Ohtearsofjoy Interview
Q: Can you talk about your musical history?
A: My musical history is very spontaneous. I learned classical piano when I was super little, and even got to comfortably play Gershwin like it was nothing. After awhile, I got bored and felt like I was being forced to play for my family and not for myself. I still do some improv on the piano, and with perfect pitch as a nice easy aid, it’s like clockwork to learn something again.
As far as production is concerned, I toyed with GarageBand for most of my life. I even rocked with GarageBand from 2005 until 2017 when I decided to have the most delayed thought of upgrading to Logic. I never thought about it from a logical standpoint (pun intended), but I’m glad I made the jump, because it’s introducing me to how to mix and master with all kinds of dynamics that I never understood at all. I sound like a fucking infant about it, and I am; nevertheless, I learn quickly, so it’s going to benefit me in the long run.
Q: I’m old enough to remember the Chicago electronic/house scene in the ’90s. Any chance that era was an influence on Haha? If not what was some of the inspiration for the album?
A: Chicago was definitely an inspiration, but so was France and Detroit, and I even look to those scenes as my prime inspirations. In Detroit's techno scene, staples of the sub-genre, like Theo Parrish and Moodymann, made the gritty unmixed aesthetic of house's old roots feel rawly unique. It also feels genuine to the entire root of EDM. In France's scene, Pépé Bradock was the glorious kick in the face for me. Every song of his feels like a world that seems impossible to comprehend, like some kind of uncanny painting, and as a rabid fan of his enigmatic music and general self, I aim to be that kind of legend to create worlds that are multilayered/intriguing to decipher.
One thing to note about EDM is that all of EDM's roots are undeniably sprung from LGBTQ+ POC communities. As a white individual, I may not in any way replicate the cultured sublimity of what Chicago and Detroit pioneered in those scenes, but I support it, I empathize and I also pay my respects. A lot of Haha is in fact an homage and thank you to those giants who have sparked that creativity for me. Theo Parrish's influence comes on tracks like "Gaspé," while Moodymann's shows up on tracks like "Heaven." I can't say in any way that my songs or my sound is totally authentic, because that would make me sound like I am not giving my biggest inspirations any gratitude whatsoever. It's really not about me. Ultimately, it's about them.
Q: Do you mind giving us some insight into your creative process?
A: My creative process basically is throwing random shit onto the board and see what sticks. A lot of the times I barely finish a song because I quickly lose the willpower to give a fuck about a completed product. Haha was the first time I actually had to set reminders for myself to finish something that I started with the original track list displayed.
Disorientation actually becomes a major problem when it comes to my musical process, because I begin to struggle with a sound that feels good, yet doesn't feel totally me. Songs of mine can feel like bile, while I somehow can tolerate the way it comes out. The challenges become a strength and a curse, no matter how optimistic or pessimistic it can make me feel. It's a complete stalemate, but it is what it is.
Q: You mention the album is personal. Can you give us some of the larger scope ideas at play throughout the album?
A: On Haha, tracks like "Meeting Jonas Borra (Discothèque Diary)" and "For Theo / For Pépé / For Nikolai" are ways for me to express my thanks to those that I've made contact with physically and metaphysically. Jonas Borra is in fact a real person, and he has introduced me to the club scene, as well as the lavish nightlife that absolutely defines my personality. After being hospitalized following a suicide attempt, I didn't have a direction as to where I wanted to be, but Jonas was quick to invite me into his world. Jonas also put me in contact with a few icons, like Ammar Belal, who is a new heavyweight in fashion design, and as a result, Jonas has given me the confidence and guidance to recognize my love for New York City and its unbelievable party atmosphere. There's nothing quite like it, and I highly doubt any other city can match its aura.
Nikolai Melendez is another real person who I mention on Haha. Nobody in my circle of friends actually dives deep into the catalogue of EDM's underground quite like Nikolai, and so when I tell him about certain musicians like Theo Parrish, Pépé Bradock, Andrés, Herbert, Damiano von Erckert, Hardrive, etc., he knows, and when he knows, he concretely knows what I'm talking about. He's even introduced me to musicians that I listen to currently, like Soichi Terada. Nikolai has impacted me in ways where we can share our love for the genres, the atmosphere, the chic and the whole culture.
