Q&A: Roshane Brings the Heat at his Explosive Treefort DJ Set
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY JUSTIN LABADIE ☆
Photos By Carly Liggett & Justin Labadie
BASED OUT OF LOS ANGELES - eclectic musician and producer Roshane will make you want to groove till the sun comes up. With a resume that expands from music direction all the way to 3D animation. Roshane has been honing his skills since day one of his music career. He carries everything he has learned through the years and puts all of it into giving his audience a gravitating and psychedelic cosmic adventure they won’t soon forget!
Known for usually playing three to four hour-long sets. Roshane jam-packed all of his hits in his brief hour-long set that had everyone in the room moving along as the duck-shaped disco ball slowly moved above his head. This is Roshane’s first time performing at Treefort Music Fest, and if this performance is any indication, he is well on his way to becoming one of the most sought-after acts in the live electronic circuit.
LUNA: Thank you for sitting down and talking to Luna. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you and your music. How would you describe your music?
ROSHANE: I tell people it's psychedelic dance music with a disco twist. The vibe I try to curate is kind of dictated by whoever's around. Most of my sets are improv, like 80%. So, depending on the vibe of the people, that's where the journey will go.
LUNA: You recently started releasing your solo music under the name Roshane. How does this project differ from your other projects?
ROSHANE: So this is basically an offshoot of what I started doing with my other project, Mr. Tickle Hands, but just as a solo project. Just doing it under my name and kind of seeing where things go from here.
LUNA: Are there any artists who have been inspiring you lately?
ROSHANE: Lately, I've been inspired by Esquivel. He's a Mexican composer. His music is described as space-age bachelor-pad music. That is at the top of the list lately. Also, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Salsa, and definitely some Daft Punk and Justice.
LUNA: You have collaborated with a plethora of different artists and musicians over the course of your music career. What do you enjoy most about collaborating with other people?
ROSHANE: My favorite part about collaborating with people is the exchange of ideas. Everyone talks about their ideas, trying stuff out, and that leads to new ideas. Then the project or outcome can lead to an entirely different place than where it initially started, and it allows me to do more in the music space outside of, like, the house disco stuff that I love, you know. Playing some indie rock, playing some pop punk, like doing a metalcore. I have a very eclectic taste in music, and it kind of tickles every little bit of it.
LUNA: So this is your first time at Treefort Music Fest with your solo project. How's your experience been so far?
ROSHANE: So far, so good. Everyone's so friendly and nice, we have great weather, and there are so many acts, panels, and discussions to choose from. I'm excited to just bop around Boise.
LUNA: Are there any artists you're looking forward to seeing while you're at Treefort Music Fest?
ROSHANE: I'm looking forward to seeing Gelli, haha. Really looking forward to seeing them and Magdalena Bay.
LUNA: You have had many different job titles over the span of your career, from being a music instructor, producer, DJ, and touring musician. You seem to have a prolific curiosity pertaining to all things music and art. How have all these different roles and skills you've obtained influenced Roshane?
ROSHANE: Yeah, that's actually a great question because everything I've done has kind of led to me doing my own solo project. On the tech side of things, I am able to work on computers and technology and make sure that's all running by myself. As a touring musician, I gained all this knowledge about how to advance shows, what venues are looking for, and how to make the process as easy and simple as possible. And as a music director, I've gained so much knowledge about how to craft a show from beginning to end, including intros, sound effects, and all that. I've been able to pour that into my own sets.
LUNA: Any new skills you have learned recently?
ROSHANE: I'm working on 3D animation and like Touch Designer visuals and building websites.
LUNA: Any new music planned?
ROSHANE: Yes, I've got a bunch of new music in the pipeline that'll continue to be released. On New Year's Eve, I did a set of my music called Roshane Unlimited Orchestra, which is me backed by strings and horns, and I'm looking to record that and put that out as an album itself.
