3-12-23 Emily Harraka Photography Interview with Skyler Heck “f-ether”
-How does culture influence music collectives?
I’ve recently been playing with the idea of assembling some friends that are willing to help push each other and really help each other blossom to the fullest of our potential as creatives. That seems to have arrived in the form of working with some close friends to create what might resemble a “music collective” in some ways. On the other hand, though, it could just look like a group of friends that share similar interests.
One of the things that’s great about working on that in the modern age, and especially for me as a musician that doesn’t fit cleanly into any pre-existing mold, is that you can connect with friends and artists all over the place. We’re able to text, email, and video call to keep up to date with one another and keep each other motivated. It’s honestly really exciting to have these opportunities.
In the past I’ve seen a lot of music collectives define themselves with a very clean-cut set of rules, creating a framework that only allows for so many things. I think that approaching some elements of that can really help a group of people hone in on something extremely specific that they’re interested in building; however, I think that approaching other things a bit more loosely can allow for more creativity to flow between all participating parties, including the audiences that may form with that. Historically, humans are communal creatures, and the people that tend to make lasting impressions work together with those around them to achieve a common goal, which is all someone could ever hope to do with their friends.
-what’s your music genre/ culture?
I currently make electronic music, but use that as a blanket term to describe a hodgepodge of genres that I’ve accumulated into my style throughout the years. I’ve found ways to incorporate pieces of IDM, experimental, digital hardcore, and bass music into something that sits well with who I feel I am inside. There are both melodic and chaotic elements, and sometimes they exist simultaneously. With that, I tend to feel that I exist somewhere between cultures, as I did grow up going to a lot of hardcore and metal shows, but never successfully wrote music like that; I always appreciated the community that existed there, but never found my voice as an artist within it. On the other hand, I’ve spent many years dabbling in various realms of electronic music, sometimes DJing clubs and playing originals in larger venues, but have yet to find that same sense of community that I grew up around. There’s always a part of me that’s trying to push this angsty, post-hardcore-loving musicianship into a place that it can coexist with purely electronic music.
- what influenced you to play music?
As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to realize that part of what motivated me to chase music when I was so young was that I didn’t necessarily have a natural inclination for it, which was both challenging and exciting at the same time. On the other had it came with a lot of frustration, which in turn has helped me stick with it as an artistic outlet that helped me to better understand both myself and my emotions.
- Background, where you’re from
I’m originally from Colorado, and I’ve lived all over the Western side of Denver and even in the city. When I was younger I grew up near the Lakewood and Sheridan areas, so I’ve seen Denver change a lot since I was a kid. As a teenager I spent 5 years in the Western suburbs of Phoenix, AZ while I was in high school, and 1 year in Northern Arizona.
- Where you’re going
I’m not sure where I’m going, but if there’s anything I’ve learned from a lifetime of art and music, it’s that a lot of the time things aren’t so much about the destination as they are the process. Sure, it’s nice to complete a task, a song, or a work of art, but I’ve found through the years that I’ve learned so much about who I am and who I want to be as I am in the process of creating. So ideally, I’ll be going somewhere that a wiser version of me exists and never stops growing.
-why is this space important to you?
This space is important to me because it’s a creative space that I’ve curated to suit nobody else’s wants or needs but my own. Not only is it where I create music and draw, but it’s my room, so in a lot of ways the things on the walls are an extension of myself. There are posters from artists and shows that changed my life, in either my personal or musical philosophies. There are pieces of art that were made by friends and people that are close to me. There are instruments and pieces of gear that I’ve collected, curated, and built through the years. There are so many things that matter to me in this space, not just for what I do, but what I have done, and even for what I will do. There are things that tell stories of not just who I am now, but who I was before this, and even who I might be someday in the future.
””:http://http://www.f-ether.com/
-How does culture influence music collectives?
I’ve recently been playing with the idea of assembling some friends that are willing to help push each other and really help each other blossom to the fullest of our potential as creatives. That seems to have arrived in the form of working with some close friends to create what might resemble a “music collective” in some ways. On the other hand, though, it could just look like a group of friends that share similar interests.
One of the things that’s great about working on that in the modern age, and especially for me as a musician that doesn’t fit cleanly into any pre-existing mold, is that you can connect with friends and artists all over the place. We’re able to text, email, and video call to keep up to date with one another and keep each other motivated. It’s honestly really exciting to have these opportunities.
In the past I’ve seen a lot of music collectives define themselves with a very clean-cut set of rules, creating a framework that only allows for so many things. I think that approaching some elements of that can really help a group of people hone in on something extremely specific that they’re interested in building; however, I think that approaching other things a bit more loosely can allow for more creativity to flow between all participating parties, including the audiences that may form with that. Historically, humans are communal creatures, and the people that tend to make lasting impressions work together with those around them to achieve a common goal, which is all someone could ever hope to do with their friends.
-what’s your music genre/ culture?
I currently make electronic music, but use that as a blanket term to describe a hodgepodge of genres that I’ve accumulated into my style throughout the years. I’ve found ways to incorporate pieces of IDM, experimental, digital hardcore, and bass music into something that sits well with who I feel I am inside. There are both melodic and chaotic elements, and sometimes they exist simultaneously. With that, I tend to feel that I exist somewhere between cultures, as I did grow up going to a lot of hardcore and metal shows, but never successfully wrote music like that; I always appreciated the community that existed there, but never found my voice as an artist within it. On the other hand, I’ve spent many years dabbling in various realms of electronic music, sometimes DJing clubs and playing originals in larger venues, but have yet to find that same sense of community that I grew up around. There’s always a part of me that’s trying to push this angsty, post-hardcore-loving musicianship into a place that it can coexist with purely electronic music.
- what influenced you to play music?
As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to realize that part of what motivated me to chase music when I was so young was that I didn’t necessarily have a natural inclination for it, which was both challenging and exciting at the same time. On the other had it came with a lot of frustration, which in turn has helped me stick with it as an artistic outlet that helped me to better understand both myself and my emotions.
- Background, where you’re from
I’m originally from Colorado, and I’ve lived all over the Western side of Denver and even in the city. When I was younger I grew up near the Lakewood and Sheridan areas, so I’ve seen Denver change a lot since I was a kid. As a teenager I spent 5 years in the Western suburbs of Phoenix, AZ while I was in high school, and 1 year in Northern Arizona.
- Where you’re going
I’m not sure where I’m going, but if there’s anything I’ve learned from a lifetime of art and music, it’s that a lot of the time things aren’t so much about the destination as they are the process. Sure, it’s nice to complete a task, a song, or a work of art, but I’ve found through the years that I’ve learned so much about who I am and who I want to be as I am in the process of creating. So ideally, I’ll be going somewhere that a wiser version of me exists and never stops growing.
-why is this space important to you?
This space is important to me because it’s a creative space that I’ve curated to suit nobody else’s wants or needs but my own. Not only is it where I create music and draw, but it’s my room, so in a lot of ways the things on the walls are an extension of myself. There are posters from artists and shows that changed my life, in either my personal or musical philosophies. There are pieces of art that were made by friends and people that are close to me. There are instruments and pieces of gear that I’ve collected, curated, and built through the years. There are so many things that matter to me in this space, not just for what I do, but what I have done, and even for what I will do. There are things that tell stories of not just who I am now, but who I was before this, and even who I might be someday in the future.
””:http://http://www.f-ether.com/