Berner Phone - Elephante: Day Dreaming & DJing

Episode Date: May 15, 2019

He is the first ever DJ and Harvard grad to go to hell with Hannah. He explains why he quit his job as a consultant, how Fantasia changed his life, the first time he got his heart broken, the 2 things you need to be a successful DJ, why he always felt like there was an elephant in the room, how Avicii’s death affected him, loving the worst parts about what you do, how to win over a crowd, whether you like your friend or you just like getting fucked up with them, intuitive fashion, what’s it like being in ketosis, and how being a DJ has effected his love life. Follow Hannah Berner on Instagram & Twitter: @beingbernz Follow Elephante on Spotify, iTunes, & SoundCloud --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/appSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/berninginhell/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to burning in hell. It's lit. It is lit because we are in hell. I don't care what you're up to today. It's now time for you to go in the dark, dark depths of fire to discuss some demons. And today, I am with Elephante, also known as. Tim. What's up?

That was an amazing intro. I know you tried to fuck it up for me. I had no idea where it was heading. And then it went straight where I wasn't expecting. That was great. I was pretty normal until the intro started. And I'm like, welcome to worship Satan. No, we're cool.

We're having good time. I like you immediately because I was afraid I was going to have to call you Elefonte. And you were like, you can call me Tim. I was like that. It is keeping it light here. Well, when I meet, you know, celebrities of any kind. you have to assume they might be a monster um i still might be you you it's only been a few minutes we'll find out we're gonna find that out your publicist looked at me scared she's like i don't know either

um she's like oh god what is he doing but anyway you are a two big first for this podcast you are the first ever DJ wow um I'm not like that into house music and stuff like that maybe that's why but like I'm fascinated by successful people and that's why you're here And then you're also the first person to ever go to Harvard on this podcast. I think, I mean, I feel like most people go to Harvard would tell me if they went to Harvard. I mean, that's part of going this. You have to be really obnoxious about how you tell people that you want. Okay, I need you to tell me if this is true or not, because I just went to L.A. for the first time.

People say that the blue check in L.A. is the same as a Harvard business degree in New York City. Do you agree? He's laughing because he agrees. That was an agree line. I can't really speak for New York. But then this motherfucker, do you have a blue check? I do have a check. Blue check and Harvard.

What, oh my, I don't even know what to do with you right now. It's just like a black hole of douchebag. Like, just concoalescing. It's like the singularity. You're like, okay, enough. But, you know, you had your ultra debut. You have over 100 million streams, which sounds like a lot to me. On Spotify, SoundCloud Pandora, pretty much wherever the hell anyone listens to music.

Holy shit, this is very exciting. You have a Vegas residency at the Wynn coming up. Yes, we just started that this spring. And, yeah, it's my second residency in Vegas, my first year at the Wynn, and it's been incredible. And then you have a tour coming up in November. Yes. We're working on finishing up all the logistics and stuff.

But, yeah, we're planning a big, big tour in the fall winter. I hate logistics. I know. I hate it. Luckily, I have to do none of it. I know we're just talking about being talent, how it's just fun. You're just like, I'm creative. Don't make me think about anything that doesn't inspire me.

Don't mess up my vibe. Do people treat you like a dumb artist? Because you were a consultant, right? Yep. In a past life, once I graduated, I went and got a job at a consulting company and tried to have a normal life and did my best. and after a year I was like oh so it was a year year and a half and it was um I was doing my I had made music my whole life yeah and I had um you know this pipe dream of being a rock star and I was

you know I graduated college and I was very fortunate to have a job and was the logical thing like okay grow up and I did my best and couldn't grow up and was just totally miserable and so then I uh well I think growing up is like constructed by society what growing up means totally because I feel like I'm my happiest when I'm in touch with my inner child oh for sure no my like it it was sort of just the expectations of like this is what you do yeah like I went thinking of like video and TV I'm like yeah of course I had fun in drama class but like that's what seventh graders do of course drama class is fun but you don't make money from that totally and like you know I like drawing with crayons too but you know especially

growing up as like a young Asian boy like being a musician being a DJ like that's not a thing what nationality are you my parents are from Taiwan oh wow when did they come to America after right for college I want to say the 70s okay the 70s if you're listening I'm sorry and where'd they go I know you're like before now so they went to Ann Arbor. Mm-hmm. They both went to the University of Michigan for grad school.

Very nice. A bunch of nerds. Just, that's the Asian way. Well, Asians take, you have like the Tiger Mom concept that we all hear about that's like school is number one. And I mean, it makes sense that

if you're going to come to America, you might as well take advantage of all the schooling and become smarter than everyone around you. It was an opportunity for them to have a better life and so it was you know the way you the way you got out and the way you moved up was working really hard and what were they doing in taiwan before that um they were growing up they went to college there they were they were both very young when they moved here when people become successful in something i always like to go back to like where their passion began so what you said

you've always been doing music when was like your first memories of being inspired by it um the very first was my mom actually told me a funny story so when I was a kid and I was a baby I have an older brother and so by the time I came around she was kind of just over it and I was like so if I was a baby and I was crying or whatever she would just like put on whatever Disney movies and apparently she would put on Fantasia and it would just like I love Fantasia it also makes sense why you like you like doing festivals because that was a drug trip yeah that was a straight up drug trip for sure and as like a child you're like I actually rewatched recently it's fucking fascinating So good.

