Photo credit: Nick Squires
TheBeatMill Co-Founder, John Bolen, recently had an opportunity to get a few minutes with the producer and DJ, Pierce Fulton to answer a few of our burning questions after his set at Santos Party House.
TheBeatMill (TBM): So you’re a UVM (University of Vermont) student, it’s generally known as a jam-band scene up there in the wilderness. Do students recognize your accomplishments in the EDM scene?
The thing with UVM is it’s got a good little jam-band vibe, and also has a really, really fast growing electronic scene. A lot of kids are getting into DJing at parties and stuff like that. I think dubstep is a lot bigger than house right now up there. This year, especially, I’ve just noticed people are really starting to evolve and what not.
TBM: I heard recently in another interview that you did that you’re not big on public notoriety. How do you deal with that while you’re on stage?
Well the thing is, I don’t mind performing and everything like that, it’s just the aftermath. Random people at school just come up to me.
TBM: You’re uncomfortable in the sense that you don’t like being recognized for that, but everyone is just recognizing your achievements. Don’t you think that’s good?
I appreciate it, but at the same time it’s just a weird personal thing. I like being back in the shadows more than anything.
TBM: You’re 19 years old, you just had your first “Get Weird” Episode on Tiesto’s ClubLife SiriusXM channel. Congratulations are very much in order. How did that come about?
Well, I have those monthly radio shows on my Soundcloud and we always wanted to have a radio show on XM and Sirius and all that. Suddenly everything just pieced together all at once and we were like, why don’t we brand it and put it up. It all just worked out. Ken Loi also had a new show and he’s on the same management as them. So a bunch of us guys that are supported by Tiesto just started shows and it all worked out. The name was a completely random thing, I was just sitting in my car and I thought of it.
TBM: We look forward to hearing the second episode in a few weeks! So you’ve recently started producing some down-tempo. How did you come about wanting to go to down-tempo? Is there any genre other than EDM that influenced you?
Yeah, I listen to literally everything. I think that’s why I make so much different music. Those are just two of many very random projects I have. I just never air them because it just doesn’t seem worth it or it’s too weird. It’s not for the mainstream, it’s just for listening to music.
TBM: Is that something that you’re going to continue doing more of on the side?
I’m hoping to. I’d rather do it later on once I’ve established myself in the house world. Maybe like a side-project. I think at this level I need to focus on just one, as opposed to starting a whole new brand. Maybe in the future I’ll end up doing a little more, we’ll see.
TBM: What about remixes? Obviously you make great productions and been recognized for it, but you also make some top-notch remixes. What’s more challenging for you, a full start to finish song, or taking somebody else’s sound and making it new?
It kind of goes either way, but most of the time remixes are typically easier. You have a starting point, you know? You have a set key and a set BPM and you just build everything around that original idea rather than just starting from scratch. It’s like having training wheels if you know what I mean. You have something there to work off of and it keeps developing. In terms of bootlegs, the only thing I do are mash-ups for my sets.
TBM: Last one. So you’re a young artist, I hear a lot about different artists being inspired by ‘new sound’ are there producers in particular that your pushing?
Actually one of my favorite things to do is find these young guys that I really like, they might not even be younger maybe just less known. A few names: Lenno, he’s a good friend of mine and I just love his sound, Something Good, they’re another Finnish group and they have a really great progressive sound, and Micheal Brun. And then definitely this guy I found, he’s from Hong Kong I think, his name is Axis One. He’s really good, he’s got the sickest sound. It’s like Mat Zo but a little more bright and a little more progressive. He’s a cool underground dude.
TBM: Thanks a lot for taking the time to talk
No problem!
