Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Brower.
Hi Nick, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My earliest musical influences began when I was a toddler. My older sister would pick me up from daycare and blast Digital Underground, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Pac, and other west coast rappers on our way home. Mom didn’t know of course, so it was our little secret. To this day, I’m still glued to those samples and drum patterns. Despite being a hip-hop head early in life, I became intrigued by bass culture as soon as I set foot on my college campus in 2009. I remember being at this party and hearing “Swagga Back” by Excision and Datsik. Immediately I was captivated by these noises. “What the heck is THIS???” I remember asking. “Dubstep… this is dubstep!” From that night on, it became an adventure into this new and exciting music genre.
Homecoming senior year at Grand Valley State University is well-remembered for Steve Aoki tossing a couple of cakes into the crowd. This was technically my first official ‘rave’, but it left much to be desired. While studying abroad in Berlin my final semester, I was lucky enough to catch both Flux Pavilion and Zed’s Dead, shortly after which ‘Hadouken’ was dropped. This was it. This is what I was looking for. These two Canadian multi-genre performers, The Boys, opened up my whole world that night.
In 2015, I moved to Atlanta to pursue my film career. I was tight on money and couldn’t attend shows, but instead I saved up for a music festival: Bonnaroo 2016. When my homie Lance invited me, I carried no expectations. All I knew was Zeds Dead was performing and I wasn’t about to miss it for anything. Somehow, The Boys topped themselves from Berlin. “Ok, but how do they DO that? Those sounds, those transitions, all the genres…”. Still blissfully being a fan at this point, I began to take special interest in DJ’s who were able to create a dynamic vibe for their sets, which brings us to… **fast-forward noises** 2020. After New Years 360 in Louisville, it finally clicked in my brain that in order to feed my true passion, I needed to learn how to DJ and produce. I bought a Pioneer SX2 and Ableton that February and went on a YouTube tutorial deep dive, slowly teaching myself how to make those wonky wobbly sounds. I eventually took zoom lessons with SuperAve and Chomppa as well.
Last year in 2021, my friend and fellow DJ, Knarf Knarf, introduced me to Emerald Summers, and it’s been nothing but growth ever since. From meeting new DJ’s and producers, who are now my friends, to challenging myself in helping create a DJ competition, they have pushed me and helped me at every turn. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunities given to me by them and others who believe in me. It’s been an incredible ride and we’re just getting started.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Has this been smooth? Heck no. But has it been rewarding though? AB-SO-LUTELY! We always find ourselves comparing each other. “They’re where I wanna be. How do I get there?” “What am I doing wrong?” “WHY do I forget how to Ableton on studio days!?” The internal arguments are endless. They’ll tear you down and make you want to quit. It’s tough when you’re in a rough patch or hit a wall, but there’s that little voice inside you that keeps saying “hope”, “trust”, and “process”. For us, time is linear, but skill progression and success are not; there’s mountains and valleys to cross. Maintaining focus and tunneling your own vision when appropriate will get you where you need to be.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, I’m a boom operator for TV/Film productions (the person chasing actors around with a microphone at the end of a stick). I got my degree in sound design and have wanted to pursue a film career my whole life. I’ve worked on shows such as The Walking Dead, Macgyver, DC’s Stargirl, and just finished up Alex Garland’s latest film. He’s a damn genius and it was a pleasure seeing his mind work. I feel like having a career in film has heavily influenced my music production. Most of my songs have bites from my favorite films as well.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
LSDream got me into meditation at the beginning of the pandemic. I believe that’s a quintessential part of the balance needed to be a great artist. A couple of times now, I have shut myself off to the world, put LIGHTCODE on the speakers, and drift off into space. An important part of my refreshing process is dissociating. You need to be able to see yourself from an outside perspective in order to better see your path. While we need to maintain our presence in the present, we also need to manifest our future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flowcode.com/page/raidenrok
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raidenrok_music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raidenrok/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Raidenrok_Music
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC89Sm0DHIPTeRcio9s5E5ng
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/raidenrok
- Other: https://raidenrok.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
– Lance Lowrie – Emerald Summers Presents
