Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Jakucs. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michael, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

For me, every project should have meaning and intent behind it. Whether it’s a song I’m making for release under my Sunwarper moniker, or a commissioned work that is for media, it all has to come from the heart and have a reason for its existence. When it comes to commissioned works, they are typically a collaborative process between the creators and myself, but I always want the song to have soul and be written from a personal place. For example, for my latest media composition for The Eagle and the Snake web comic by Angel Tovar, “A Moment, A Lifetime”, my prompt was to create a track that would soundtrack two folks finally expressing their love for each other and all of the anxiety and emotions that come in moments like that. In my own life at the time, my wife and I had recently learned we were expecting a child and I channeled all of my own excitement, anxiety and everything else into creating the track. Having a personal connection to the prompts gives the song an emotional resonance that I often find is heard, whether consciously or subconsciously, by the listener.

Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey, I’m Michael and I’m a Los Angeles based musician creating warped, atmospheric electronic music. Sun soaked melodies, warm analog synths and dusty samples meet cinematic landscapes to create nostalgic soundtracks for places that don’t exist. I play a number of instruments including guitar, piano and mandolin, I also create new sounds and instruments using computers, samplers and effects. Beyond music production, I compose soundtracks for media and create music production and technology tutorials on Youtube where I’ve cultivated a growing fanbase of over 1,200 subscribers and counting in just a year.

As a freelance music and video producer, I help clients with turning their ideas into fully developed soundtracks and captivating narrative videos utilizing my knowledge of music theory, instruments and engaging video editing.

I am fascinated by technology and it’s ever expanding use in music/video editing and have been learning and utilizing AI, the latest gear and more for enhancing and optimizing my workflow. I share everything I learn with my Youtube community and on my Audionautic weekly podcast.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I can largely speak only as a musician, but I think this crosses over into any art: creativity is a great gift, but it is a very raw and vulnerable form of expression. Because of that it can sometimes be exhausting, isolating and even depressing.

It is amazing to feel the excitement and joy of creating something new, or discovering your work is resonating with folks, but on the flip side there are constant rejections, silence and even hate sent your way over something that is an expression of your own experiences and insights.

As with anything, be kind and try to remember there is another person who is on their own path on the other end of any piece of art.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I find the most rewarding aspect to be the little moments of joy that come while creating something new. Sometimes a happy accident or experiment takes the work into a completely different direction that I would never have gone intentionally. Other times, it’s the feeling of celebration when overcoming writer’s block by working outside my usual comfort zones. One of the best feelings happens while working on commissioned works, when the client listens to the final version and sends feedback that it’s perfect and expresses their vision just how they imagined! It’s all of these kinds of moments that make it worth it in the end.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sunwarper.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunwarper/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-jakucs-61a7b671
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sunwarper
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sunwarper
• Audionautic Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@Audionautic