My name is John Verchot, Iāve released music under several names: J-chot as well as DJ CYBERDAD. Locally, Iām usually just billed as DJ Verchot. I feel like the first thing I should tell you about myself is that I have severe ADHD, which seems to be the single most consistent force guiding my art and existence. I often get distracted and always get ahead of myself when I try to explain things. DJ CYBERDAD started out as a funny pseudonym to release more profane songs that I didnāt want my son to hear, but changed into an outlet for my smoother dance jams as well as more introspective music.Ā
What are your inspiration sources?
It varies from project to project. Often times with tracks, the inspiration to work on them comes in two or three different phases. Inspiration to create sounds is one thing, as inspiration to finish and structure tracks, create moods/themes, or even package them into a finished project, all feel like different driving forces/processes that need to happen in order for me to get anything done. However, whichever one of those forces I am able to utilize when I sit down at my laptop often seems to be beyond my control.
Most times Iāll hear a sound, loop or phrase, Iāll start to wonder what I can do with it, or how I can change and manipulate it. It might be the timbre of an old instructional videoās narrator, or an odd metallic sound Iāve managed to coax out of some equipment. Occasionally Iāll think of a concept, either of overall sound or thematic content and before I know it, Iāve got half a track planned out in my head. Many times Iāll hear other tracks or songs, and want to use just one part/concept/sound or re-do the whole track differently. With āEmotional in Destinā, I was trying to convey moods or feelings I felt during an unexpected trip to Florida in the middle of a crushing depression. It sounds bizarre, but I've never channeled personal experiences into my music before.
Overall what inspires me to create different sounds is the novelty of technology and bits and other peopleās music.
What makes me want to sit down and make music is personal or professional success.
What inspires me to finish tracks and projects is the distant white noise of overwhelming anxiety and dread setting in as the ennui of the imminent collapse of western society fades giving way to the dark, almost imperceivable thrumming of the void drawing nearer, and is definitely getting louder. Your ātimeā is almost up John. Did you even do anything, or are you too skiddish and feeble of heart and head to make any clear decisions, impulsively flitting from one animal urge to another bad habit, clogging the chemical receptors of your brain for simple stupid pleasure. Itās night now and your eyes and fingers grow wearyā¦
What was the question again?Ā
Tell us something about your workflow.
Most times, it starts with just noodling around. Sometimes, itās with synths and sequencers, either recording sounds or looping notes and tweaking/loading patches (virtual or real synths), sometimes Iām browsing potential sample material, but what happens next is the same regardless of how Iām making sounds or what Iām doing:
ā¦I think hear something.
ā¦And I STOP noodling. Basically, I either hear something I like, or I hit a riff or whatever and itās like a tiny, tiny light bulb that blinks barely. Occasionally itās like a hundred watt, and other ideas quickly fall into place. Most times, itās a process of trial and error, but Iām making sure to document or isolate the little pieces that click and then attempt to refine or improve on those ideas. Ideas can quickly diverge, multiple sets with different names get saved, and I often jump around and get lost. I use color coding on clips and pieces in Ableton to help me sort those ideas. Some ideas form by running one sequence Iāve had already through a whole different synth/patch.
Very rarely, Iāll get a concrete idea while Iām driving, maybe Iāll make some notes on my phone (text to speech notes, voice recording).
When I get a spark that makes me imagine a full concept (āCharles Nelson Rileyā, or that āMy P**sy tastes like Pepsi Colaā remix for example), the track is formed VERY quickly (four to eight hours working time) and I finish the mix, structure, everything. This is rare, but these tracks are almost always my better material.
The next step is always the same: Let the track ācool-offā. Leave it alone. Do something else for a few days, or weeksā¦ or in some cases, yearsā¦ Then Iāll fuck around with it even more, or move on to:
I look for/experiment with arrangements that compliment my DJ style, or allow someone to do a rough edit if they want, (breakdowns at the end), or Iāll load a track that I like to DJ thatās similar enough and I will STRAIGHT UP copy the song structure in terms of intro, (drums or keys?) repeating bits, breakdowns, outrosā¦ Most times I fuck with it until it sounds okay, which is kinda bad because I end up drastically overscrutinizing it.
When it comes to mixing, something that I should do more often but donāt is load a reference track (someone elseās track) and try to get my mix to sound like theirsā¦ This technique REALLY helps stop ānasty surprisesā when you listen to it on a big system, or in the car.
Most of the time, Iāve been tweaking the mix the entire time Iāve been working on the project.Ā
The āEmotional in Destinā EP is almost entirely soft synths, but lately my flow is:
1. dick around on hardware
2. āoh that sounds good, let me make another sound to go with itā (see step 1)
3. record a few pieces to an Ableton project.
4. āI don't know what to do now.ā ā¦maybe mixing or structureā¦
ā¦almost ALL THE TIME, however I jump around and do everything very non-linearly. Hardware helps me not spend so much time tweaking patches or EQ-ing a snare drum for an hour. Texture is SUPER important to me, so Iāll often get hung up on EQ and compression before I even start on structure or mixing.Ā
How would creative rituals benefit your workflow?
The hardest part for me is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS getting started, or shifting gears from other activities (resting after work, reading tumblr, goofing offā¦) and going to sit down at my desk and start music stuff. Iām certain itās an executive dysfunction thing. The less I think about doing it before I do it, the better.
Animal sacrifice SIGNIFICANTLY speeds things up. Try not to get blood on the gear/laptop, and make sure never to clean, but regularly sharpen the ceremonial dagger (VERY important).Ā
How do you get in the zone?
As soon as I start to approach a task as āa thingā I get nervous and anxious. If I go āokay, Iāve got this task to completeā¦ā my subconscious hijacks my higher functions to make me look at memes or tumblr for three hours instead of do what I āshouldā or āwantāā¦ The problem with me in the past has been how do I get OUT of the zone?Ā
How do you start a track?Ā
Oh jeez, I really jumped the shark with that question earlier, didnāt I? A technique Iāll sometimes employ is load up an old track, keep the drum sounds/patches but delete all the data, and make an entirely different genre of trackā¦ or one that's very similarā¦ Thatās kind of a fun exercise if nothing else. Also it often winds up getting tweaked and adjusted to hell and back.Ā
Do you have a special template?Ā
Nope. I make TONS of drum, EQ, and effects presets though. And they all have terrible names like āgooddrumsā, ā$GOODrumsā and such.
Even though Iāve started with carbon copies, they ALWAYS end up sounding completely different by the time Iām finished with the track, because I canāt leave em well enough alone.Ā
What do you put on the master channel?Ā
Sometimes EQ, but always a phat ass compressor (limiting). Iāve been thinking about investing in a nice non-free one lately, but for some reason I am not comfortable with purchasing software pluginsā¦ I also have learned recently, that Iāve been using compression on the individual tracks way too muchā¦ which makes final-mixing a pain in the ass.Ā
How do you arrange and finish a track?Ā
DAMN IT. I really did go too hard with the first couple questions. The āfinishingā of a track for me (arrangement, mixing) is usually done much later than the rest of the process. I try not to force stuff, but lately Iām realizing more and more that I need to not do this as much.
I canāt stress enough how using a reference track for structure or mixing can very often break up stagnation on a project.Ā
How do you deal with unfinished projects?
Several ways.Ā The first step is to judge an old file and see if it's worth finishing. If there is ANYTHING of creative/sonic merit, I put it in a folder with the other āsketches and ideasā (project graveyard). Otherwise, I have been trying to delete the ājunkā projectsā¦ this can make it easier to focus. Another thing I often do is to make presets/patches/Ableton instruments from the parts I like, then drop it in a folder called āmehā. Or I drop them into several categorical folders, i.e.: āuncircumcised electro bangersā, āabrasive technoā.Ā
How do you store and organize your projects?
Aw jeez. Oh gosh-oh darn. (See above answer.)Ā
How do you take care of studio ergonomics?Ā
Trial and error, trial and error, trial and error. This year alone my studio has been restructured and moved about my downstairs room at least five times. Iāve finally settled on something that feels very useful and productive. I am also this way with my work station at my job. CHANGE IT UNTIL IT WORKS GREAT. This can also help with creative stagnation, or can trigger it, so be careful. I keep my āelectronics laboratoryā close at hand so that more of that tinkering can find itās way into my musicā¦ no such luck, YET.
Iāve currently decorated my space with all the crap Iāve saved up over the years, that for some reason, Iāve looked at this and thought: āThis makes me happyā ā¦SUUURE, my studio now looks like a fourteen year old decorated it, but I gotta say, I feel pretty phenomenal. Soon Iām gonna try to put this āstars and spaceā wall paper on my ceilingā¦ Iāll update with a photo when thatās done.
Also I would like to say:
Minimalist spaces and studios are bullshit, yāall look like sick baby birds in empty shoe-boxes.
I mean, NOBODY LIVES THAT WAY, right? Maybe some boring rich people do, but damnā¦ I mean, I try to clean and stay organizedā¦ and it helps, but I also try not to get to hung up on it.Ā
Tell us something about your daily routine, how is your day structured, how do you make room for creativity?
**LOUD SUCKING SOUND THROUGH TEETH**Ā I don'tā¦ at least, not very well at allā¦ but Iām working on that.
I am not the person you should ask this question, because THIS RIGHT HERE is the BANE of my existenceā¦Ā
Share a quick producing tip.
MAN, Iāve already dropped likeā¦ seven, but okay, here goes:
BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, FINISH THE TRACK. For me, this means ghetto-rigging, DIY, using the same goddamn audio interface from 2002 for f****ng fifteen YEARSā¦ (recently fixed) donāt get hung up on āproperā ways, or ways that are outside your current means. Also, get a set of decent monitorsā¦ or use several pairs of headphones/speakers to double check mixes.
Recently, Iāve had less time, but a little bit of money, which is the opposite of how Iāve ALWAYS operatedā¦ itās been difficult to unlearn ātime consuming but cheapā. Also difficult not to impulse buy synths.Ā
Making music with just a mouse and keyboard may be the least sexy thing everā¦ it works thoā¦ cheap MIDI controllers CAN work faster however.Ā
Share a link to an interesting website (doesnāt have to be music related).
My son just showed me this āĀ https://dddance.party/ and I have to say, this is an outstanding achievement of mankind.Ā
List ten sounds you are hearing right this moment : )Ā
Traffic outside my window, gentle hum of laptop cooling fan, dog snoring, fingers typing, birds chirpingā¦ thatās it.
John has a lo-fi house EP out on UltraBold Records as DJ CYBERDAD. Itās called āEmotional in Destinā. Stream it āĀ here, audio cassettes are available āĀ here.
Thanks John! If you want to get featured next, send a message here on tumblr or email [email protected].