Q: Do you currently DJ or showcase these songs in any type of live environment?
A: As of right now I am preparing to set up some DJ gigs in the city, but I am working on upcoming art showcases with one scheduled in October. I have always been an admirer of performance art, especially with noise installations (fun fact: I analyze Merzbow like a scholar), and so I want to take my music to those levels of performance; experiment with film, design and other mediums. That shit, to me, is a pinnacle of creativity. Yeah, you can sell your music, but if you can sell your visual presence in addition, it's a great bonus.
Q: What else should we know about your music? I also believe you work under different monikers if you could clarify that?
A: Ohtearsofjoy is my current moniker, as I have retired Divorced Dad. The name Divorced Dad actually started off as an inside joke between some of my former roommates and college friends, and so I rolled with the joke until recently where I wanted to make serious moves. I also had another side project under the name Baptême, but that was shitty Soundcloud rap that made me sound like a white-boy-serial-killer gimmick while fueling my suicidal anger as pure masochism, so I dropped it to save my mental health, as melodramatic as that sounds.
My music is undeniably queer. It's abrasive in texture, pretentious without warning, but it's also up-lifting. I also sing and do a lot of spoken word under this moniker which is something I am enjoying a lot. I'm done making sad music. If I do bring up dark topics, I bring in wit and positive energy to showcase the honesty of how I am doing mentally. Ohtearsofjoy feels a genuine me, and that's what's most important.
I released a single with Pollàri, who is close with industry giants Lil Yachty, Lil Xan and Lil Skies. I also have my upcoming EP titled Heathenbabywonder coming out in mid-October, conceptually discussing my queer sexuality juxtaposing my Catholic upbringing from my parents and extended family. I have plenty of projects that I am excited to announce in the coming months ahead. I'm looking forward to being a god in the music industry, or, as I like to depict myself with Long Island pizazz, a "gawd" in the industry.
Q: Can you talk about your musical history?
A: My musical history is very spontaneous. I learned classical piano when I was super little, and even got to comfortably play Gershwin like it was nothing. After awhile, I got bored and felt like I was being forced to play for my family and not for myself. I still do some improv on the piano, and with perfect pitch as a nice easy aid, it’s like clockwork to learn something again.
As far as production is concerned, I toyed with GarageBand for most of my life. I even rocked with GarageBand from 2005 until 2017 when I decided to have the most delayed thought of upgrading to Logic. I never thought about it from a logical standpoint (pun intended), but I’m glad I made the jump, because it’s introducing me to how to mix and master with all kinds of dynamics that I never understood at all. I sound like a fucking infant about it, and I am; nevertheless, I learn quickly, so it’s going to benefit me in the long run.
Q: I’m old enough to remember the Chicago electronic/house scene in the ’90s. Any chance that era was an influence on Haha? If not what was some of the inspiration for the album?
A: Chicago was definitely an inspiration, but so was France and Detroit, and I even look to those scenes as my prime inspirations. In Detroit's techno scene, staples of the sub-genre, like Theo Parrish and Moodymann, made the gritty unmixed aesthetic of house's old roots feel rawly unique. It also feels genuine to the entire root of EDM. In France's scene, Pépé Bradock was the glorious kick in the face for me. Every song of his feels like a world that seems impossible to comprehend, like some kind of uncanny painting, and as a rabid fan of his enigmatic music and general self, I aim to be that kind of legend to create worlds that are multilayered/intriguing to decipher.
One thing to note about EDM is that all of EDM's roots are undeniably sprung from LGBTQ+ POC communities. As a white individual, I may not in any way replicate the cultured sublimity of what Chicago and Detroit pioneered in those scenes, but I support it, I empathize and I also pay my respects. A lot of Haha is in fact an homage and thank you to those giants who have sparked that creativity for me. Theo Parrish's influence comes on tracks like "Gaspé," while Moodymann's shows up on tracks like "Heaven." I can't say in any way that my songs or my sound is totally authentic, because that would make me sound like I am not giving my biggest inspirations any gratitude whatsoever. It's really not about me. Ultimately, it's about them.
