On January 29th, I met LEViT∆TE at Ghost Note Coffee for a meeting that would turn into an insightful and engaging interview about musical aspiration and everyday hustle. I know LEViT∆TE’s skill as a producer and the impact that he’s made on the Seattle music scene. I had no doubt in my mind before meeting him that he would be making a big come up this year in the world of electronic music. Though I was excited to talk to him about his new Collapse EP, I was also eager to learn more about LEViT∆TE’s past work and his personal background.
What became of our interview was a story of broken cell phones, inspiration hidden within grim urban streets and alleyways, and teeth-pulling fourteen-hour workdays. To some, this might sound like hell, but to Levitate, it was clear that he found solace in his hard work, and motivation in his ability to bring his worldly observations to life.
LEViT∆TE. – Collapse EP
RMR Interviews LEViT∆TE
RMR: Can you tell me a little about your about your background? Where you are from, and what got you into music?
LEViT∆TE: I grew up in Vermont, basically in the woods, where it’s cold, quiet, and boring. I lived on the base of a ski mountain, so I spent a lot of time snowboarding when I was young. Getting into the sport, I started to watch a lot of snowboarding videos, and one thing that I noticed about them was that they always had a strange but eclectic variety of music.
So, I would watch these videos and start listening to super early Arcade Fire, Junior Boys, and a bunch of crazy shit. I also had a friend who was a DJ, that got me into mixing on vinyl after I bought an old kit of his. I was fourteen at that time. Two years later, I began producing my own music, first on Garage Band, then I eventually began using Ableton.
When I was eighteen, I began playing at clubs, and from there, I became far more serious as an artist. In 2013, I moved to Washington and eventually settled on Capitol Hill. It’s been a great change for me. I find a lot of inspiration out here.
RMR: How do you find your inspiration here in Seattle? Is there a certain routine you do, or place you like to go to, in order to get inspired?
LEViT∆TE: I enjoy walking through the streets of this city, exploring, and observing what I see around me. Growing up in Vermont, there wasn’t a lot to do. You had to keep yourself busy, otherwise, you’d go completely crazy.
Living here, I find entertainment and inspiration everywhere. I also see things that I would never see on the streets of Vermont. There are drugs and homelessness, and it’s not that outlandish to see something crazy shit going down in an alley or park. I guess that’s just U.S. cities in general, though. I never saw those things in Vermont.
Don’t get me wrong, Vermont has a huge drug epidemic that had affected my friends and family personally, but it was always tucked away, indoors where nobody would see it. Here, walking down the streets at night, there’s a possibility that you could see something pretty wild.
RMR: Would you say that your music describes the urban environment?
LEViT∆TE: Exactly! Here’s how I look at it. I like to imagine I’m scoring a film about American cities. Like a soundtrack to an urban heroin documentary. That’s where a lot of my music comes from. I want to capture that intensity and struggle, to express it, and to make people feel it. Because it’s a real part of the human condition.
RMR: Your Omni EP was quite different than any sort of hip-hop, or electronic hip-hop production that I’ve heard before. How did you two come up with the title “Omni,” and what inspired you and Macntaj to make that project happen?
LEViT∆TE: To answer the first question, Omni translates to “in all ways or places.” That title was Macntaj’s idea, and basically, the concept behind it was that we were attempting to bring together two separate worlds, hip-hop, and electronic.
To answer your other question, one Day while Macntaj and I were working on a single for one of his projects (that never ended up being released), he was complaining about the cracked screen on his iPhone 7. I offered to buy it from him on the spot because I had this busted old iPhone 5, and his phone was still in better condition than mine.
Instead, he asked, “do you want a new phone?” I told him yes, not thinking much of it. I still wanted his phone. I knew I couldn’t afford a new one at the time. Fast forward a few days, and the dude actually comes over and hands me a brand new iPhone 7 and tells me I’m on his plan now. I was sort of shocked. It was the continuation of that visit that led to our conversation about putting together a full project. From there we began conceptualizing what would become Omni.
