Daily Inspiration: Meet John G. Stargazer

Today we’d like to introduce you to John G. Stargazer

Hi John G., we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Over the last decade of my life, I have spent countless hours learning music production, sound design, and audio engineering. This is my passion project. I am a multi-genre, electronic artist, influenced by;

classic electronica from the Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, John Digweed, Underworld, Basement Jaxx, and Orbital.

modern house music from artists such as Claude von Stroke, Walker & Royce, Dom Dolla, Disclosure, and Claptone.

melodic bass music from CloZee, Tipper, Opiou, VibeSquad, and Of The Trees.

drum & bass music from Chase & Status, Vibe Chemistry, Calibre, and Seba.

psytrance from Zanon, Querox, Ground Bass, and Alchimyst

progressive House music from Colorado’s own, Lane 8, as well as, Sunny Lax, Kasablanca, Boris Brejcha, and Oliver Heldens.

In 2023, I was fortunate to attend Above & Beyond’s “Group Therapy” at The Gorge Amphitheater in W.A., a show that changed my world infinitely for the better. Meeting the Anjuna community connected music and people like I’ve never experienced before. The amount of love and inspiration from the Anjuna-fam has pushed me forward in ways I couldn’t have done myself. Since then I have been exploring higher bpm trance and techno music, finding influence from artists like; Tinlicker, Kasablanca, ARTBAT, Chris Lorenzo, and Charlotte de Witte.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Bridging the gap between music production and live events was always a puzzle to me. I was making experimental electronic music on hardware for quite a long time, and sound design became a passion of mine. It was such a joy to circuit-bend electricity to create rhythm and beats, however, it’s a skill that doesn’t necessarily translate immediately to song writing.

When my friend Blake showed up to a music festival with a techno-loaded usb drive, ready to play the afters, I realized that I needed to understand what drives a live show. Getting on a DJ deck myself and seeing the waveform in tri-color for the first time was a game changer. Playing other artists’ tracks helped me understand exactly what makes a track valuable in a live setting. Blending and formulating remixes on the fly is exhilarating! Building my own track with the intention of playing it live became my next goal.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My artist name is “Symstrata” – meaning, together with, jointly; alike; one of a series of layers, levels, or gradations in a system.

This applies to the foundations of music building, but also the foundations of community building. We all have a unique part of ourselves to offer the world, and throughout my life, I have made an effort to bring like-minded people together. When we work together, as a community, we create something larger than any of us could have done as individuals. That is what makes music and art so special, and it’s what make living here on plant Earth fun and enjoyable, in my humble opinion. Love becomes real when it’s shared, so share it often and passionately, through the medium of your choosing. That’s my advice for a happy life.

As a musical artist, I specialize in; music production, sound design, and audio engineering. I love working with hardware synths and drum machines. I enjoy working in the digital audio workspace that grants me a canvas to create.

I will be releasing my first real studio album in March! This six-track album will consist of songs that represent all of the musical knowledge and influence I have picked up on throughout my experiences. This is the first release that I am truly proud of, it feels refined, and I am excited to share it with you all.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My advice, get off tiktok. Talk to people in person, face-to-face. Respect their time, their presence, their energy, and give your own presence and energy back to them as well. We are all too consumed by the digital world. I have not enjoy trying to build a presence on social media, but I have enjoyed taking to and meeting the many many many cool individuals I have found at shows and art gatherings. We talk, we collaborate, and we work together to make the next event happen. Build your community, and it will build you.

Now, I didn’t say get off of social media entirely. So I offer this up as advice; use it like the tool that it is. Use it to keep in contact with your network. Socialize / plan things with your community, and build a local scene. Just STOP DOOM SCROLLING. It does neither you, nor the world any good. Quite wasting time, and follow your passion. You get the one life, don’t waste your talent.

Pricing:

• DJ Services Available
• Music Production Services Available
• Mastering Services Available
• Email for details.
• symstrata@gmail.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hyperfollow.com/symstrata
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symstrata/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Symstrata
• LinkedIn: https://symstrata.bandcamp.com
• Youtube: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCxApYMwpu2X8heK0BX7bPag
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/symstrata
• Other: https://www.twitch.tv/symstrata

Image Credits:
John G. Stargazer