Progressive House

Recently I had the opportunity to throw some questions at up-and-comer Auvic, who’s production style is incredibly unique. In a scene where it seems artists are recently struggling to create something different, his new album Voices is a diamond in the rough. After hearing Gareth Emery use his track “Highways & Highways” in both his Sirius XM show and his weekly podcast, I was so hyped on the sound that I had to reach out and get some details. Auvic was kind enough to answer all of my questions, and so below is the conversation that followed.

Q. First off I want to thank you on behalf of TNJ for doing this Q&A. A few of us here recently took a peak through your new Voices album and we were truly astonished, as is everyone I’ve shown it to. Was there any specific inspiration or idea behind the album, or was it just a collection of your more recent work?
A. No Problem. Voices was never really ‘planned.’ Before this, I was mainly writing neo-classical complex electro stuff and funky complex electro, planning albums and all, but that all got pushed aside when I wanted to do something else, which was Voices. I had drafts and drafts of Induce Insomnia, which was the first track, but I had abandoned it because I didn’t have enough inspiration or ideas to continue on. A month or two later, I wrote ‘Voices,’ and that’s where it all clicked, and I knew exactly what I wanted and how I wanted it. As a whole, it’s inspired by insomnia, cityscapes, good times, funky music vibes, personal situations, and certain colors and emotions.

Q. The album has been getting some support by some big names, most notably Gareth Emery. Did he contact you regarding your music? And how does it feel to have these huge names playing your tracks?
A. Quite honestly, I’m not really too big on names and such. I first got some support like that when I released Starships from Sean Tyas, which was pretty cool. With Gareth Emery, I read on a Soundcloud comment somewhere that he played it on his radio show and his podcast. It feels pretty sweet.

Q. I’ve noticed from your Facebook profile that it seems you’ve had a bit of an up-and-down relationship towards music. Are there any specific artists you credit for your current involvement in the EDM scene?
A. When it comes to EDM alone, my two greatest tangible influences are Joey Youngman, aka Wolfgang Gartner, and Daft Punk. These two are geniuses, and I’ve spent countless nights just studying and studying their music and learning more about them. The more intangible ones are Kaskade and Deadmau5, I suppose since you may not be able to hear much similarities. I’ve been compared to Joe Garston and Mord Fustang, but honestly, that’s just two songs that I have that kind of sound like them, I guess.

Q. Well now that we’ve got a bit of insight into your music and inspiration, it’s time for some unrelated questions. What are your hobbies outside of music?
A. Going out and chilling with friends. I don’t really do anything else. Currently I’m studying full-time at Berklee.

Q. What’s something you couldn’t get by in life without?
A. My ears. If music never existed, I probably wouldn’t have either.

Q. If you were stranded on an island with an MP3 player that held only three songs, which three songs would you choose?
A. I would choose Face to Face by Daft Punk, my favorite song in the world. I would choose Counting Stars by Nujabes, my second favorite song in the world. And lastly, I would choose a song that I wrote more than 3 years ago for someone because it’s special.

Q. Seeing as you draw some influence from Daft Punk, you must be pretty psyched for Random Access Memories. Any opinion on the first single “Get Lucky”?
A. I’m literally geeking out over it. I’ve listened to it ever since bits of it have been released, and as we speak I’m listening to the radio edit which I’ve been playing on repeat for the past hour or so. Before that, I’ve even recreated and put together pieces of that song so I can get the full effect, just for fun.

Q. So the big question, what’ can we expect from you in the future? Any big ideas or plans for how you’ll be following up Voices?
A. I am planning MAJOR things. I’m currently writing several EP’s, a few collaborations, and other minor things. I’ve already started my 14-track album ‘Voices Call,’ while working on my first ‘planned’ album called ‘Beyond Ascendance.’ I’m also coming up with other album ideas as well, but they haven’t taken form yet.

Wow, seems like you’ve got your work cut out for you. It’s great to see such ambition, and I speak for all of us when I say that I can’t wait for it all to come together. We really appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions, and wish you good luck with all your future musical endeavors!
A. Awesome, sweet! Thanks!

Check out his new album VOICES below, and be sure to buy it on Beatport!

Auvic – FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

Written by: @roper22 | @thatnewjam