Meet Danielfromyesterday

We recently connected with Danielfromyesterday and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielfromyesterday, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

i get my work ethic from the acute awareness of the fact that my death is inevitable, and, depending on one’s frame of reference, really quite imminent. humans have many methods through which they attempt to immortalize themselves and subsequently relieve this anxiety: pumping out obedient and grateful children, selflessly donating to public institutions, and making art, to name a few.

a couple months ago, i overheard on the radio that MTV would be broadcasting a marathon of all 49 of the music videos that some popular band had released throughout their career, in honor of the band breaking up or something. i thought to myself, “there is much to debate on what it means to live a good life, but to leave behind 49 music videos is undoubtedly a worthwhile accomplishment.” so recently, i’ve shifted my mindset from a sprint to a marathon. my main goal is to stay consistent — to keep creating and sharing art in my preferred medium for as long as i can. if i can do this, then conventional success will be a secondary bonus.

but why?

one need not believe in a god to understand the importance of spirit. if you’ve lived long enough on this planet, you might have asked yourself, why are there billions of monkeys on a floating rock in space – and more importantly, why on earth are the monkeys aware of this? and why are they even inclined to ask ‘why?’

for many, art is an answer to the unanswerable. or perhaps it’s just another question. but it’s certainly a better alternative to incessantly banging one’s head against a wall, which is not an uncommon response to the condition of being human. are we alive just to die? just to survive long enough to raise the next generation of monkeys? surely not. there must be something greater! i can feel something greater! there is a soul trapped inside this monkey that yearns to scream! but what does it sound like? what does it look like?

i think that when humans find a way to share these feelings, they’re able to sense a common humanity. and this extends beyond what we normally consider as art. what does it even mean when we say a game of chess was ‘beautiful’? when a stranger and i can both see the ‘art’ of a game, or the ‘art’ of cuisine, or of math, or science, even – these romantic ideas are in some way the core of empathy and humanity: “wow, so you are also having this bizarre synesthetic experience where colors and sounds carry some kind of meaning beyond the surface level interpretation. maybe we’re not so different after all.”

i believe that if art is made with the right intentions, with no ego, then it can be both pure and purifying. art expresses that aspect of our humanity that is not satisfied with just surviving. art is how we prove to the world that there is something deeper within us, even if we can’t name it. but it can also express our deepest values when words fail us. i don’t want you to tell me that ‘love is everything.’ i want you to show me. and if our message can transcend language and culture, then that in itself is a glory to god, or whatever you want to call it. art is not a distraction from, nor a substitute for the hard questions. it is, in a sense, the truest answer.

so, if you think you can tell good from evil, then you should work tirelessly to leave behind what’s really on your mind.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

my name is danielfromyesterday, i’m a music producer and visual artist based in LA.

i make experimental electronic music, ranging from ambient soundscapes to glitchy breakcore. each track has an abstract audioreactive visualizer based on organic and distorted geometry. i also use still frames from these visualizers to make visual art.

this year I released luma key – a journey through light, with floating synths and grimy bass guaranteed to change your mind, even if just a little. i used a point cloud network in TouchDesigner to create a cosmic and glitchy animation that reacts to the music. the track takes inspiration from the lush and ethereal work of Floating Points, as well as the precise and digital glitch style of Lanark Artefax.

with luma key i really wanted to make something that starts in one place, and ends in another – sort of a question and answer. each half justifies the other, and the buildup makes sense once you hear the payoff. at least i think so. you can find luma key wherever you get your music, and you can watch the full visualizer on my website.

this February, I had the privilege to show some art at The Other Art Fair in LA. it’s a really cool event hosted by Saatchi Art with over a hundred incredibly talented artists showing various visual media. i brought hardboard prints from the luma key and EROSION series, as well as an interactive visualizer for guests to play with. i’m really proud of these pieces, and i’m also proud of the incredibly pretentious art-speak description i wrote for them:

“this work speaks to the tenuous relationship between humans and data; our propensity for making sense of patterns; and the beauty of the void. the artist uses a node-based animation software (TouchDesigner) to sculpt 3-dimensional particle clouds from stochastic color data, which are then rendered as 2-dimensional images. the practice of transfiguring pure noise data into art is a form of making ‘something’ out of ‘nothing’. the existence of art that is both abstract and beautiful is a testament to the creative power of even the average mind, as well as the ability of each individual to extract their own unique sense of meaning from the same experience. the monochrome nature of the image highlights the geometry and faithfully represents its origin as binary data: each pixel is either ‘on’ (1: white), or ‘off’ (0: black). only with millions of pixels arranged intentionally can we begin to discern a familiar (or unfamiliar) shape.”

