All artists at every level go through a variety of struggles. Some challenges are easier than others, some harder for others. Artistmap by 6AM Presents: The Struggle Is Real, covers how Artistmap Game Changer members deal with everything that comes with an artist's journey from creative blocks to networking struggles and how they overcome or work on them. These artists come from all walks of life and want to let you know that you are not alone and that "the struggle is real". This installment features LA based artist, SOLëM.

Having a deep passion for intertwining Occult Wisdom into his music, SOLëM looks to create powerful tools for the dance floor with the intention go deep within and embrace our shadow, as darkness is one with the light, "Everything is dual and has its poles : Opposites are identical in nature, but different in Degree"

Artistmap by 6AM asks SOLëM to share his story and how he deals with a variety of necessary challenges for the artist journey.

 

If you’re ready to master the discipline, focus, and strategies to level up in your artist journey, enroll in #ArtistMapby6AM, a roadmap program for house and techno artists supporting them in their quest to turn pro 🔊

 

How Do You Overcome Creative Blocks?

Overcoming Creative Blocks has really proven to be a challenge for me in the past, as it usually means me getting really in my head, but I have found a few things really help, Listening to some of my favorite non-techno artists, especially music I listened to in high school really helps get the juices flowing, Meditating also really helps. Basically the whole year of '22 I was unable to finish a track, so I focused really hard on sound design and meeting other artists while I was out at raves, which got me in the studio with other people and that really helped break those blocks I had...really I was overthinking it when it comes down to it! When you feel stuck, share your music with like minded artists and you will be surprised to see how much we are our own worst critics!

Check out SOLëM's 'Waters of Chaos' on Bandcamp

How Are You Finding Your Voice as an Artist?

How would I describe my unique sound? Sound design Sculpture!!! I like everything to move as a cohesive rumbling mass, mostly driven by texture and unconventional rhythms through a dense fog of atmosphere. I like it to be dark, VERY DARK. Minimal Sound sources with oscillating layers sculpted around them. It was that year in '22, when I couldn't finish a track, as far as an arrangement, that I really found my voice, once I took the pressure off of myself I was really able to dedicated my time in the studio purely to exploration within my DAW and finding ways to make it function more like a Modular Synth, now instead of working linearly I feel more as if I'm "painting", starting with the base layers that may not seem as much but as I put in more and more detail the whole picture comes together as a sonic story.

 

Listen to: 6AM GuestMix SOLëM 

 

How Do You Work Towards Self Promotion?

I could say Self Promotion has been the most difficult part for me as an artist, I feel like i'm speaking for a lot of artists when I say we'd just happy making silly little noises in our silly little studio all night/day, but if we want to have it heard we gotta promote and for myself Instagram and Soundcloud have been my favorite for promoting, especially for the face we can share and interact with artists all across the globe! I also found the Warehouse to be one of my favorite platforms for promoting, not in terms of going around and telling everyone I'm a DJ / Producer but in terms of making genuine connections, you never know who you will meet and what opportunities will come about from just being a chill ass person and making real friends. Personally I'm still working on being more consistent with social media but I have found that in terms of content...MAKE IT FUN! I like to kind of make it an art project, exercise those other creative faculties.

Check out SOLëMon 'Tympanum VA3' on Bandcamp

How Do You Network With Others?

I have found that getting my ass on the dancefloor has been the best way to connect with other artists, and really have made some very genuine connections. Basically my core group of closest friends I have meet at warehouse raves, and its really cool because we all share a similar passion as artists so we are always uplifting and encouraging and supporting each other, I mean this is what led to working on a project with Insical and Secus (it's still a WIP, but one day the world will hear it) and through getting in the studio with them it broke down so many barriers in my creative process, being in a space where we are all bouncing ideas off each other, learning new techniques and really going into the flow has been a very rewarding experience and I can't wait to get in the studio with them more! Also I can't leave out GiGi, Nekter and Field6 as these have been some of the most uplifting friends and rewarding connections!