RMR: How did the hip-hop community react to Omni, given that it’s such a dynamic and abnormal crossover of hip-hop and electronic?
LEViT∆TE: We didn’t get a widespread reaction from the hip-hop community, but the reactions we did get were big, such as the feature that XXL gave us. That alone was enough for me to be content, as far as getting a reaction from the hip-hop community. The people who did notice us all had kind things to say, which actually surprised me a little. I expected more shade to be thrown at us for this crossover, simply because it’s so out of the norm, compared to current hip-hop. If anything, the reaction was closer to shock. People weren’t used to hearing something like that. I think it surprised a lot of people.
RMR: Let’s talk about your new EP, Collapse, which you will be releasing in a few days. What can you tell me about its creation and your experience in making this EP?
LEViT∆TE: From start to finish, Collapse has been completely centered around my self-improvement as an artist. My goal has been to design better melodies, better engineering, better production, and to strive for absolute determination in reaching my potential.
The track “Pulling Teeth” was named that because it was the most challenging song I have ever created. The song has a total of one-hundred and twenty-three audio tracks with no vocal tracking, making it quite a massive production. To put it simply, I’ve worked harder on this EP than any other piece of production before it. It’s been a therapeutic and uplifting experience for me to try to push my limits, and I’m extremely excited that this EP is finally ready to be heard.
RMR: How has it felt to be getting such appraisal for your new EP from Noisia Radio?
LEViT∆TE: The recognition I’ve gotten from Noisia has been a definite staple for me as an artist. They had shared one of my songs with Holly before, back in 2016, but this time around has been even more gratifying. Noisia has shared three of my songs off of Collapse; “Salvation,” “Shatter” and “Pulling Teeth,” and they’ve shown me a lot of love for my EP. Just to hear those guys say my name on Noisia Radio is a dream come true.
RMR: I saw that you’ve recently been hit up on twitter by some bigger artists like Kai Wachi and G Jones. What was that all about? Are you going to be producing music with any of these artists?
LEViT∆TE: A lot of my fan base has been asking me to try and connect with Kai Wachi for a while now, so when he hit me up, it felt like a sign. Kai and I currently have a song we are working on, which I am excited about.
G Jones was completely unexpected. I’ve played before him at a show before, but never actually met the guy in person. Just like Noisia Radio, I find it amazing to be getting recognition from these artists. I can’t wait to see what happens next, and I have a strong feeling that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
RMR: I’ve noticed that you’ve been getting more into graphic art lately. Is that becoming a big part of your career, as well, or do you look at it as more of a hobby?
LEViT∆TE: Graphic design has become a surprisingly successful side hustle for me, and I’m enjoying every second of it. I’ve been making music for so long now, it’s fun to try my hand at a new art that goes side by side with my music. I like being able to make my own artwork for my productions and my own visuals for events. My goal is to eventually be able to perform the musical and visual side of my shows at the same time, and completely on my own, similar to how Bassnectar does his shows. I want to perform the most cohesive show possible for my audience.
RMR: Is there anything that you wish you’d done early on, in order to better yourself as an artist?
LEViT∆TE: One thing that I wish I’d picked up when I was young is guitar, piano, or some other instrument. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished that I could record my own guitar riffs. That is one thing that I think would have bettered me overall as an artist, and taught me more about music theory at a younger age. Aside from that, it’s all about grinding and putting in the work.
One thing I can say that I didn’t need to do when I was younger was accept every performance gig that came my way. I remember playing a show once at a fucking country bar, and watching as everybody got up and left. Another time I took a gig at a fair, and the entire time I was playing, there was just one guy inside the tent I was in, tripping balls on mushrooms while I played tear-out dubstep. The vibe was just weird. Of course, I was young then, and those were all learning experiences for me. So, my advice to artists would be two things; learn how to play an instrument, and learn to recognize and say no to lame ass offers. Recognize your worth.
Fanlink | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
FOR MORE ON LEVIT∆TE. AND DIVISION RECORDS, FOLLOW RESPECT MY REGION ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER.
HAVE A STORY WE SHOULD COVER? EMAIL US.