Q: Do you mind giving us some insight into your creative process?
A: My creative process basically is throwing random shit onto the board and see what sticks. A lot of the times I barely finish a song because I quickly lose the willpower to give a fuck about a completed product. Haha was the first time I actually had to set reminders for myself to finish something that I started with the original track list displayed.
Disorientation actually becomes a major problem when it comes to my musical process, because I begin to struggle with a sound that feels good, yet doesn't feel totally me. Songs of mine can feel like bile, while I somehow can tolerate the way it comes out. The challenges become a strength and a curse, no matter how optimistic or pessimistic it can make me feel. It's a complete stalemate, but it is what it is.
Q: You mention the album is personal. Can you give us some of the larger scope ideas at play throughout the album?
A: On Haha, tracks like "Meeting Jonas Borra (Discothèque Diary)" and "For Theo / For Pépé / For Nikolai" are ways for me to express my thanks to those that I've made contact with physically and metaphysically. Jonas Borra is in fact a real person, and he has introduced me to the club scene, as well as the lavish nightlife that absolutely defines my personality. After being hospitalized following a suicide attempt, I didn't have a direction as to where I wanted to be, but Jonas was quick to invite me into his world. Jonas also put me in contact with a few icons, like Ammar Belal, who is a new heavyweight in fashion design, and as a result, Jonas has given me the confidence and guidance to recognize my love for New York City and its unbelievable party atmosphere. There's nothing quite like it, and I highly doubt any other city can match its aura.
Nikolai Melendez is another real person who I mention on Haha. Nobody in my circle of friends actually dives deep into the catalogue of EDM's underground quite like Nikolai, and so when I tell him about certain musicians like Theo Parrish, Pépé Bradock, Andrés, Herbert, Damiano von Erckert, Hardrive, etc., he knows, and when he knows, he concretely knows what I'm talking about. He's even introduced me to musicians that I listen to currently, like Soichi Terada. Nikolai has impacted me in ways where we can share our love for the genres, the atmosphere, the chic and the whole culture.
Q: Do you currently DJ or showcase these songs in any type of live environment?
A: As of right now I am preparing to set up some DJ gigs in the city, but I am working on upcoming art showcases with one scheduled in October. I have always been an admirer of performance art, especially with noise installations (fun fact: I analyze Merzbow like a scholar), and so I want to take my music to those levels of performance; experiment with film, design and other mediums. That shit, to me, is a pinnacle of creativity. Yeah, you can sell your music, but if you can sell your visual presence in addition, it's a great bonus.
Q: What else should we know about your music? I also believe you work under different monikers if you could clarify that?
A: Ohtearsofjoy is my current moniker, as I have retired Divorced Dad. The name Divorced Dad actually started off as an inside joke between some of my former roommates and college friends, and so I rolled with the joke until recently where I wanted to make serious moves. I also had another side project under the name Baptême, but that was shitty Soundcloud rap that made me sound like a white-boy-serial-killer gimmick while fueling my suicidal anger as pure masochism, so I dropped it to save my mental health, as melodramatic as that sounds.
My music is undeniably queer. It's abrasive in texture, pretentious without warning, but it's also up-lifting. I also sing and do a lot of spoken word under this moniker which is something I am enjoying a lot. I'm done making sad music. If I do bring up dark topics, I bring in wit and positive energy to showcase the honesty of how I am doing mentally. Ohtearsofjoy feels a genuine me, and that's what's most important.
I released a single with Pollàri, who is close with industry giants Lil Yachty, Lil Xan and Lil Skies. I also have my upcoming EP titled Heathenbabywonder coming out in mid-October, conceptually discussing my queer sexuality juxtaposing my Catholic upbringing from my parents and extended family. I have plenty of projects that I am excited to announce in the coming months ahead. I'm looking forward to being a god in the music industry, or, as I like to depict myself with Long Island pizazz, a "gawd" in the industry.