During a high-dose LSD trip, I started to hear a disembodied voice speaking an unknown language. The two words I remember seeing spelled out for me were "corluscopping" and "ffeel." I somehow remembered to write them down. 

The experience weighed heavily on me as I tried to research the two words. I eventually drew a basic shitty logo that day, and have saved the name for the right project. It was almost 15 years ago!

At 10, my grandmother discovered a 1 string, plywood Kay acoustic guitar in her attic. I played that one string for 3 years until she surprised me with one of those early Squier Strat packs with a 10w combo amp. I ended up going to school for guitar performance, but it nearly killed my love of music. The mechanical and robotic nature of the lessons caused me to drop out my 2nd year.
After that, I played with lots of local Chicago bands and band members. Mostly metalcore/post-hardcore music. But, every band had a fatal flaw which caused its early demise. Mostly lazy people who wanted to live the dream but to do none of the work.

Then, in 2015 I moved to Arizona. Refocused on my career, then would come home, practice guitar every day to the point I could play almost anything. But became a burnt-out workaholic chasing corporate success. In 2018, a high speed car crash made my pinky and ring finger on my left hand almost unmovable, even after surgery. I was severely injured to the point I spent more than 2 years rehabbing. I became very depressed. I was crushed. I could no longer play everything I invented or wanted to cover on guitar. I tried learning lefty, but I failed.

In 2022, I moved back home to Chicago, and began trialing different synths and groove boxes. I fell in love with the idea of a simple device anyone could use, but my many years of practicing music theory really expanded their powers. Now, here I am making crazy unique techno instead of metalcore, and having the musical time of my life creating positive music for people to feel good to.

Before shopping for an alternate instrument, I owned Logic for Mac, and I tried building tunes with it. I tried, and tried, and tried, and not only did I create the most amateurish shit ever, I hated the workflow. I always tell people that it felt like being back at my job working spreadsheets.

I purchased an Arturia Drumbrute in early 2023 and fell in love with playing synths live, especially truly playing them vs automating a performance. I became obsessed with reaching a level of skill where I could perform my songs live. DAWless chose me because I have always used an instrument to make my own music and I knew I wanted to sound completely far and away from what the mainstream artists of electronica were releasing. Sound design is my addiction.

When it comes to electronica, I'm HEAVILY influenced by Aphex Twin, Geskia!, Teen Daze, and Shlohmo. I combine many concepts they brought to the table with the polyrhythms and tension of the metalcore and post-hardcore bands I listen to when I am not making music. Also, I naturally write towards the psychedelic side of things, since my musical mentor made tape collages.

I reflect on the chaos and/or beauty he was able to create with such harsh noise, and try to always bring the same tension, density, and thematic, storytelling sounds to high levels in every song without resorting to EDM DJ drops or bass cannons with laser beams and big screens with robots firing their laser eyes.  DAWless is all about the live music and performance aspects of musicianship. The freedom to play almost anywhere was a huge factor in choosing DAWless hardware over anything else.

I absolutely love life despite my disabilities and the challenges they create for my daily life, especially with making music. Waking up every day excites me.

I share my house with 2 bunnies, Lytle and Murdock. Lytle is 11 years old and Murdock is a GIANT rabbit who was abandoned 3x at the same shelter. It makes me so happy to see them living their best lives instead of what could have happened to them. They are absolutely spoiled rotten. I listen to A TON of music. Of all sorts, really. It is a compulsion I can't control.

Sometimes my friends ask "Is all you do sit around and listen to new music?" and my answer is yes, I use the inspiration of the daytime listens to maximize my 11p-4a creative time and infuse my music with new ideas + concepts. I listen to new music daily and that makes me very happy.
Besides those things, seeing my family happy, seeing my friends successful, saving animals, protesting for peace and acceptance on the behalf of those who don't have the rights to speak for themselves, and watching endless sound design videos on YouTube so I can keep surprising everyone with the sounds I make!