Meet Dylan Carter | Digital Headspace | Techno Producer & DJ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dylan Carter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dylan, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I work a full-time day job, as well as gig delivery a few nights on weekdays as an additional revenue generator. The time I have leftover is spent with the intentions of practice and trying new ideas, that develops into more concrete ideas when I am satisfied with what is being created. I leave my weekend days open for rest and family time, weekend nights for local shows. The balance has been easier since making a plan for my intentions, and leaving room to adapt that schedule for more work or more relaxation. I previously felt a tremendous pressure of not making the most of my time, realizing that trying to maximize every moment isn’t the most effective way to live life, but also having too much idle time is burning away potential learning. Thinking about it beyond a healthy balance of personal relationships and musical aspirations is not what I want to spend time on, I want to go with the flow of life with a good foundation planned and figure out the rest.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Digital Headspace is a name that developed from moving around multiple states, and my only sense of home being on a computer engaged with friends online. This current alias is the brainchild of a cyberpunk/sci-fi influence, that spent more time focusing on the space around, versus where I may end up geographically, since that was never certain, I wanted a space that I could control.

I started with a demo of FL Studio 8 in 2008 with the goal of creating my own songs to play for rhythm games, that fizzled when I realized I was more of a fan of the sound than wanting to create more high-speed complex music for challenging rhythm game play. My creative influence came from artists like Celldweller in wanting to make atmospheres and tell stories that immerse you in the space they create for their art.

I decided on techno as my focus after holding an interest in other music genres from my times in different areas; Colorado got me into dubstep, Florida got me into house, and California for lo-fi hip hop. There’s still a place in my heart for all of those genres, even if my focus isn’t on them anymore. The DJing is different for all of these, and finding out the mic crowd work was fine for dubstep, but broke the flow for a techno set for people to look up and do their best Ric Flair impression when I ask how they’re feeling. That was a humbling experience to realize “Oh, maybe that wasn’t the best time to talk on the mic.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A show at The Summit Music Hall would be an essential one, its become my favorite spot for music in Columbus. A weekend show at Idea Foundry is a fun spot to be going into the AM hours, lots of variety offered. OtherWorld is a wonderful visual experience, and they also host music, a great spot to activate the audio/visual senses. COSI is also a visual treat, and an experience I would invite someone to join me with.

For food, we would have to get food at bb.q chicken, their Korean fried chicken has ruined the desire for fried chicken from anywhere else because it cannot be matched! Gogi KBBQ is also a fun experience to experience hot pot cooking, and do my own cooking at the table, small town me would be surprised and happy!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Fractured Eons has been a monumental friend and mentor in my techno journey. I attended my first Deep Field show with him playing, and was introduced to him by a mutual friend. We developed a good friendship, and he’s also shared a chunk of his knowledge in techno production with me to aid me on my musical journey. I was also fortunate that he allowed me to practice on a DJ setup that was excellent preparation ahead of my first time playing on club equipment later that year.

I also thank the Deep Field collective for their support and encouragement, because of the shows they have held, I’ve been able to expand my own horizons of inspiration.

Website: https://linktr.ee/digitalheadspace

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalheadspacemusic/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/digitalheadspace

Other: https://digitalheadspace.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Alex Johnson (@adottjohn)

Martin Miller (@mcfly.productions)

Jake Haller (@jacobwhaller)