I have to rewatch it because I'll probably see so many different things I didn't even realize. They like brought out like a bunch of had all these weird feelings like deep rooted. Like I don't know what's happening. Oh yeah. The nostalgia is hitting you so hard. Yeah, but she would just park me in front of the TV, put on Fantasia and I would like be quiet for a couple hours. If you want your kid to be a superstar DJ, you sit in front of Fantasia, that's it for hours and hours. Honestly, if you're like, if you're in a high school, you should just sit in front of the TV and watch.

Watch Fantasia. So then, what was your first, like, instrument? So my mom forced me to take piano lessons. Like everyone's mom did. I was like, I don't want to play hot cross bonds. Yeah, and, like, as a six-year-old, as a bratty six-year-old, and I was like, I don't want to do this. And then she was like, the best thing she did was, like, okay, you can quit, but you got to finish, you got to finish this year. And then she incepted me.

And, like, at the end of the year, I was, like, finally playing stuff that I liked and was having fun. and then so I kept doing that for a while and when I got to high school I started to learn guitar cool as a to get some chicks oh yeah for sure that's that's my theory is that every every every musician started making music because they got their heartbroken oh yeah for the chicks for the dudes like whoever like someone somewhere along the line they got their heart broken did you get your heart broken oh yeah who was she what was she what was her full name. Sixth grade.

Courtney Hannah. Oh. It's a hot name. Yeah. Courtney's probably cute. So cute. What happened? She didn't like, she'd like someone else, I guess.

I don't know. A C word? I don't know. Oh my God. How could she? I don't know. How dare she? So then you took out the guitar and cried on your guitar like Taylor Swift?

No, it was more like if I learned guitar, then she'll like me and dump this other fool. Oh, yeah. as middle school logic often happens, it didn't work out that way. It's funny because that's like also adult logic still. People are like, if I get this job, that girl will want to fuck me. It's still there in a lot of people's heads. Totally. And it, uh, it, uh, it's not true people.

Do you? It's not true. You can't change people's minds. And, you know, you get over your heartbreaks, but then you find something else. And, um, but how do you transition from? like guitar, piano, to DJing. It was sort of a long and windy road, but it was one of those things where I just had so much fun making music,

and I was doing the singer-songwriter thing for a while, and then sort of on a whim, I just got a downloaded a program and started messing around. I actually heard like a Skrill-X song, and my, like, head exploded because I was, you know, I was like an alternative indie rock kind of person, and then, you know, all of a sudden it's, blah blah blah but it like still like works right and I'm like first of all what does this sound

like how does this exist um you can't make that noise on a guitar like what is happening it was like I had been you know drawing and pencil my whole life yeah and then suddenly I like learned that there's like paint colors and all of a sudden it's just like this whole whole new world of like before it was you know you're limited by what your guitar sounds like what your voice sounds like and that's great but then it's like now you can make any sound that's ever existed or has never existed were you into technology before because it is pretty like techy and yeah um it wasn't really for like the tech sake it was more just like what happens if i turn this knob it's like ooh that's cool yeah and then like what it happens if i turn this knob it's like oh i don't like that

Do you think most DJs have a high intelligence level? Yeah, I mean, I think there's a certain, well, I think there's like sort of two parts to, to DJ. One is sort of the live element where you're, it's much more of a social sort of like reading the crowd kind of social. Awareness, yeah. Yeah, and then there's the, like the production side where sort of the willingness to sit in front of a computer and play the same sound over and over again for like eight hours straight until you, like kind of figure out how it works and how to make it and so when you go out and you see the crowd like maybe isn't vibing with like your first set you'll change things yeah it's i mean that's sort of the i think the crux of uh djing live is is being able to engage and adapt and sort of

you know because it really the the special thing about shows is not just like you know the lights and the loud music and all that that's great but it's really the sort of almost like spiritual connection of being surrounded by a bunch of people who are all kind of feeling the same thing and you know going on the same journey as you so so how did your parents feel after a year of consulting you deciding to not do it anymore um not thrilled uh I think my my mom knew how unhappy I was and so she was ultimately supportive that she was like like you've been literally calling me complaining every single day like please stop like you're anything I was like okay um my dad took a little longer to come around but you know it was

something that I just had to do it wasn't like a conscious decision like oh it was just like well I'm just never gonna forgive myself if I don't give this a shot it's funny because a lot of people in finance will stay for like a bunch of years to make sure they're financially stable before they like go and start their own business or something were you financially stable to go and start DJing um vaguely I had saved some money up because because I want to give myself a little bit of a cushion. But certainly it wasn't like, it was a, in retrospect, very thin cushion.

But I think when you're in that moment and you see like the choices you have, it doesn't seem as risky when you know how miserable you are in that other situation. Totally. It was like either I'm going to hate my life or I'm not going to hate my life and I'm going to choose to not hate my life

and I'll figure it out. It's great that you had that clear vision at such young age because I feel like people hit that sometimes at like 35 and they're like damn looking back if you had told me everything that needed to go my way and needed to go right to have a career I'd be like there's no fucking way so it's almost like having that arrogance of youth where you're like oh no I'm on the shit I'm gonna figure this out but also if you like plan a way to do something it'll seem insane and I think it's always

the universe will naturally guide you in a place and you can't ever plan how it's ever going to happen what are some crazy things that happened that made you end up the way you are right now i mean just like even meeting my manager right like it was such a chance sort of you know we knew each other in college but then we kind of just reconnected and sort of just started working together and that was such a huge you know so he's you think a big part of your success oh totally it's uh i always say the project's like as much a part of uh of them as it is uh just like my music so as someone not in the music industry I always hear those stories of like you know TLC and their managers like taking all their money and they're like fuck of management but it's

great that like you have a team around you that's well that's why it's great because it's you know I know them I've known them from before there's trust there's they give me the freedom to get weird in the studio and like figure out how to make it happen so it's what are some of like your worst experiences in the beginning of DJing um pretty much all of them like begging to play DJ at a bar and then going and no one shows up and I mean that's that's like one of the hardest parts is when you're like you know I came to New York and I like somehow hustled up a show at like the Ace Hotel or something and I'm like telling all my friends and like so you know everyone I know in New York and then literally like seven people show up and it's like all right but I think

all my previous experience in music kind of prep me for that though because I was doing the singer-songwriter thing and I was like playing open mics in L.A. And there's like there's nothing more soul-crushing than playing a combination comedy music, open mic in L.A. It is. What's the deal with guitars, am I right?

And then you're like, thing, na-na-no. Oh, yeah. It's even worse. And the crowd is, it's way worse than that. They're like, we're trying to have a conversation. Why are you playing music? Oh, yeah. Oh my God. And well, the way it works is there's like a lottery. So you like show up, you put your name down. They like pick the order based on a lottery and inevitably will always get picked last. That's just a rule. You get picked last and then you sit there for two hours while everyone else goes up and does their thing and then leaves. And you question your life decisions throughout the whole time. Yeah. And you're like, why am I doing this? And then you get up and everyone's gone. It's you and the sound guy. And the sound guy's like, uh, do you still?

want to go and I'm like bro I've been sitting here for three fucking hours yes I'm going to fucking what was the breakthrough moment that you think happened to make you elephante um it's because before you were elephante now you're elephante were you all wait where did that come from can you explain yeah so it's a reference to the phrase elephant in the room when I was working at my job and the elephant in the room was that I wanted to make music and do that for a living and so it was about quitting and becoming the elephant in the room and becoming the elephonte so now you are i am the elephonte so what was the breakthrough moment i want to hear it's getting me excited uh i feel like it's not going to be as exciting as i thought it's

i feel like it's going to let you down but it no it there's no real like one moment of uh i made it it It's a sort of constant stream of, oh, like, we did, I, like, hit some goal that I had. Then, oh, my life is not the exact same as it was. It would be like, oh, I just need a million plays on talent cloud or whatever. Like, oh, I just need to get a song on a label. I need to play a festival. And every single time you, like, work your ass off and you finally hit this thing. And it's like, oh, my life is the exact same.

And it's, but then every so off, it just, like, it gets a little bit better. and then I think the big that had to point to a single moment is like getting a song on the radio that was that was big going on tour finally starting to get out and play for people and I think it wasn't

it took a lot of years but it wasn't until I think I heard people at a show singing my song that that was like oh like I might something might be happening I have chills I have chills I was thinking about that too

because I had this elf in the room too when I was in sales and marketing and I hated it and I was very competitive so I was being really hard myself to make as much money as I could but I was miserable

I'd go in the bathroom and be like why am I doing this? And I didn't even know what I wanted to do but I knew that I wanted to do something fun like video related I like to make jokes but I didn't have any skill I was a tennis player my whole life I didn't have any like comedians

were doing comedy since they were 12 and I was like I hit balls for a living So I just knew I wanted to get away, and I thought, if I, I didn't even think I could ever be on a TV show, but I'm now on a TV show, which is insane. No big deal. No big deal. But like, sitting on the subway, I'm not a different person. How I, my brain works the same way.

I feel the same way. I feel a little more motivated and excited for all the things I have during the day. Yes, and that does change me. But like, you don't become this like otherly being. once you do what you thought your dream was. And a lot of people talk about accomplishing their dreams, which is never really a thing. You never like accomplish fully, which it's never ending.

But once you, let's say you get on a TV show, then it's like, okay, now you have a whole different issues you want to deal with, such as right now. It's like, okay, now it's not just getting on TV. It's what decisions do I make in my career for what direction I want. You're absolutely right. That was the premise of my last album. It was this, you can't, like, wait to become the person you want to be.

You're never going to become it. All the success and stuff. I still feel, like, the same person, right? I'm still that nerd sitting in his, like, studio, like, just working on music for hours over and over again. Yeah, it's like life is not an end game. I mean, you're going to die eventually, obviously, but there's no, like, and you succeeded. Yeah, it's like, oh, you did this thing, now you're done. It's like, it's more like you're just unleashing different levels, I think.

For sure. And it's always, you know, I wrote a song called Glass Mansion about this where it's like, I was sitting in L.A. and as one does, you can, like, sit and see, like, the hills, like, where all the famous actors and shit live. And I was like, you know what? I want, like, I want one of those, right? And then, but first, you know, I got to, like, make a living doing this. And, like, I would, I was like, all I wanted to do is go on tour. And I went on tour and I was like, okay like right now I want to go to a bigger tour and it's like okay and then you go on a bigger tour and you're like oh I don't play these festivals or no like that and then you're always there's always the next thing that you're chasing and then I was like I was thinking about the the houses and I was like oh now all I want is just one of those houses and then this was around the time that um vici passed away and it was there was really this moment where it was like well what if I get that mansion like clearly there's going to be the next thing and so it's it you really caused me to sort of reflect and be like look it's not about the sort of external rewards it's not about like flexing on like you know a pool in

your backyard it's like because once you get that like sure it'll be cool for a second but there's always going to be the next thing and you need a bigger house and so it it it's sort of changed my perspective on it's like not about having the crib it's about enjoying your life and like being proud of what you do on the way there exactly I think that if you're not enjoying that journey and if you're not feeling inspired it doesn't like my sales job I was making way more money than I was when I quit to intern at a video company but waking up in the morning was so much more joyful because I was like what can happen today what kind of stuff can I create and I also feel like the less goal oriented I am the happier I am as in like I just want to be

better but I'm not trying to like win specific things because then you Once the day-to-day gets boring to you and you just care about something big, your day-to-day isn't as happy. For sure. I'm a big, like, do what's in front of me and do what's next and that kind of, like, just take the winding path of wherever it goes. Did you want to be famous? I want to say no, but I'd probably be lying to myself. Yeah. It's not the, honestly, it's not the fame of it.

It's more knowing that my music has, like, impacted people. and like mattered. Yeah. It's like I don't care about being like. But I could see how doing, you know, open mics with no one there. You're like, it would be fucking awesome. But one day people were like, where is Elefonte playing? I want to sign myself up.

Oh, for sure. I want to be John Merritt growing up. But I think at the end of the day, it's not just like being famous for famous fame's sake. It's that like I'd rather be known for making good music and like moving people. You're so right. I think fame is something that a lot of people can be nowadays. I was more, like, I didn't care about money. I wanted people to, like, respect my name.

Put some respect on my name. Yeah, you want your name to ring out on the streets. Yeah. I didn't want people just be like, oh, I know Hannah, like, she's on that funny reality TV show. I wanted to be like, oh, that girl is really skilled at what she does. And like, oh, she makes me laugh when she does this. It's like, I don't just want to be a name to be a name.

Yeah, because I feel like a lot of, like, there are nice parts about being. this but it's like that's not if there's not something underneath that then it's I mean with great power comes great responsibility and once you have that like that was a spider-man quote and once you have a platform it's like you can talk about like it's mental health awareness month like I love talking about mental health and that's why I'm really happy you came on to discuss kind of like your journey that wasn't always perfect the whole time like are you happiest when you're DJing like what are you like when you're not doing music? I think I'm generally, I mean, I'm happiest when I'm

creating when I'm when you get in the studio and you start something and then you just get really excited about the next next thing, the next sound, the next beat, the next whatever. And then you just do that. And then suddenly you look up at it's eight hours later and a thing exists now. and like that's the that's like really the most magical moment and then and if you didn't like that process of making the music you could have a one hit wonder you could have a couple you know good hits but i don't think that you'd have a successful career yeah and honestly that is your life right like playing shows and playing festivals and from people it's great yeah it's fucking awesome it's a lot of fun it's everything that people you know dream it to be but you know what

that is such a small part of your life that the rest of your life is sitting on planes, sitting in the studio, and if you don't enjoy that part of it, like the 99% of your life, then like you're not, A, you're never going to get the 1% but like it's also, you know,

it's such a small part of that. That's a great truth that like people don't think about. I think so Elefonte also played tennis growing up and he knows one of my fellow Wisconsin, and tennis teammates, Jessica Seiforth, in the building. She's on the building, but yeah, shout out. Shout out Ann Arbor. Shout out Ann Arbor.

So as a tennis player, the reason I quit was that I realized after school, if I were to go pro, I realized I don't actually like competing. I don't like traveling alone and not being with my friends or family. And losing is the most terrible thing on the planet. And I would probably lose every tournament until I'd won the whole. thing. So I was like, why would I travel alone, compete, and lose every weekend, if those are the three things I hate most in my life. But my overall goal was to win the fucking U.S. Open. But I can't win the U.S. Open if I hate traveling alone and all that shit.

So I think, like, that was part of me being honest with myself. It's funny, I actually loved practicing. So I would lie to myself all week. I love tennis. And then the weekend would come for the match. And I was like, I hate this. So like, be honest with yourself. people have tons of dreams but if you don't actually like what comes with the dream it's not a dream that's no i love that the way i look at it is you have to you have to love the worst parts about what you do and um if it's you know every like the you know everyone wants to be rich everyone wants to like whatever if you want to be an actor if you want like yeah sure everyone wants to be an avengers yeah sure but like do you want to do you want to do you want

to go to a million auditions and get rejected a million times in a row. Do you want to go to whatever? And it's not necessarily fun, but like I feel like a great actor's worst day getting rejected is better than their best day like as an accountant. Like you still love it more. And I think I think you have to because if it's like most of your life is not like if you're in anything creative, you're going to have a few moments of like absolute bliss and joy and fulfillment and and then the rest of it's going to be like working your ass off and like probably getting rejected and people telling you suck and people not caring that's like most of your life and if you're not if you don't love the craft of it and you're not like motivated to push through

that then the other stuff's not going to sustain you the dream is not the goal the dream is do you like all of that dream like if you want to be a DJ do you like the dream of traveling and the planes and the press and all that stuff so like when you're thinking of a dream really think of everything that goes into that dream and then like manifest that shit. Yeah, I think it's, it's the question you have to ask yourself is would I be doing this if I don't

get the end goal that I'm thinking of? It's like would I be making music if I wasn't playing festivals? Like yeah, I did that forever and even if even if things didn't work out the way they did I'd probably still be, I'd still be making

music and it's like that that is, that has to be your guiding light. I like to say on this podcast that I think goals are restricting. Like, I think five-year plans are bullshit. I agree. I do agree. I don't make five-year plans.

