bryface
Offline
vancouver, canada

Just curious how each of you treat your artist identity (if you even _have_ one) as it relates your view of yourself.

- is your artist identity and yourself one and the same? for you, is the difference really the same as having a pseudonym vs. not having one?

- how meticulous are you with how you present your artist persona?

- how much of your artist persona is "you"?  what makes up the parts that aren't you?

- AND OTHER VAGUE AND NEBULOUS QUESTIONS ETC. ETC.

I was just thinking about this a fair bit, because as i'm preparing for an upcoming album release, i'm finding myself with a burden to delineate this stuff clearly, to prevent any unforeseen complications down the road.

for instance, I've realized that I personally don't want my day-to-day self to be known as a chiptune guy, so i treat "bryface" the same way that Bruce Wayne treats Batman, it's almost a layer of protection that simplifies how i live my daily life when dealing with IRL peeps.  i don't think it's really an alter ego though, it's not like i act any different otherwise.   but i know that some artists take that alter ego aspect REALLY seriously.

my.Explosion
Offline
Finland

Fun question. I'm me all the way. A continuous loaf of me.

I "am" also a lot. Game programmer, artist (as in draws stuff) and a musician. So sometimes it is difficult to have people understand just what I do but I don't think I'd have a good time maintaining any alter egos or anything. I even hate the idea of using different "user names" for these but my real name isn't that cool so I kinda have to.
It's a tough cookie, but a cookie I baked for myself so I gotta eat it all. smile

Feryl
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[removed]

Last edited by Feryl (Feb 19, 2024 8:11 pm)

SketchMan3
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NC in the US of America

I just want to make music. I don't see any disconnect between myself and my other self except that it grants me semi-anonymity on the internet.

danimal cannon
Offline
buffalo, NY

This thread isn't very punk dude

bryface
Offline
vancouver, canada
danimal cannon wrote:

This thread isn't very punk dude

d'aw, that's just danimal cannon talking.

danimal cannon
Offline
buffalo, NY

I don't have a problem with artist personas, a big portion of being a musician is entertaining.

I do have a problem when it's all persona and careless music.  I know a lot of people who have thier priorities mixed up (not necessarily in this scene). 

Essentially if you're making badass tunes, do whatever you want.

shitbird
Offline

shitbird is me, and me is me. If I weren't me then there would be no shitbird, With no shitbird I am still me.. As far as i want to take it is up to me. I can hold a job, and IRL people seem to respect me as Barry. So there is your answer. Don't lose your head in your shitbird, unless your shitbird makes you a ton of money. Then at least you can afford to pay your future therapist.....Secondly, you could have  hundreds of projects. There is so much to one person. You don't have to have just one dub explaining who you are as an artist. Maybe I'll make pop music one day under the name skittlesbear. lol   So now I am shitbird and skittlesbear, two totally different vibes given out, still are both part of me.

bryface
Offline
vancouver, canada
danimal cannon wrote:

I don't have a problem with artist personas, a big portion of being a musician is entertaining.

I do have a problem when it's all persona and careless music.  I know a lot of people who have thier priorities mixed up (not necessarily in this scene). 

Essentially if you're making badass tunes, do whatever you want.

yeah i definitely agree with that.  btw, just want to make clear that i'm not asking people how i should treat my artist identity, nor am i implying that anyone should or should not adopt an identity, that's their business.  i just suddenly got legit curious to hear about other people's philosophies about identity.

SuperBustySamuraiMonkey
Offline
Madriz, Supain

I had "characters" for some bands and I was just me for other ones. It depends on what you do. If you just play your music, dont bother me with your helmet and n4m3. If you offer a show with some sort of visual/theatre thing, then entertain me as much as you can.


For the record, the SBSM persona is we don't have names or anything. We just play and stuff.

theghostservant
Offline
Chicago

I've been personally debating that for a while now.
Locally, people know me as 'me," but I played an all-noise set last week with a mask and no vocals.
I think off stage it will be 'me.' On stage however, I believe in being more deliberate and intentional.

bitjacker
Offline
Alive and well in fucksville

Typically i use an artist name to ask dumb questions, release crappy music, and troll other people. when I come up with any tunes that are decent, I post them under my real identity.

roboctopus
Offline
Madison, Alabama

My artist name is my hotmail address from 2001 or something.

My persona is that I'm a timid-ass dude with a fear of public speaking on stage with some Game Boys. I keep it REAL.

But seriously, I just try to have a killer set, maybe wear a tie, and be kinda chill onstage. I'm not a headbanger or a dancer or a punk, so I'm not going to do that. I'd feel stupid.  I just want to look like your dad and have a kick drum that's louder than everyone else's.

XyNo
Offline
Joliette, QC, Canada

Even if people call me xyno all the time when I'm outside the stage...it's nearly 2 different characters...
I wish I had the guts and the energy that xyno have because Nicolas Allaire defenitely need some of these in his shitty life hahahahaha !!! tongue

Last edited by XyNo (Jul 4, 2013 1:16 am)

Digital Darwin
Offline
Unknown

Well I compose music through my Jail cell. The guards don't know I have internet access

chunter
Offline
Brunswick, GA USA
SuperBustySamuraiMonkey wrote:

I had "characters" for some bands and I was just me for other ones. It depends on what you do. If you just play your music, dont bother me with your helmet and n4m3. If you offer a show with some sort of visual/theatre thing, then entertain me as much as you can.

How does that pertain to a group like Justice, where they stand there and play stuff while the world flashes around them, or is that what you're saying you'd prefer if you don't have any "theatre" about you?