We recently connected with Michael Morlan and have shared our conversation below.
Michael, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I knew i wanted to be a DJ & Producer when i grew up making playlists for myself & family/friends. I was always told i had a skill of putting together a set of music to curate a certain vibe for a room or a person, and after i learned how to DJ i was able to take those previous skills into playing music for other people. I knew the more shows i played as a DJ that this is exactly what i wanted to do!
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?
I got into this industry by going to my first electronic music show in 2021. I ended up meeting a long term friend who i would regularly goto these shows with, through that i discovered how much i enjoyed making playlists and my friend started encouraging me to learn how to DJ, With that she gave me my first DJ controller which i was able to learn on, soon enough after i started reaching out to communities in my area to seek places to play out.
After playing out and becoming part of the local music community i discovered what really drove me and why i wanted to continue this craft. Being able to spread music and energy that i love and has helped me get through my life is a big thing for me, and it’s something i love. Just the ability to take music and curate it into a set DJ live is such a creative talent and amazing thing. I never get tired of it and i only continue to learn and adapt to new techniques or strategies.
I’ve been doing this for over two years now and now i’m starting to enter the realm of producing my own music and honing in on that craft as well, while it is not easy i am determined to make the sound that fits my personality and broadcast it to the world.
Right now in the scene i am the most proud of the way i’m able to capture peoples ears with new music they haven’t heard before. The biggest influence for me is Drum & Bass, It’s a culture and a sound of music that isn’t as widely popular in the states (Although it’s on the rise!) And is big in Europe. I of course take this to an advantage as i’m able to find alot of really good music people don’t know about yet.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think the best thing that people can do to support artists is let them be themselves, let them express who they want to be and what there vision is that they wish to share. As i’ve learned creativity has no bounds and many people have different perspectives, there not meant for everyone to enjoy or share the same outlook but for people to simply accept and support means alot to these artists.
Especially with friends! Any friend that i have that has some sort of creative outlet i will always support and do my best to spread the word of there craft.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One thing i had to learn is trying to hard to stick with one group or community. As an artist i feel like you should be willing to persue not only just connections with different communities but to also establish a name for yourself in your own time. Not to be afraid to network or goto different places, Never needing to just stick with one single place. It’s important to broadcast yourself outward in different directions to create more opportunities for yourself and that’s something i had to learn.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/vectorsan7
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moke.morlan/
- Other: https://soundcloud.com/moke-morlan
Image Credits
Jennifer Grier Christian Lang