Like, I think that's corny. You know, I think you, I do think there is something about, like, putting it out to the universe that you're like, I want to host SNL. Yes. But it's like, if you're trying to make a five-year plan, like, okay, and you're one, I have to do this, and then your two do this, your three, do this. and then by year five, I think that's restricting because you even know what you can, like,

the universe works way past how far you could think. I think obviously the creativity or your mind can get you really far, but like you could have never written down this five-year plan that you've had in the last five years. I'd be like, what are you talking about? But you have to let go and just have that faith and confidence in yourself.

How's your ego? Like, do you still get fucked up when people are like, this aren't sacks? Um, yeah, I think it's weird because it alternates between being I am literally the shit and I'm the worst artist on the planet. That's me with tennis. I'd be like, I'm the queen. It might be a tennis. I'm literally the worst tennis player that ever played tennis. It might be a tennis thing.

But it's, uh, no, the thing is about the music industry is your ego gets beaten down pretty good pretty often. So you're, I think you're kept in track. Is there any other DJ that has been like, a mentor to you or aspirational to you um yeah i've had i've had a bunch of friends in the music industry like it i tend to stick kind of go my own path um a lot of tennis loner yeah um or maybe people just don't like me i was trying to make you cool i'm like he's just really good at tennis oh yeah i i choose to not have any friends no um it's uh you know but it is competitive right competitive vibe?

Yeah, yes and no. I think there's certain artists that it turns into a competitive thing, but I think by and large it's a community and like everyone who's had some success knows how hard it is. So even if you don't necessarily fuck with someone's music, you like appreciate and you like respect them. Like everyone who's like who has a career and is doing well is like doing something remarkable, even if it's like not what you do.

You like at the end of the day, you're like, yo like, you know, like props. I know that during this interview you're probably looking at me and you're like damn she could probably be a great DJ but um you look great with headphones on I would be the worst fucking DJ A because I love sleep

I like I like a good solid 10 hours of sleep is like my prime time and I don't do drugs and I don't like loud music I'm a literal grandma or I'm like a cat I get very scared easily and then I like to nap all day um do you like to party um yeah like is it a lifestyle for you uh yes and yes and no it's it's i mean partying fun that's why people do it yeah the thing is for me like do you think a homebody

could become a DJ if they're like really good at DJing yeah of course they're you know they're all sorts of personalities and you know you don't have to there are plenty of sober DJs out there that's not just like it's not all about but you're just always performing like late at night yeah yeah but Or really aggressive brunches. Grab your mimosa. It's about to get rowdy. It's, uh... You're like disturbed by that.

I was just imagining playing a brunch. I just lost my train of five. Wait, can you tell me you're like, when you're nervous, what's your, like, typical opening line when, like, you have to warm the crowd up? Oh, every show starts with whatever city. It's like, New York, what the fuck is up? Oh my God, I love that. I'm going to start comedy shows like that.

It's good. Oh, maybe we should start burning in hell like that. Oh, if you need a good crowd, crowd banter, just like watch videos of Travis Scott. Oh, yeah, I heard he's good. That's the best. It's the best. But it's because I feel like when the audience feels like you're being real with them and you're actually authentically trying to connect to them, then they're like, oh, we're

boys, we're chilling, we're having good night together. Oh, for sure. I mean, that's the, I think that's the secret of DJing is that you, it all starts with you and you don't have to win the entire crowd over you just have to win the 10 20 people in the front row because if you win them over if they feel if they feel your energy and they they're into it then they get into it then the people behind them get into it then someone across is going to see the front row going nuts and then it's the energy like how did you figure that out uh or is that like a wide known secret i don't know it's just one of those things

I notice where it's like if you're trying to win over a crowd of 3,000 people, it can be really scary. But for me, it's like if you lock into like a few people, like the energy is contagious, right? You're so right. You just plant the seeds, right? And if you can, I, and as a fan, if I'm watching, if I'm going to a show and like the, if the, if the DJ doesn't look like they're having fun or if the, it could be a rock band. Like, if they don't look like they're having fun, it's like, why should I have fun? A hundred percent. Or if it's like, if they're not into it, why should I be into it? And it's like, you know, you've seen sure, like, even with bands, I've seen shows where, like, they look disinterested.

I'm like, like, why? And there's a way of being, like, interested, disinterested. Like, it's like, oh, he's so cool and vibing into the music, whatever. But you could tell when people are like, I'm not into my job. You can tell when someone doesn't want to be there. It's like, if you don't want to be here, why, like, I don't want to be here? Exactly. To see you not want to be here.

It's funny because comedy, it's, I mean, obviously, it's similar with, like, the vibe and the energy and you get momentum in a set of stand-up. But a last into comedians will, like, not enjoy their set because one person in the corner has their hands crossed and isn't smiling. You ever see a comedy show where it's going around and then they'll be like, dude, are you a serial killer? Why don't you smile?

Because comedians are crazy. And I feel like if a lot of comedians listen to this podcast, maybe take that, try to win over just the front people, crack them up and maybe it'll spread instead of a... It's also kind of like life. Instead of trying to make everyone like you, care about the people who are connecting with you. For sure.

