M: How do you stay inspired to come up with new content? I know you were talking about pushing boundaries, so what contributes to your artistry the most today that didn’t before?

F: There’s always new inputs. I think what’s happened now is I’m always battling with the mental space of being creative. It’s a tough, fickle thing to maintain. I think one thing I’ve learned recently is that it’s important to have good inputs to get good outputs which means it’s important to have experiences and to do things outside of music to create good music. I think before my mentality was more - the more hours you put in the studio, the more music you do. And now, I’m kind of like ‘no, that’s not true.’ You’ve got to spend a lot of time outside doing stuff and having experiences and then when you go into the studio, you’ll be more productive. So, that’s got to be my new headspace. It’s a much happier existence.

M: You’ve previously said that you don’t want to be defined or restrained by EDM. If your music were to have a new genre, what would you call it and what other artists would you put in it?

F: I’m happy to be called EDM. I think that was just around when the word first came out. I think it was a bit of a dirty word when it first came out, but it seems like anything electronic these days is labeled EDM. So, call me EDM, call me whatever you want.

M: EDM has changed as you kind of just noted on. So, how did the EDM era influence your career and do you think we’re still in that era now or is the industry heading in a new direction?

F: It seems like rap is king these days. EDM is out, and rap is in. At least in the states, I feel that way.

M: Is it similar in Australia?

F: It’s less rap in Australia. Bands are coming back - a lot of bands. It’s interesting to see the music landscape change. I definitely see less EDM artists on festival lineups, so it’s - at least in the states and Australia - less DJs and things. It’s really fascinating to see how the music landscape changes.

M: What excites you about the future of electronic music around the world?

F: What I love most about electronic music is - let’s back it up for just a second. So, I used to play saxophone. I grew up playing it as a kid, and I played it for like ten years. Then, I discovered you could do music on a computer. I kind of stopped playing saxophone and went straight to the computer because not only do they have the power to create all the parts of the song, but they also have the ability to create sounds that I could never create on the saxophone. Then, the deeper I went, I had more and more sounds and now, as new technology progresses, you’re literally able to make new sounds that have never existed in the history of mankind before. For me, the most exciting frontier in music in general is on a computer just because you can create literal new sounds that have never, ever existed. I think electronic music gets to enjoy that about it. So, that’s for me, the most exciting part of electronic music.

M: You have obviously achieved a lot of success. What’s your next goal as Flume?

F: My next goal is to put out music with more consistency. I just want to put music out more regularly, and I want to try and create a better balance in life where I can work and chill rather than just all on, all off. I just want to be more present, more in the limelight more regularly and putting out music and just connecting with fans.

M: To finish off the interview, I have to ask about the viral video from Burning Man. What was it like going viral for something like that and what was it like for you to address it head on with such grace?

F: It was kind of crazy. I didn’t expect it to go viral honestly. But, I woke up one morning to thousands of tweets and chaos. At first, I was kind of stressed out about it because I don’t know. I looked at a graph actually and it was the analytics of Google. The first record and it had a little spike on the graph. The second record, a little slightly higher. The mixtape, a little spike. Then, the eating ass at Burning Man and it was just like to the top of the graph. So, it’s the most Googled I’ve ever been, and it was about none of the music. But, I think it was funny. It’s definitely the most press I’ve ever gotten. It’s fine, I don't mind. I think it’s hilarious.

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[Photo credit: Zachary Chick]