Discognition’s first original effort on Magnetic Magazine Recordings, “De Leon”, is out now.
The Denver-based artist shows his production chops and knack for melody on “De Leon.” It’s a phenomenal organic-meets-progressive house track with Latin flair and acoustic elements at every point. For Discognition, the track is bathed in good memories. “I wrote this song while I was down in the small town of De Leon, Texas, visiting my girlfriend’s family,” he says. “It brings up fond memories of togetherness and also taking a moment to slow down. Life in the country is beautiful and meaningful.”
Discognition, the progressive alias of producer and DJ Chad Vasquez, has been on quite a roll recently, with releases on Monstercat Silk, Sekora, Purified, and now here on Magnetic Magazine Recordings. As his name will certainly be one to monitor in the upcoming weeks and months, we figured now would be a great time to get to know him a little bit more.
The following interview is eye-opening, with Chad really getting vulnerable about his past struggles in the music industry as a trap and future bass producer, his decision to completely change course, and his reflections on the music industry as a whole.
Go grab your copy here, then come back and learn about the man who made it.
Where did you grow up, and how did your environment shape your relationship with music?
I grew up in Columbus, OH which is a very Bass Music centric city. My first music project known as ‘Black Rabbit’ was a Trap/Future Bass project and I absolutely had a good time with it, but I didn’t always LOVE what I was making. I wanted to do something more melodic, more emotional, and that resonated with people on a different level than making them ‘rage and headbang.
I was a TATW, ABGT, ASOT kid living in a city that 95% of people didn’t know what that even was. Due to that, I left but I still have nothing but love for my hometown. Columbus is an amazing city for Bass producers and has a wonderful community around it but you were lucky to get a trance or progressive show more than 2-3 times a year. Some new promoters are pushing some different genre’s, and doing it VERY well lately, so I look forward to seeing how their scene grows and attracts new talent.
Why do you think persistence is such an important part of making it in the music industry?
Persistence is absolutely EVERYTHING in this industry. In the span of 1 year there will be so many DJ/Producers that pick it up and quit because it’s harder than they thought it would be. I’ve been doing this since 2011 and I’ve seen countless people, GOOD musicians and people, give up because this industry can weigh on you so hard.
The important thing to always come back to is your own why. Why are you doing this? Is it to play EDC? Is it to have 1,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify? It’s easy to get caught up in goals and metrics but at the end of the day, my reason is “because I love it, and I want to share my art with anyone willing to listen, in hopes it resonates with them on some level”. That’s why I persist, because at this point, there are people who look forward to my releases, and that’s really all I wanted out of this whole thing. Everything else is bonus.
What’s a key piece of advice you would give to your younger self at the start of your journey?
The best advice I could give my younger self, ironically enough, is to start making the progressive stuff sooner. I spent 7 years on a project that I enjoyed, but didn’t see going anywhere. I wish I had taken that 7 years to hone my current craft a little sooner.
Additionally, I would tell him to surround himself with people that are headed in the direction you want to go. It’s easy to get caught up in the partying and the lifestyle, but focus is imperative.
Who’s been your biggest supporter throughout your career, and what’s their impact been on your success?
I have some wonderful supporters in my life and I’m so lucky for that. If I had to pick my biggest one it would be Devon Ausman. He goes by ‘Hausman’ and has a deep alias ‘dwelyr’. I met Devon because I had heard his first EP on Silk Music, now Monstercat Silk, and I just had to send him a message letting him know how much I loved it. Since then he’s been my biggest mentor musically and biggest supporter.
His impact on my success is immeasurable. I AM the musician and producer today I am directly through his feedback, guidance, and overall friendship. He tells me exactly like it is with my music and I think every producer needs someone like that. Someone to tell you when something is rough when you might think its good. To bring you out of periods of writers block by giving ideas. I truly don’t know where my career would be without him.
Why do you think it’s important for artists to share their struggles as much as their successes?
I think it is incredibly important to share struggles, no matter the field you’re in but especially for a producer. Social Media is fake, but only if you make it that way. With socials being such an important part of your branding and identity, you WANT to show your highlights and you want people to see you’re doing well. But without the struggle, what does it all mean? You HAVE to show the whole picture, and I think most people really resonate with that.
Struggles show no matter how big you are, you are not invincible to the unfairness of the music industry, or to mental health issues even though you play music to thousands of people, or to burning out on something you objectively love to do. People want to see themselves in you, and people struggle.
The post Discognition Speaks On Inspiration, Mentorship, and Regret in Exclusive Interview with Magnetic Magazine appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.