And let the energy spread how they may. Because you're never going to make. make everyone happy and that's like a that's something that took me a long time to to really internalize and especially when you're on stage you like you can see you see every single person so if you can have like 99% of the people like going nuts and then there's one like one kid in the front road was like on his phone I'm like you go down there I can smack that phone out of your hand but no that would cause anxiety if you put pressure in yourself every show to have to control everyone in the crowd you can't control everyone in the crowd you can't control

control people no but you it's it's really just you just have to set the tone and if you set the tone and you and you you you win like the core group of people like it'll spread i'm obsessed with performance i've dealt with performance anxiety with sports and then i've dealt with like kind of conquering it with performing with comedy um just like different muscles of my mind and approaching things in different perspective do you have a pre-performance um ritual or routine um not Not really anymore. I think it's, it is a little bit of a switch that gets flipped where you're, all of a sudden, you're not, like, I'm not Tim anymore. I'm Aliphante.

And it's like, it's like Superman. Yeah. And it's like, you know, it's, it is a little bit like, you know, jumping off a diving board or whatever where it's like, oh shit, I might like, I hope I don't belly flop or whatever. But the adrenaline hits you hard. Yeah. And it's like, I've done it enough times where it's like, okay. I feel confident in my ability to, like, adapt to whatever's happening. Did you ever, like, really fuck up a big set?

Oh, yeah, like, all, like, pretty frequently. But no one can tell? Yeah, so that's the, that's, I think, the mark of a pro is someone who can fuck up and no one notices. What, can you define fuck up? Oh, like, you know, you, you accidentally, you're standing on the table and you accidentally kick a chord and the music stops. And then you're like, that was. just a dramatic pause. Yeah, and it's like, and then, you know, it's like, can you rally for that?

Like, the equipment breaks, like, pretty frequently, like, when you play the wrong song, or, you know, like, there's all sorts of things that, that go wrong, and you can, you can tell when someone's experience that they can just rally and, like, you know, they can make a joke out of it or whatever. Yeah, it's an overall confidence in yourself. Yeah, I remember, like, Billy Eilish at the, like, she forgot the words to her song, and that, but then she was like, she made it.

to think I was she's like shit what are the words like guy like can you remind me and then everyone's saying it was like a fucking great moment and and like you know that is a mark of a great performer where they're like you're so right because performances are not perfection it's a creative experience totally and it's like uh you know you do your best and it's like oh well and then a lot of times you can like find sort of moments of magic in those in those mistakes yeah it's really authentic and real and unplanned kind of like reality tv just plugging myself anyway How do you stay healthy considering, like, you're traveling all the time, you're doing late night spots? What advice do you have for people who are, like, performing at a top level and not being sick all the time?

Actually, two years, a year and a half ago, I finished a tour, and it was like, it was a long run. I think it was like three months or something. I was gone every weekend, and I was, basically, I woke up and I was like, I'm fucking depressed. Like, this sucks. and like part of me felt guilty being like you know you're a touring musician you're fucking DJ this is great what are you talking about but I was like I felt miserable it's really unhappy and then I finished and I was like I don't know if I don't want to do this anymore or like I have to change something stayed at home took care of myself for two weeks started getting sleep and then

like believe or not you sleep well like I slept well and took care of myself for two weeks and then I wasn't depressed anymore and it was like oh it was like a huge wake-up call to be like you really have to take care of like prior to yourself your health and your mental health it affects your mental you know I cut down on a lot of drinking tried like made it a big priority to get sleep every night one practical tip is drink a shit ton of water you have to make a commitment like are you in it for the lifestyle or are you in it for like the long term and the and the art of it and do you feel like since you've been like a touring active DJ it's negatively or positive affect your relationship with women um i think it's it's probably improved it but like do you feel like

traveling do you mean like specific women or like women as a as a genre of human beings i mean like having relationships like i know that it can get lonely traveling all the time do you feel like you've been able to grow any relationships because i know like some comedians have trouble if they're like touring all and, like, athletes are fucking cheating on the road all the time. But do you feel like you, because your career is going so well, that you're lacking in your love life, or do you think that you're finding a way to make it work still? Well, for me, I think it's actually been good because it helps you prioritize what's important in your life and with men, women, I think all kinds of relationships.

I've been dealing with recently as, like, a bunch of friends are getting engaged now. and it's like wedding season and you know i'm gone 45 weekends working holy shit the year so it's like all right who do i really care about and no it's like to like you know i just i don't have time for like to invest emotional energy and like people that you know are sort of tangential yeah and it's like i you know it's life life goes on and it's like i i just i only have so much of myself to give and you really have to probably prioritize like all right what's who who really matters me and you really invest in those relationships and you because those are the things that those are the things that hold you down when you're on the road and you're by

yourself and I think whether you're busy on the weekends or not that advice is great for anyone in terms of like are those peripheral friends necessary or are they like taking your energy and are you investing enough in what's important in your relationships are they supporting of who you want to be are you supportive of who they want to be is it do they inspire you is it in it in it like or is it is like a drag and i think it's um it going sort of my own path to illuminate illuminate that for me whereas like oh i really only hung out to visit this person because we get shit face together yeah and like one day you're going to stop getting shit face and then you're going to have nothing to talk about and it's um remember that one night

oh wait i don't remember that night do you nope before we play our final game i've one question you mentioned avici how did that affect the community because he's you know such an icon and it was such a sad story um i mean it was pretty devastating i think he he's just such a universally well liked and respected him before i had not um but he was like he was one of the reasons why i wanted to make electronic music why i wanted to be a dj like he was he was that impactful and i think like the entire generation of he was one of the people that like brought brought brought dance music to the US and it was like you're such a pillar of you know like everything good in the in the culture and it was but I you know if there's any positive from a tragedy like that it's that

