Side stepping from last week’s focus on popular musicians and tabloid-ism, in this week’s writing I want to shine my blog torch toward the electronic musician.
These days (it’s again, a vastly overlapping genre but) the electronic musician can often get overlooked. Producers, DJs, electronic composers or sonic artists, have to work within the technologically induced world, which can bring about its own problems. I have always DJ’d alongside my band and solo work but the nuanced ‘electronic’ world really sank in for me during my own period of isolation and study within the electronic realm.
Before training in the psychology domain I completed a masters in electronic music which enabled me to immerse myself in this colourful environment. From the early pioneers at the BBC such as Daphne Oram to the modern sonic sculpting of Autechre, this world felt futuristic and fresh but also a tiny bit lonesome as I spent hours shaping sounds and refining DJ mixes. It became quite isolating at times, just me and a multitude of synths, drum machines and a computer. Scarily, It (mixing) also helped me to realise the hearing damage I had picked up during my band days!
While all musicians can experience differing pressures, electronic musickers spend long hours, glued to computers, perfecting sounds and mixing tracks, thus spending less time collaborating face-to-face with other artists. I most definitely missed my band mates during my own immersion! Often yearning for another pair of ears to bounce ideas from or to validate musical decisions.
Another key challenge in this world was the demanding lifestyle of touring the world as a DJ and (probably similar for all live electronic performers). The jet-setting across time zones, playing late-night gigs, and enduring very erratic sleep schedules wreaked havoc on my mental and physical health. The DJ world was also immensely challenging with the drive to stay relevant in a fast-paced industry, where trends shift quickly and careers can be cut in an instant.
In the modern world social media amplifies these struggles (like a host of others). Most contemporary electronic musicians rely heavily on platforms like Instagram and TikTok to promote, but this comes with the pressure of maintaining a polished public image in a synthetic world. Comparison with peers and dealing with online criticism exacerbate feelings of self-doubt and anxiety just like in any other realm which maybe even harder if you are flying solo!
Another big struggle I often herd about from other peers in the electronic world was the stigma within the broader music community. Many felt that sometimes their art was viewed as less authentic or 'easier' than traditional music-making, a demoralising dig despite the intense skill and creativity required to sculpt sonic creations. Add to this, the nights of frustration spent updating software, drivers, latency, incompatibility can really push the headache buttons!
While these struggles are not exclusive to electronic musicians, the combination of isolation, intense competition, and a tech-driven environment creates a unique cocktail of mental health challenges, emphasising the need for tailored support systems in this sub-set of the popular musician. This is why Tonic Music offer specialist groups for the Association for Electronic Musicians, Music Producers Guild and other electronic musician demographics.
Adam Ficek hosts a monthly show 'Tonic Music' on Totally Wired Radio, where he talks to various guests about music and mental health. You can listen again to any of the previous show on the Tonic Music Mixcloud page.
