Funkadelphia: "Where are you originally from, and

where have you spent your life up until  now?"

Bogtrotter: "I'm originally from Delano, Minnesota, a small suburb of Minneapolis you've probably never heard of. But I've been living in Minneapolis for the better part of five years and have come accustomed to frequent and extended road trips across the U.S., mostly in the western half."

 

 

Funkadelphia: "When did you first become interested in actually making music?"

Bogtrotter: "I've been interested in making music since I can remember, basically. My older brother bought his first guitar when I was about eight years old. I really wanted to jam with my big bro, so I wanted to learn the drums. My parents told me I'd have to take piano for two before they subjected themselves to the annoyances of buying a ten year old a drum set (I don't blame them), and I happily agreed. I've been pretty musically active ever since, playing in a few bands throughout high school and middle school and eventually attending college for an audio technology degree, which fed my interest for producing and recording."

 

 

Funkadelphia: "Is anyone else in your family associated with music in any way?"

Bogtrotter: "Honestly aside from my brother being a guitarist, my family is not the most musically inclined. My dad can sing pretty well when he wants to as well, I suppose, but other than that, not really.”

 

 

Funkadelphia: "What other artists and musicians- producers or otherwise- do you feel have been a particularly strong influence on you?"

Bogtrotter: “There are countless artists over the years that I have been inspired by from all different genres. Some particular artists that have stood out over the years, though, are Dave Tipper, Tool, Metallica, Lamb of God, Hiromi Trio, Pnuma Trio, Sun In Aquarius, and more recently, all of my Shanti Planti homies who are constantly raising the bar in psychedelic electronic music."

 

 

Funkadelphia: "What made you choose Additech Records for the new EP release,

rather than Shanti Planti?"

Bogtrotter: "Given that I've alrady released two EPs on Shanti Planti, I felt that I needed to continue expanding my horizons and reach out to another respected label that I felt fit the sound of this EP. That absolutely doesn't mean that I won't be releasing on Shanti Planti again in the future. I have lots of love for all those guys, I just wanted to switch it up a bit."

 

 

Funkadelphia: "Is there a lot of interaction and discussion between the Shanti Planti artists in regards to sharing music and bouncing ideas off one another?"

Bogtrotter: "I would say the interaction and discussion between the artists pertains more to management of the cooperative label and what direction we're heading rather than bouncing musical ideas off one another. Though that does occasionally happen as well and is definitely encouraged. Most of us are more than willing to share our music with each other, too."

 

 

Funkadelphia: "Do you care to try to put your own words to

the feeling or atmosphere of the Dark Matter EP?"

Bogtrotter: "Dark, heavy, wet...swampy."

 

 

Funkadelphia: "Did you try to approach this release

in any different way than your prior releases?"

Bogtrotter: "In a way, yes, I think I was definitely fixating on a different type of vibe for these tunes. But I approach every release that way. I never want to make the same EP twice."

 

 

Funkadelphia: "What are you currently using in the studio, both hardware and software?"

Bogtrotter: "Currently I am using Ableton Live 9 for performance and production, along with a bunch of third party vst's and an Access Virus. I also recently purchased a Roland HandSonic for live performances, but I'm still working out the kinks on how to go full beast on it."

 

 

Funkadelphia: "How did you come up with the name Bogtrotter?"

Bogtrotter: "Long story short, my friend was telling me a story about a kid whose last name was Bogtrotter, and it just sort of clicked. I was attempting to make heavy dubstep at the time, and I thought it sounded like a cool name. Over time, though, the music seems to have evolved to fit the name quite nicely. I think I just got lucky."