Figment

Trust yourself and your desires, even if they make zero sense to anyone else… just do what you think is right for you.

 

Figment is an electronic music producer, DJ, and host of the Not Figment Podcast. He grew up between Madrid, Spain and Southeast Asia, and is now based in Los Angeles, California. Along his journey as a producer, he has built up a beautiful studio full of rare modular synthesizers & analog equipment and prefers to let the music do the talking.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

I discovered a couple of artists and couldn’t stop listening to their music…this went on for a couple of years, listening to the same 20 songs on repeat for 6 hours a day. Something about it got under my skin, I wanted to know all their inspirations and as I worked backward through the history of dance music, it took over my life, I was spending all my time & energy on experiencing this music but only made music in my head.

Then I read an interview with my favorite producer, there was a quote saying “I make music in a way that is more mathematical than musical”… it hit me like a ton of bricks. Since I was so into math & numbers since I was a kid, a lightbulb went off saying “wow, I can really do this”. So I left for California to become a producer.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

Meditation, reading, finding cool art & songs, sunlight, making music.

How do you bring ideas to life?

It’s a natural process… I just try to make what I feel, it’s work as anything else but music production is special because you can test your ideas in seconds and know if they suck or not. Meditation keeps me in the right place, the rest is just about showing up in the studio & doing the work. Doing that enough times will get you somewhere.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Getting rid of the stigmas around mental health in society but specifically in electronic music circles. I attended the Remedy State Areté event in Ibiza, which was started by Skrillex’s former label manager Blaise DeAngelo. Three days focused on meditation, stress reduction, deep breathing, true vulnerability & honesty, creative freedom, yoga, etc. It sounds kinda hokey but was actually practical and a cool experience.

There wasn’t a dramatic life-changing epiphany, but it was so good to see that influential people in the electronic music world are aware that the nightlife / constant travel / social and publicity pressures can create real issues from a mental health standpoint and are eager to bring awareness to it. Even the biggest household names in the DJ world deal with these challenges… It’s something that affects a lot of people and it’s important to me.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I meditate twice a day.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Trust yourself and your desires, even if they make zero sense to anyone else… just do what you think is right for you.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Most plugins are overrated

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Show up every day. It sounds simple because it is… but it’s crazy when you actually witness the disconnect between most peoples’ dreams and their work ethic. Just do the work.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Keeping it real. This applies to any endeavor these days, but for me, quality music fans can smell inauthenticity from a mile away.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Is an unfinished track a failure? Most studio sessions end up in the trash. It is more important to focus on showing up to the studio every day, over a long period of time, if you outwork everyone else, you win.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

For 90 days straight, commit to sitting down and working on one of your goals. For me, it has been to commit to showing up to the studio for 90 days straight and making a simple track, no off days. Even if it’s just a minute long and sounds less than ideal, I will be ahead of the curve just by showing up.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

Not exactly $100 but I grabbed a reverb plugin called Zynaptiq Adaptiverb… unique and underrated.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I’m hooked on the Flock Audio Patch software… lets me route all my synths & outboard gear without having to rewire stuff physically. Anyone who’s dealt with patchbay nightmares knows what I’m talking about, the Flock is key for complicated outboard routing.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield – adding a creative perspective to everything helps everyone.

What is your favorite quote?

“Confine yourself to the present.” – Marcus Aurelius

Key Learnings:

• Creativity is pure happiness
• Life is what you make it, so spend your time on meaningful stuff
• Everything is temporary