someone DJing from the sofa does not get me moving – sorry. But the ones I do like to see are the ones who manage to merge this with visual art or spectacular filming. So obviously, Cercle is among my favorites.
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? I do music to lift my spirit or take me on an emotional journey or simply get me dancing. I don’t really listen to songs commenting on current events, but one song that might be particularly on-point would be Elderbrooke’s “Numb.”
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? To me, music is the ultimate cure for getting through emotional ups and downs, to celebrate victories, to smooth out rough patches and to communicate your mood with someone. If we all can go into ourselves, look for the songs that really matter and try to find out how we can share that feeling with others. Close your eyes and feel. In fact, that was one of the ideas behind my single [a collab with jackLNDN] “Courage or Blindness” – follow your feelings!
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
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