Greetings Earthlings! It’s the turn of the new year and we’ve got plenty to be thankful for from 2014 and even more to look forward to in 2015. The soundtrack to the next earth cycle around the great sun will be set off by our galactic soul mate Cosmic Quest a.k.a. Brett Geiger. On top of providing us with an epic journey of sound, we had a chance to ask the wizard a few questions…
How did Brett Geiger become the musician Cosmic Quest?
Ahhh the transformation to Cosmic Quest was one of the best dreams I could have ever embarked on. Inspiration comes from interesting places, I’d say the cosmos and the universe itself is my biggest motive behind CQ. It wasn’t until college though that I really knew I wanted to produce music.
You grew up in beautiful Carmel, CA. How did such a landscape shape your soundscape?
Oh man… incredibly grateful to be born and raised in Carmel Valley / Carmel CA. I grew up in a small village where you can see the galaxy in the sky at night… talk about inspiration. So really, the universe has always been there for me. Carmel & Big Sur are known for cultivating a strong sense of artistry. Poets, writers, musicians, and crafters who’ve all been inspired by the beauty that exists here. Coming from an artist family myself, my Dad’s a photographer and my Mom a music teacher. It’s in my blood to be an artist haha :).
Your releases are split between original tracks and remix alchemy. Do concentrate on one type of production at a time, or does your creative flow lead to both?
Hah thanks! Well it varies, I honestly love original productions the best because that’s tapping into the essence of artistry. It shows listeners who you are as a true artist. At the end of the day, I’m way higher with my original work than with my remixes. Even with the tracks I remix, I really try and make them my own. I consider a remix to drastically change the vibe/feel/foundation of the original. If not, then it’s just half-assed and hyping off someone else’s talent and hard work. (one of my remixes is shamefully almost in this category, won’t say names ;).
What do you think is one of the most distinctive sounds or samples or hooks in a Cosmic Quest song?
Ocean waves, spacey arps, wet claps, tripilet/polyphonic percussion, and aquatic atmospheres <3.
Do you notice a direction or evolution of the styles and patterning you make?
I began attending Icon Collective in Los Angeles for Fall 2014 and since then I have noticed a drastic change in my productions. I have access to studios now, so my atmospheres are becoming way bigger and cleaner because I can actually hear the entire frequency spectrum. The direction I want to forge lies with beautiful chords and natural sounding synths. Just like my song, Water Winds, definitely want to have my style go towards that realm, almost a Galimatias feel.
What was your vision for this particular edition of our VIBE.QUEST series?
My vision was to incorporate the best underground and future beats I could summon up. I wanted people to literally “go on a quest” while listening to it, it shouts adventurous vibes, so get outside and let’s go!
We saw you played some west coast (USA) shows and festivals in 2014, are you preparing for more performances in 2015?
Yeah I did, I was fortunate enough to play in a couple places! I’m down in LA so I will definitely be booking some shows in 2015. My ideal goal for a show to perform at would be Electric Forest, that has a Cosmic Quest vibe written all over it. Next to that, I really want to play a show with Team Supreme. Preston who’s 1/2 of Penthouse Penthouse is my instructor at Icon Collective, so I am closer than ever to TS. I love that style of chill trap and future bass, so hopefully I can play at the Echoplex soon!
Just like our friend Telescope Thieves, you’re on the PLAY IT LOUDER label. Any other shout outs or credits before we go?
Yeah huge shouts to Zachary Dufresne, Sevnthwonder, TheSoundYouNeed, and most importantly, VIBE QUEST [Relaux]!
In one sentence, what’s your message to the world?
Let’s quest to the 22nd century… I have and immense hope and love for humanity, we got this <3.
Follow Cosmic Quest here:
