We were lucky to catch up with EK Darkurai recently and have shared our conversation below.
EK, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
As a music artist, producer, and mixing engineer, maintaining creativity is crucial. First for most, Constant Learning is very important, technology, techniques, and styles in music production are continuously evolving. I need to stay updated and learn new skills to keep your creativity alive. Also try producing different kinds of music, experimenting with new sounds, rhythms, and techniques. Constant experimentation can lead to new creative insights and ideas. Next thing is collaborating with other musicians, producers, and engineers can expose me to new perspectives, techniques, and ideas that can spark my creativity. From co-producing tracks, to playing in a band, to collaborating on a mix and etc.
Also get out of my comfort zone, try to work on projects that challenge my current skills. Learning a new instrument, try working in a new genre. This can push my boundaries and stimulate creativity.
Then is to create a productive workspace, organize my workspace to foster creativity. Having a tidy and uncluttered studio, and having certain inspiring objects like lights and plants to help the whole atmosphere more chill and help me focus.
Last but not least, give myself breaks. Sometimes, taking a step back can help me to see things from a new perspective and reignite my creativity. Taking short breaks during a long session, or even taking a day or two off when im feeling stuck.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Im an Artist, Music Producer, Mixing Engineer. As an artist, i dropped a song last year called- Done Talking, It got popular on Chinese Tiktok ,surpass 6 million plays across Chinese platforms and over 1 million streams over here in US. I gained a lot of new fans and that motivated me more to work on my own artist project. .This year i dropped my newest EP i wrote, produced and mixed myself called- Deep Down, also produced Sandyjoe’s new EP – In My Feelz. which released this February. In the meantime , i’ve also produced 88rising artist Adawa for her new project coming up this year soon, And Chinese artist Lambert , two songs i produced for him and just dropped this July. Try to make my tag, my brand- Kenji On The Key, more exposure world wide.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Setting specific, achievable goals for my music projects can help to focus your efforts and stimulate your creativity. Deadlines can also be useful for preventing procrastination and maintaining a productive workflow. And also active listening: Listen to a wide variety of music from different genres, cultures, and eras. Analyze the production, arrangement, and mix. This can provide inspiration and new ideas for my own music.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Reflecting on the past 12 months, I can undoubtedly say that the biggest area of growth for me has been my understanding of the audience and my ability to connect with them through my music. Last year, one of my songs gained a considerable number of streams, which, to me, was a very tangible metric of my progress. This achievement not only boosted my confidence but also gave me a clearer insight into what resonates with my audience.
Furthermore, my proficiency in music production has significantly improved. I’ve broadened my knowledge of audio engineering techniques, allowing me to create a more polished and professional sound. This increased technical expertise, combined with my growing understanding of my audience’s taste, has improved the overall quality of my music and helped me establish a more distinctive sound.
Becoming an artist was a journey filled with ups and downs, but looking back at the success of my song, it was all worth it. I’m eager to continue growing, improving, and connecting with my audience in more profound ways through my music.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ekdarkurai.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ek_darkurai/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkL7sZHMNDIv3M6BgLA9P5w
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ek-darkurai
