A Conversation With Demxntia

The Tampa-based singer/songwriter and producer discusses his upcoming EP, forming Dying In The Cut, losing his voice at a Circa Survive show and more.

How did you get into playing and making music?

My older siblings always played a bunch of instruments, so it’s natural I picked it up myself. They used to go to this music store really often called Samash, and because of how much they shopped there they received a free little keyboard that they didn’t use. I just decided to learn how to play by ear when I was around 5 or so. I didn’t get into making music until recently though; maybe 2017? a year after I dropped out of highschool.

How did you decide to do music full time?

I ain’t got shit else bro. I can’t even front like I dropped out of school to pursue music. I always thought I was wasting my time going to school because the three things I wanted to do didn’t require school: MMA, Selling Sneakers or Music. I kinda realized when I was 16 turning 17 after a year of doing dumb shit that I have so much free time I’m not utilizing, which just happened to be the perfect time to pick up music production and just grind it out.

Where did you get the name Demxntia?

My name is derived from FF7.

Are there any specific artists that broadly influence your approach to music?

Growing up I always enjoyed multiple genres; just seeing how unique everyone’s take on music was. Linkin Park played a big part because of their mix of electronic, alternative, hip hop and melodies. My current influences would have to be Porter Robinson, Playboi carti, Kanye west and One Ok Rock. Already all over the place as you can see, but I think the coolest thing you can do with music is mixing genres.

How did you get involved with the wider genre/social scene?

Totally on accident. My first song was “i will never be a memory.” Sonically, it was a mix of trap what I call “anime opening” (bells, pads, fantasy like sounds) and it got uploaded onto Sad Boy Vibes. Ever since then, I found myself in the alternative rap community; but I always felt outta place because I barely make “emo-rap” you know? I just wanna make music that people haven’t heard before, so I never wanted to fit into any sort of scene or underground. I’ve made great friends along the way though, which I’m thankful for. Shoutout to my collective, Dying In The Cut.

Speaking of emo rap, how do you feel about the term? I know some artists feel boxed in by the label.

I feel like a lot of people are quick to wanna label something, when in reality, I personally don’t think it’s necessary. Obviously the term “emo-rap” is looked down upon but it’s the easiest to recognize so I don’t really have a problem with it. I just call it alternative rap, because there’s elements of rap but not necessarily hip hop if that makes any sense.

For sure. I’m always hesitant to box in experimental music, but sometimes it feels like it’s the only term that fits.

Yeah it is what it is. At the end of the day music is entertainment, so although it’s my career and I have a strong passion around it, I understand it’s really just entertainment. Don’t take it so seriously because it’ll ruin the fun. It’s a subjective thing so we’ll never be on the same page, no point in stressing over genres

On the topic of the loosely affiliated genre, how did Dying In The Cut get started?

I was interacting with Scum on twitter for a bit just because we seemed to be on the same page mentally when it came to music. I clicked with him over both our favorite bands being Circa Survive, and he added me to a Skype call with his homies Pageant Queen and Kaiyko who’ve been some of my best friends since then. We never meant to take DITC seriously, we were uploading shit we freestyled and whatnot just to kill time but I realized people actually enjoyed it and we had some powerhouses in the group. I figured it’d be smart to take advantage of that and start putting in a bit more effort. It works because we were friends first before it being a music collective. Oftentimes, people are quick to form collectives but don’t realize how hard it is to get along in a group of multiple people with multiple personalities and mindsets

I feel like it’s always events like that that spawn some of the most lasting friendships and powerful collaborations. Circa Survive are great, I got to see them last year and Anthony was instantly in the crowd mere seconds after the instruments started.

I actually lost my voice for 2 months after their On Letting Go tour. If people think my voice is smooth now, they never heard me before I damaged my throat yelling back the lyrics during their show in 2016. My voice is a lot raspier now and my falsetto isn’t as strong as it could’ve been, but I’ve managed to finesse it over time and can sing a lot better now than prior so it is what it is.

You often blend guitar playing with your more straightforward laptop production. How did you come to that reconciliation?

I wanted to show my take on “emo-rap” because I felt like a lot of the songs in that genre followed the same structure of guitar loop + trap drums which got really boring to me. For example, in my song “I won’t change” I blended guitar with a lot of bells and fantasy esque pads just to give it more of a body and fuller sound, which made it into this mix of alternative and R&B that I love. with that being said there’s times where less is more, and sometimes it’s not always necessary to go above and beyond with the production.

You just put out a new single, perfume, which features a more chill and indie atmosphere, how did you decide on pursuing that specific style?

That was the kind of song I was putting out in 2018 that got a bit of traction. I always had a foot in between the alternative rap community and the lofi community. I stepped away from that sound even though it was doing well; for example two of my biggest songs is “I won’t let you feel alone again” and “disappear” because it’s also really easy to get boxed in to that somber lofi sorta field on Spotify and in general I feel like I could’ve very easily just capitalized and continued, but I owe it to myself for experimenting and creating a bit of a demand for that style. My thing was always “what can I do that others can’t?” or “what can I bring to the table of music?” I grew my audience by dropping songs that sound nothing alike back to back so that they wouldn’t just want one style, which I’m very happy I did even if it meant I won’t grow as fast as I would sticking to one sound.

That’s a very respectable take on music and I think a big part of what sets your music apart. Definitely something I want to see more of in music as a whole. It’s funny that you mention the lofi scene, cause it brings me back to 2015–2016 when I was a vaporwave artist and somehow constantly overlapping with that scene. Unrelated, just nostalgic

Oh yeah bro the vaporwave era was my shit with all the aesthetics and whatnot. Before I was a musician I had a tumblr blog as demxntia and gained a following just for posting aesthetic shit.

You’re set to release an EP, also titled perfume. We’re there any specific events that drove its production?

It was definitely around my relationship a bit, just life events here and there that I piled into 5 tracks. But as far as the production of it, I felt like I was doing so much in so little time I wanted to have almost a palette cleanser? A project of just 5 very simple and solid tracks that’ll release on the 29th of May. Regardless of anything you can’t go wrong with some smooth, jazzy guitars.

How has the process been as compared to your other, more single-based work?

I made it a long time ago actually; around the 2018–2019 era but I’ve held it out til now because I feel like it’s a lot more prepared.

What else can we expect from you going forward?

After I drop perfume I’m gonna be showcasing all my actual experimental sounds and projects for the rest of 2020.

Listen to “perfume,” streaming now.