I think it brought mental health to like the forefront of of people's minds and that you know he on paper had everything that you could want but he was still deeply unhappy and you know you could obviously on a smaller level but you know I empathize with that it's like a lot of times you feel trapped and you're like well so just like opening up the conversation and being like look you can have you can be successful and still be unhappy it's almost like how you were feeling guilty you probably felt guilt that like I've gotten everything but depression sometimes you could have tons of people supporting you but it's like a thing in your mind that is it's a disease it's a disease exactly it's as real as if you, you know, your heart's clogged.

It's as real as cancer. Yes, it's a real thing. And I think it's important that, you know, we, talking about it takes away the stigma. And I think it's like the worst thing you can do is bury it. And I think if there's any positive to come out of that is that I think a lot of, a lot of artists are like opening up about their, about their experiences. Yeah, because creatives are, have unique minds that work differently. and when you're different you can get trapped

in like lonely places in your head and I think just knowing that there are other people out there that are going through the same thing as you it's like that that makes all the difference in the world right because

feeling alone and isolated and that no one understands and no one cares like that's the enemy or yeah no one expects it like how could Avichi ever be depressed I think some of the most successful people like the funniest people

and the most artistic people are depressed and people can't even predict that. I think it's understanding and realizing like happiness isn't really correlated to how successful you are. It's like we talked about earlier, just to bring it full circle, it's about, you know, it's more about the journey. And just because everyone has like all the, you know, all the decorations of being happy doesn't mean that it's, you're actually happy inside. Look at you going full circle.

Are you trying to take my job right now? He's like, and to wrap this up. Okay, Harvard, just like putting your thesis together. Do you, there's a rumor going around that you brought back the tie-dye trend. Is that true? I can't. I can neither confirm nor deny. I mean, I'm into it.

I'm very into it. I got really back into tie-dye, really, and then people were flaming me for it. certain parts certain members of my team were mocking me a little bit you should fire them I'm just kidding he's looking at his publicist right now and she's laughing but then you know and then

Virgil was wearing tie-dye at his Coachella said and I was like is it a coincidence that I want on record that everyone at the Met Gallo wore tie-dye yeah it's like is it like coincidence probably but maybe not probably not Yeah, probably not. El Fonte.

Okay, it's time to play the Seven Deadly Sins. Yes, Seven Deadly Sins. What's up? I don't know what this game is, but I'm very excited. Seven Deadly Sins. What are you greedy about? Spotify plays. How do you, do you just like refresh it all the time?

Not anymore, but I did do that. it's uh it is a very poisonous addictive habit are you competitive with it like do you check other people's songs came out is it like your instagram likes um if you were an instagram thought uh yeah except you get paid for it like i guess you get paid for likes too but like you get like a certain number of cents per play yeah yeah but um no it's it was a big thing when i was first starting off it was like a big source of validation like oh yeah like i'll play like more plays i need more people listening and it's just such a

counterproductive um like anti-creative uh energy that it's so result oriented which isn't where happiness lies yes it's so it is so poisonous and like it causes so much stress and so now i just like i i just don't look now you focus on the journey and let the plays handle themselves yeah because if you can't do it in the studio is not going to happen um now i talk like i'm a producer I'm like, if you don't, if you can't do that, click, click in the studio. You're basically DJ now. Who are you envious of? I am envious of

ASAP Rocky. Why? Because he gets the dopest clothes and gets to do the coolest shit. What's like a clothing line that you'd want to align yourself with right now? What's like the hot shit I should get into? I mean, that good shit. well I've been I've been reping Philip Lim a lot they've been I'm actually been fortunate to work with them on a few things and they've been they actually dressed me for

premiere cool last week and so I definitely think fashion and music like have an alignment in a way I think for some artists for some I think it's really important for some artists and others it was it's not a big video it's just I think it's just like a different element it's another form of expression totally and for were you always into fashion so now when I was younger I was like clothes or something you put on your body how would you describe your naughty how would you describe your style right now um pretty bizarre right now actually it's uh he's blonde right now I mean what is this cut what we call this cut I don't know is it a bob it's a bob it's like it's like it's like between a bob and a lob a little shagging

though. It's like homeless chic. Yeah. Yeah. It's, I mean, you're a little better than homeless. You're like LA homeless. You're not New York homeless. Yeah, for sure. And then you have these like red tinted or pink tinted like John Lennon glasses. Yeah, I don't know. It's like kind of a thing where you just know when you see it. But to me, fashion is turned into. Yeah. I think it's, but it's, I think fashion is more about how you see yourself and how you want to be perceived than it is necessarily like objectively how good you look. It's like, you know, if I've gotten to a place where if I wear something weird and someone's like, you look dumb, I'm like, when I was younger, I would feel bad about myself. But now I'm like, no, I look great. You look dumb. It's like if you post a photo on Instagram to some of my people who listen and understand because they understand Instagram and like someone's like, this photo sucks or this tweet isn't funny or like, no, it's funny. No, it's funny. You're not funny. But what I think makes people successful is when you're like firm with your intuition as in what makes me. good I think at what I do is if I'm creating a comedy video it's me making the decision that I think