i love the concept of shaping noise into art because it represents the hope that some sense can be made out of this confusing and chaotic world. not that we need to make sense of it, but focusing the lens of our perception can be the first step to finding peace of mind. recently i’ve been learning a lot about pixels as i work through mastering TouchDesigner, a node-based visual animation software. this program is really powerful: you can generate animations and feedback loops, distort and process video on the fly, and even link the program with your music software. the fact that pixels can be used as a method of storing and processing data aligns so perfectly with the ethos of my art. i also love how easy it is to use audio data to control values within the visualizer, so a kick drum can “splatter” the geometry each time it hits, for example. this year i’ll be diving deeper into visual art, and sharing my progress along the way.

as a producer, i also help other artists take their songs from idea to final product, whether that’s songwriting, production, or mixing and mastering. while my peers spent their time mastering their voice or their instruments, i placed a great emphasis on communicating with the machine interface, and that’s become my strong suit as the music production process becomes increasingly computerized. having mastery over the menial aspects of the creative process allows for more rule-breaking and creativity, and it makes for a fun session overall. i work from home in West LA, or at the beautiful Ice Cream Sound Studio in Echo Park. i love working with all kinds of artists from different styles, recently i’ve worked on a lot of electronica, drum and bass, rock, hip-hop, and folk. you can find my production work, as well as updates on music, shows, and art, at danielfromyesterday.com

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

looking back, the three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are individuality, connection, and discipline.

individuality is indispensable for an artist whose goal is to be creative or original. we must understand our own uniqueness and learn to nurture it in order to coax the expressive spirit from within. then creation becomes natural, almost effortless. if we’re too concerned with the opinions or standards of others, we block our own instincts and hamper our creative abilities. this much is easy enough to understand, but we also know that in order to create the best work that we can, we must learn from those who came before us. we would otherwise end up reinventing the wheel while feeling like a genius. the way to balance these ideas and effectively honor our individuality is to take inspiration from a variety of sources: the unique blend of influences will be what sets you apart. and of course, don’t forget to throw out the rule book after reading it thoroughly.

an artist must connect with the world in order to grow. it is important for everyone’s sake that the artist be selfless, generous, and open-minded. only with a full and loving heart can an artist really impact their community. and naturally, the more you give to your community, the more you get back from it. if you express your willingness to be involved and be helpful, no matter what the task may be, people will bring you in for more and more exciting projects. they’ll give you new challenges where you’ll be forced to expand your skill set and meet new people who introduce you to your next mission. putting yourself out there is scary, but there’s nothing more rewarding than connecting with the people around you.

discipline is what separates an artist from a hobbyist. if you stop working when it’s no longer fun, then you were never really working in the first place. if you care about your art, you will see your vision through, even if you’re tired, even if you’re hungry, even if you don’t like what you’re working on. but this is not an excuse to burn out – you must take care of the body and nurture the mind – you’re in this for the long run. stay consistent, and stick to your plan. have standards. you alone know what is acceptable. but this is not an excuse to be a perfectionist. the work will never be perfect, but it can always be better. be tenacious. if it doesn’t work the first time, keep working. the destination is the next step. use your time on this earth to leave a mark, and be very, very intentional about it. this requires that you check your work, continue learning, and focus your mind. this requires discipline.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

who has been the most helpful in helping me overcome challenges and build the qualities i need to be successful?

throughout my life, my parents have taught me and helped me so much. for as long as i can remember they have supported me and my passions wholeheartedly. they’ve given me the tools, teachings, and the love i needed to grow as an artist.

my dad is a creative creative, and my mom is a technical creative, and i feel like that’s been a really fortunate combination for me.

my mom is a video editor. she taught me how to build an archive and keep it organized, how to watch the fine details, and how to properly package and carry the message to the audience. she made sure my grades were good, that i ate my vegetables, and that i was having fun responsibly.

my dad is an artist and musician. he taught me to think different, to break the rules, and to express with color, shapes, and sound. he showed me how to play guitar, how to be kind as well as strong, and to remember to stop and smell the flowers now and then.

thanks to them i’ve had the privilege of studying music from a young age. they encouraged me to join the New York Philharmonic’s Young Composers program when i was in elementary school. they put me in drum lessons in high school. they got me the iPad that came with GarageBand, the first software i started producing with. it was my mom who compelled me to go to college, even when i didn’t know what i needed it for. jokes on her now, since i only use my political science degree to argue with her. but that was why i first moved to LA, which ended up opening many doors for me.

i’m so blessed to have parents that are not only loving and accepting, but ones that i can turn to for advice on my craft. my mom’s the one i call when i’m confused by the render settings on a video. my dad’s the one that can spend an hour looking at two near-identical images, just to compare the color palette. and i can always call either one of them when i just need someone to talk to.

i also have to say that god has been helpful in building the qualities i need, or else my answer would be incomplete. if you ask who has helped me, then it’s every teacher i’ve ever had. but this list would be quite long if we took the time to mention each and every one. so we just thank the one teacher. and i thank you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://danielfromyesterday.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielfromyesterday/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@danielfromyesterday

Image Credits

Stacie Carte @shotbystacie
Casey Jingco @withluv.kc
Marley Jaye @hersadhero