"Use Your Ears, Not Your Eyes": How Aether Creates Stunning Music as a Visually Impaired Producer

We caught up with Aether to debate his newest EP” “Moonstone” and his creative process when navigating Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare eye condition.

In the world of digital dance music, there’s greater than meets the attention.

Born with a uncommon eye illness and pronounced legally blind at age 17, Aether has crafted a distinctive and mesmerizing catalog of music. He’s additionally a vibrant instance for visually impaired creatives.

Hailing from Scotland, the producer, composer and sound designer developed a passionate love for all issues music all through his childhood and spent a lot of his teenage years exploring music manufacturing in his bed room.

Across his 10-year profession, he has dabbled in up to date piano, ambient and digital dance music whereas constantly evolving his craft. Despite his visible situation, Retinitis Pigmentosa, which ends up in a variety of obstacles that complicate the artistic course of, Aether has at all times emerged victorious.

His newest challenge comes within the type of Moonstone, an enthralling Monstercat EP impressed by the way in which gem stones evolve into new formations. All 4 of its tracks had been created within the order they seem on the ultimate file, mimicking the crystalline evolution course of by remodeling the earlier observe’s basis into the following.

From the ethereal ambiances and lo-fi grooves of “Aquamarine” to the gritty, garage-influenced breaks on “Sapphire,” Moonstone is a true stunner. Ahead of the challenge’s launch, EDM.com caught up with Aether to debate the EP, his artistic course of as a visually impaired artist and way more.

EDM.com: You simply shared your newest EP Moonstone by way of Monstercat. What was the principle artistic inspiration behind it?

Aether: I initially got down to create an ambient EP, however I wished to push myself a little additional with this challenge and so I made a decision to see if I can pattern my ambient EP and switch it into one thing fully new and refreshing. The consequence was Moonstone.

EDM.com: Tell us extra about your journey navigating the music business as a visually impaired producer. What is your situation referred to as and the way does it have an effect on or hinder your capability to create?

Aether: I used to be born with a situation referred to as Retinitis Pigmentosa. It’s a genetic degenerative illness that deteriorates my imaginative and prescient over time, beginning with my peripheral and night time imaginative and prescient. The major approach it hinders my capability to jot down music is usually simply battling viewing gridlines and studying small UI on plugins.

EDM.com: Do you utilize any specialised {hardware} or software program instruments that assist information you thru manufacturing and engineering? If so, what do these seem like?

Aether: I’ve dabbled with some, my grandfather additionally has Retinitis Pigmentosa so he was blind via my entire life. He spent a lot of time on his laptop and confirmed me some software program that might learn out no matter your mouse cursor is hovering over. So for instance button names, textual content paragraphs, folder names, et cetera.

I additionally tried out magnification gadgets however I did not really feel these useful sufficient to maintain in my rotation. Currently I attempt to create workflows that do not require any extra help and that is why I took constructing some {hardware} modular synths. This provides me full management and I haven’t got to fret about shedding my mouse cursor—though having this inverted is useful—or attempting to be taught what worth I’ve set as a parameter on a UI. Hardware I can really feel the place of the parameter.

EDM.com: Are there any elements of 1’s expertise as a visually impaired particular person in music that you simply want folks knew extra about?

Aether: To be trustworthy not likely. I’m simply very grateful that regardless of my situation, I’m nonetheless in a position to inform tales and discover the gorgeous world of sound. If something I’d simply encourage extra visually impaired, or some other disabled folks to not let their disabilities management them. Make essentially the most with what you’ve acquired, you’ll be shocked the place it will probably lead if you happen to actually imagine in your self.

EDM.com: How would you describe the evolution of your sound because the launch of your profession 10 years in the past, and what have been a number of the fundamental driving influences behind that evolution?

Aether: Fundamentally I feel my sound nonetheless falls below the “ethereal” sound palette as I name it. Although I’ve branched off into different genres (up to date romantic, ambient, online game soundtracks to call a few) I feel the core of my sound stays. I simply discovered a lot about easy methods to management it. I discovered to benefit from the expertise moderately than getting pissed off by it too. Overall I’m very happy with the whole lot I’ve achieved in these 10 years and I’m very excited to see what the following 10 will deliver!

Right now, my greatest creative affect is LORN. I’ve adopted his music for round eight years and listening to what he writes now, his unbelievable management of sound, his use of distortion and compression, the whole lot he’s launched just lately has left me awe-inspired. I try to achieve that stage of management.

EDM.com: What does your music creation and manufacturing course of seem like? Have you developed any particular workflows that folks would possibly discover distinctive or unconventional?

Aether: Honestly I’d love if I did have one thing cool to share right here, however for me I begin 99% of my music with a melody. A melody to me is the reminiscence of the music, so its a lot simpler to form a music when you might have essentially the most ear-catching half.

I do know there’s loopy drum solos and different unbelievable parts to music, I do not need to take that away from anybody, however for me and the kinds of music I write, melody is the important thing. From there it actually is dependent upon the model of music. If it is digital then I’ll go to drums subsequent. If it’s ambient then I’ll course of the melody, if it’s soundtracks then I’ll proceed including extra melodies and development. Numerous these items are interchangeable too.

EDM.com: Pulling out of your distinctive expertise and insights as a visually impaired artist and sound engineer, are there any uncommon suggestions you’d give to a fellow producer asking for recommendation?

Aether: Use your ears, not your eyes. I do know with how stunning EQs can look nowadays it is simple to be very mathematical with it. But truthfully if you happen to simply take heed to the distinction, that is as necessary, if no more necessary, than reducing/boosting sure frequency ranges.

EDM.com: Do you might have any future plans that you simply’re enthusiastic about and want to share?

Aether: I’ve solely simply start the music practice for this yr. If all goes properly there may very well be a lot of albums releasing this yr. I’ve two private albums and two soundtracks within the works. They are all just about completed on the level of scripting this too, so I’m excited to proceed to share extra tales with you all. Thank you for listening and thanks for studying.