that's funny it's literally the thought are you hearing a sound and going that's the sound so like it's not all this bullshit logistics it's that intuitive feeling of you being like this works that other people might not see that you see so it's like special yeah and I think it is a it's a process of learning to accept yourself in having you know the technical skill and trust your opinions yeah and that that takes that takes a long time to develop yeah it isn't something you're just born with but sometimes you're born a little bit with it what do you glutness about cheese really i heard you're pretty healthy eater i asked about your eating habits before you came um yes i uh although i'm on the i'm on something called the keto diet so it's your keto guido yes extremely guido emphasis on

you are tan um that's all natural baby Oh. But yeah, it's a lot of cheese. Are you in ketosis? Yes, I am in ketosis. Whoa. Whoa. Do you DJ better when you're in ketosis?

I do everything better when I'm in ketosis. How do you know when you're in ketosis? I just like saying that word. There's a company called keto that my brother actually started that measures whether you're in ketosis or not. What's overall feeling? Just like you don't, you feel good. It's like you're not tired all the time.

you don't I used to get headaches after after eating big launches I'd feel like I'd have to like lay down and now I just like wake up and I feel good it's like what's that life I'm very strange I thought tired was just how I live um when was the last time you experienced extreme wrath it was at the do I love specific stories like that at the airport bar on Sunday night when I was trying to oh my God I was I was trying to watch the the basketball game and they It was at the airport bar, and they had, like, 19 TVs, and they were showing CNN and, like, Little League Baseball. And so I asked if they could, I asked the hostess if she could put the game on one of the TVs. She was like, oh, I'm so sorry, I don't know how to work the TVs.

And I was like, excuse me? You work at an airport sports bar and don't, first of all, okay, you don't know how to work the TV is fine. maybe try maybe ask someone like surely someone here knows how to work the TV's my elephant tusks are about to come out and you don't want that to happen yeah I was like maybe make an effort I don't know like ask like maybe can I try you're like I went to Harvard I'll figure it out when was the last time you were a sloth because I know you're a busy guy and you're a hard worker um do you let yourself be lazy oh yeah it's It's a big Sunday, Sunday night, Monday morning is a, that is a no alarm.

I sleep until whenever I want and I get up whenever I feel like that. So you have that nice routine where you know after like a long weekend of working, you're going to give yourself that time. Mm-hmm. And I used to feel really guilty about it, but now talking about wellness and sleep and stuff, Sunday night is my night where I go to sleep whenever I want and I just wake up whenever I feel like, don't send an alarm, I wake up when I wake up. I like, they did not sending alarm.

because, yeah, that freedom feeling is actually a mental health feeling of not being in, like, a rigid schedule and letting yourself feel light. And it's just like letting your body tell you when you're ready and when you're recovered. When was the last time you let your pride get in the way of something? So like your ego. Again, like I think the music industry does such a thorough job of beating down your pride and your ego. Like everything you think you should get, you're actually not going to get. And so it's... So when big things happen, you're just like, thank you.

yeah you're like or well it's like thank you but it's also like how in in what way am i going to get fucked on this is it because it's it because there's no rhyme or reason to it the industry no it's just like the things often are made by a single person decisions are made by a single person or there's like a lot of other politics there's a lot of politics involved and like you just you get burned enough times or you like you think you're going to get something great and then you get fucked and it's like okay well do you feel like you have to rub elbows with certain people to get what you want in the music industry yeah but i think i i've been fortunate enough to where like i want i'm working with people that i want to work with right there's no like you know there's no you're

not doing something just to do it yeah it's not like i'm just like kissing the ring just for you know a transactional thing it's like i'm you know i'm working with people that really believe in it and want to grow together and it's like there's it's there's some there's an authentic relationship there and it's um that's a quality team around you you know the best the people that are the most successful ministry they all say the same things like work with people your spec work with people you you like but you know the world's time is too short to work with people you don't fucking like when was the last time you lusted over someone oh oh uh jenelle mona just saw the net gala

um she's gorgeous uh photos and she was wearing something outrageous but she is stunning stunning she's so beautiful so to wrap this up elephante you're the shit i like to leave with one piece of advice that you can give to the listeners what do you do to cope with your hell just know that it'll it will pass and know that it's all part of the process and that i have gone through hell in order to do the things that I want and be happy with myself. And so knowing that it's part of it. It's all part of it.

If you're not going through hell, maybe you're not challenging yourself enough. Yeah, they're going to be hard times and it's, it's about embracing. I'm answering it with you. Sorry, I like your answer. So I'm like, yeah, yeah. No, hop in. Hop in. We're finishing each other's sentences, thoughts.

Sentence thoughts. Okay, Elefonte. Everyone go on Spotify right now and, Listen to his shit because he gets a couple cents whenever you do. Oh, like way less than a couple cents. Subscribe and rate, review Burning and Hell if you haven't already because I know you guys been listening for Madlong. I love you guys. Check out Alphante.

He has a tour coming out soon. Follow him on Instagram, Twitter. Anything else? His publicist says we're good. And I'll see you guys next time. Thanks for having me. Inhale, thank you. See you in Hall.

Bye. Mm-he-he-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.