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

Skyler, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I’ve had a fascination with music ever since I was very young, and I can only infer that it has a lot to do with my dad having been a musician my whole life. I’ve seen photos of him holding me in his lap when I was too young to even properly support my own body, so it kinda checks out that my brain was into it even before my body could be.

I taught myself how to play drums as a pre-teen, and as DAWs became a bit more accessible I eventually started getting into music production. I had always had a fascination and deep love for electronic music, so I was bound to pursue it in some way eventually. I started making beats for friends (and myself) in high school, and it evolved into what it is now. Not a day goes by where I don’t learn something new, and that keeps me absolutely enthralled with music every day I wake up.

The biggest obstacles I’ve encountered throughout the process have been the ones I’ve placed in front of myself. I’ve had to work hard at (and continue to have to work very deliberately) at my levels of self-discipline. When someone else is counting on me, whether it be for a deadline or a collaboration of sorts, I have no problem getting to it without issue. When it comes down to me making things for myself and nobody else, though, I struggle. This has led to a lot of trial and error regarding what does and doesn’t work for my creative process, as well as how it fits into my everyday life. I think that if I had focused on this sooner instead of the quality of the content itself it would have allowed for a more consistent creative process, and in turn a bit wider skill set with music. But I know it now, and I know more today than I did yesterday, so I would absolutely call that a success.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Skyler, and I write, perform, and occasionally DJ as F-ETHER. I make electronic music that is uniquely its own and often feels as though it exists as its own entity outside of me. Some days it’s one thing, and other days it’s something completely new. I’ve been classified as IDM, experimental electronic, leftfield bass music, and sometimes digital hardcore (where applicable). I pull influence from a wide range of genres, not all of which are exclusively electronic in nature! At the end of the day, I’m just trying to create something that I’ve never heard before.

As is the case with any form of art, F-ETHER exists to reinterpret the organic nature of the human experience by way of a digital lens. By using a computer as my primary ‘instrument’ I get to dance between the physical and the digital realms of how we exist in this modern day world. In this, every new project is an adventure, and I love finding ways to bring others into this experience, whether it be through their headphones while they’re home alone, or in a crowded room with a massive soundsystem and the visual stimulation to match that energy.

When I’m not working on my own music, I love helping others realize a creative vision. Sometimes that means helping in the songwriting process, and others that means remixing a preexisting work of theirs. Either way, collaboration is key in learning new skills and sharing your own with others that have a very different approach. That is absolutely how we grow as individuals and as communities.

I’ve been working on this project for nearly a decade, and although it may seem like a long time, it really isn’t considering where I’ve come from. I’m self-taught in nearly all areas of my musicianship and audio skillset, but I absolutely didn’t do that alone. Whether it was sitting down with close friends that helped me understand how to hear things a bit differently, or even the people of the internet that have helped me learn how to use various elements of software, this solo project was no solo feat. That is something that I am quite proud of. Yes, how far I’ve come is a big part of that; but more so I’d like to focus on the ways that I’ve adapted through the years and have come to understand what it means to be a creative. The most creative part isn’t necessarily the process of the art itself as much as it is forging your own path to understanding where you want to be and how to get there.

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

One of the most rewarding elements of being a creative is the ability to share such a personal experience and bring people into that. Through the years I’ve begun understanding that the most relatable artwork is often times the most personal. It isn’t so much that people have experienced that same exact story as it is a deeper understanding of what we refer to as ‘sonder’. We’re often alone in our unique, individual experiences, but it becomes a contradiction by way of knowing we all have those, and in turn can begin to understand one another more. Sharing a deeply vulnerable part of yourself and creating a safe space for others to do the same without fear is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever experienced as a creative.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Ultimately, the goal that drives me and my musical pursuits is just a desire to exist as I am, and to find a way to invite others to do the same of themselves. I don’t need to prove to anyone else that I exist, and I don’t worry about the memory of me fading with time. I know that I exist the way I am, and that everything that comes with that is now, but will become a ‘was then’. There’s nothing right or wrong with that. But the complex nature of these thoughts and the way we grapple with them as humans is and has always been something that I come back to in my creative pursuits. I use art as a medium to find a deeper understanding of the world within myself as well as myself within the world, and I hope that it encourages others to do the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://f-ether.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/f_ether/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fethermusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/f_ether
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FetherMusicOfficial

Image Credits
Veronica Lee Holyfield, Alicia Welu, Mikey Troglia, Ethan Kotel, Jey Gracy