New Something artist, Chris Gerber, has taken a deep dive into the world of Lo-fi where he blends vintage and organic sounds with mellow hip hop beats to create an easy to listen to instrumental that feels both new and nostalgic. He has seen notable success with his latest alias Seek Shelter and we are proud to announce his first track released under New Something "FM 107.7". In this interview we sit down with Seek to learn about the inspiration behind his brand and new track.
Seek: There’s a lot of inspiration behind my new Lo-Fi alias, but it mainly stems from providing a new sense of relaxation and meditation to listeners that haven’t engaged with the genre before. I discovered the “ambient piano” type beats during the end of 2019, right about when the pandemic hit and lockdown began. Truly, the genre and community got me through a lot of tough times and I knew that if I could potentially provide that same feeling of peace and tranquility to someone else, I would be fulfilling my duty as a musician in this day and age.
Seek: Definitely, but I’ve also been blessed to have grown up in such beautiful areas all of my life so I think there is a healthy combination of new environment inspiration and my previous as well. I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, a small city based on the top of Lake Superior where everyone knows everyone and no secrets are really left unturned. A lot of the time, my only escape from this was to venture into the woods and create my own sense of the world. If anyone else comes from a small town, I know you know what I mean. My surroundings play a huge role in my music creating process, whether it’s recording rain foley from the 7 months of gray that we have in Washington state or the crunching sound of snow boots back home in Minnesota. Each area plays a crucial role in where I am today and how each song I create comes to fruition.
Seek: The name Seek Shelter stems from natural home-body spirit and finding shelter and peace within the comfort of my own home. Every song that I’ve made for this project has been produced from a quiet and relaxing corner within my bedroom studio, so seeking shelter felt like a great fit for the message that I am trying to convey.
Seek: Fm 107.7 is actually the name of a radio hits station from Duluth, Minnesota, where I got all of my new music as a kid. Currently, they are more focused on Top 40 Hits and pop music, but back in the day it was all I used to listen to. Especially on the bus coming home from elementary school, I remember listening every single day. For this track, it is inspired by traveling on the road with friends & family, adventuring to new places. That’s exactly the same situation I used to listen to Fm 107.7 when I was a kid.
Seek: Yes, and to my music producers out there, find yourself a good reverb and stick with it. From a listener's perspective, I’ve been told my tracks are always dreamy and nostalgic. The main reason I can achieve this sound is due to the strict musical boundaries that are integral parts of creating a perfect Lo-Fi sound. Whether it be lush ambience through pads, or dreamy sounding jazz guitar, there’s certain guidelines that are in place to make sure that what you are creating doesn’t sound out of the ordinary, and additionally, doesn’t frighten listeners as they focus on the work they are completing.
Seek: It’s the perfect genre to use for background music. From elementary school classrooms, to music to study to for a big exam, there’s really a perfect song for every situation. There’s actually been studies conducted that someone who listens to Lo-Fi beats while they study will end up doing better on an exam. I couldn’t tell you who did this study, but the message that I got from that is while the music tends to be on the sleepier and dreamy side, this genre of music caters perfectly to listeners that want to not be distracted by the music they are listening to, but rather aid them in completing what they are putting their main focus on.
Seek: You’ll have to wait and see ;) 2023 is going to be a big year for this project, and I truly can’t thank enough the amazing artists that I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the last two years. Here’s a few of the artists that have provided me with support and deserve a big shoutout: Lucas Miller, Solar Body, Purple Cat, Softy, Luffmoor, Indie Glow, Wander Sky, Hi Jude, and Leap of Faith.
