A few weeks ago I didn’t know who Zander was. But when Emily Tan brings me a musician to highlight, I pay attention. Zander Tron aka Traveler is an electronic music “band” that brings cutting-edge visuals to his live performances. He’s shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the industry and is currently working on his very own cryptocurrency that will be used at some big EDM festivals this year. Safe to say Traveler has a great story and I just had to learn more. This interview has been a long time coming, but I am excited to introduce you to Traveler.
Where did the name come from? I like to travel, so I appreciate the name Traveler.
Thank you! I also love to travel. The name was inspired from a digital painting that was exhibited at Center Camp at Burning Man 2009 by Andrea Tseng. When I looked up the name I was surprised to find that there were no established acts going as Traveler so I decided to use it.
Tell us about the first Outside In Equinox. How was it?
Outside In Equinox was great! I have been producing events since college so it seemed like a natural next step for me. I loved seeing all of the different communities that I’ve been involved with over the years coming together in collaboration to create something unique. It was a significant milestone for me.
You launched your own blockchain at Outside In Equinox. How ambitious! Some would call it suicidal! Why decide to do that? How did it go?
Actually, the blockchain was one of the leading deciding factors in throwing the festival. I’ve been following blockchain since at least 2012 and have been a part of the underground festival community for much longer. I am a huge believer in crypto but it has become clear that the current model is flawed. I knew that if I could reinvent that model in a fair and easy-to-use way, the underground festival community would support it. At Equinox we proved that cryptocurrency can work in our current economic system.
What’s the significance of Outside In Equinox happening on the autumn equinox?
The equinox is the time in which the sun crosses the equator and symbolizes change. In fact, the autumnal equinox is the exact date that summer ends and fall begins. As an underground artist collective/record label, we decided that this would be the perfect time to expose festival goers to something new in hopes of inspiring them to grow as individuals.
When will the next Outside In Equinox take place?
We’re definitely going to have another festival again this year!
Looks like you had a good time at Envision Festival. Tell me more about that event. Are you there every year or was this your first time?
Yes, absolutely! Envision Festival is easily my favorite festival on the planet. I’ve actually been performing every year since 2013. The event is in the most amazing setting and has the greatest community of artists and attendees. The sound and stages and crew are all world class and their ethos is on point. I highly recommend it.
You worked with Maarten Vorwerk on your recent single, “Go With Me.” That’s a great, really positive-vibe song! Tell me more about the release and your experience working with Maarten.
Thank you, I’m glad you like it! Maarten Vorwerk is an awesome producer, it was a real honor to work with him. We met three or four years ago and stayed in touch. I was shocked that he had been following the Traveler project and was super excited when he expressed interest on working together. It was a great experience.
There are so many music festivals out there. From Ultra Music Festival to Tomorrowland and Electric Zoo, what made you decide to start a festival? What made you pick Santa Barbara, California for the location?
I grew up in Santa Barbara and attended UC Santa Barbara so I am very familiar with the community. There is a great music scene in Santa Barbara and I knew that an event like this would be greatly appreciated. The setting is spectacular and Santa Barbara is between southern and northern California. Over the years the community has continued to grow, we knew there was demand for an event like this so we decided to go for it!
I love going to festivals, but I also enjoy seeing shows in smaller venues. Which do you prefer as a producer and as a fan?
They both have their appeal. I tend to prefer the intimacy of smaller shows both as a fan and as an artist. However, there is a special energy at larger events that you can’t replicate at smaller shows. I’ve noticed that everyone gets more hyped up at larger events.
There are also a lot of record labels out there. Sometimes a DJ will just create a label to release a new track. Tell me more about Outside In Movement, your record label.
I originally created Outside In Movement solely with the purpose of maintaining creative control over my own music. Over time many of my friends grew interested in releasing on the label so we began to expand. Now we’re using Outside In Movement as a production company to throw Outside In Equinox. It’s been fun watching it grow.
Tell me more about your process. Do you sit down to produce a new track, or does it just come to you? I am always fascinated by how a DJ produces a track.
Totally, the process is interesting to me as well. Sometimes I hear a song on the radio and I hear a chord progression or a melody I like and I use that as a starting point. Other times I sit at the piano and write until something comes to me, then I translate it into my DAW. I’d say more often than not I start with an idea before I open a new project.
While I was listening to your music, I said to my buddy, “This reminds me a lot of Daft Punk.” Then I see you remixed a Daft Punk single. When doing that, do you need their permission to produce a remix? Do you send the track to them when you are finished?
I love Daft Punk! They’re one of my favorite artists, I’ve been listening to them since “Homework” came out. Actually, I’ve remixed four Daft Punk songs, only one of them is released as Traveler, another is released under my “Zander” alias. They’re all bootlegs, I don’t think Daft Punk has heard them sadly enough! (Laughs.)
When not producing music, who do you like to listen to?
I love listening to the radio because I don’t have to think about it too hard. My friends laugh because I have a super eclectic taste in music. Recently I’ve been listening to this band called Parcels a lot, also these guys called Loosid. I’ve been listening to a lot of Eli & Fur too. I love the psychedelic music scene, Hedflux put out an album called Kin that I really like.
I’m sure you already know this, but Emily Tan is a rock star! How long have you been working together and have you enjoyed your time together?
Emily is a total rock star! She’s gotten me so much great exposure and she really takes the best care of me. We’ve been working together for about three years now. I am extremely grateful to have her on my team.
You were on Groove Radio earlier this season and we watched the livestream! You’re very cool and composed on-camera! Do you think it’s important for DJs to be media-savvy?
Groove Radio was very fun, I’m stoked you caught that, and thanks for the kind words! I struggle with social media, I’m very against it. Social media is definitely important, and I understand the value that it can provide both artists and fans. I actually don’t have any personal social media and I only post to the Traveler pages rarely and out of necessity. I think it really depends on the goals of the artist. Some people are happy performing once a month as a resident DJ, others want to make it big.
As a producer, what are your thoughts on networks like Spotify and Apple Music?
I don’t use Spotify or Apple Music. I am aware that many music fans love these platforms for the depth of their catalogs and the freedom they offer but I prefer to purchase and download the music that I like to listen to in order to support the artists. When I’m in the car I listen to the radio, when I travel I listen on my phone, and when I’m at home I listen from my computer.
What’s next for Traveler?
That’s a great question! I’m very happy where I’m at as an artist. I have no commitments, I can release as much or as little as I want, and I get to play a few awesome festivals and shows each year. I love to produce and I do have a lot of new music that I’d like to release in 2019. It has been difficult to focus on Traveler lately because the festival and the blockchain and the label have taken up a lot of my time. I’m in the process of streamlining everything so that I can get back to making Traveler my primary focus again.
Thank you so much for doing this. In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
I’d like to thank everyone who has helped me over the years, I’m very grateful for all of you. Thank you for having me!
Connect with Traveler:
Website: http://www.travelermusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelermusic
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/travelermusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wCnoQVmun9H1OqppOGY76
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/travelermusicstation
