JULY FEATURE: GOING QUANTUM

One of our best and brightest provides some perspective on Monstercat’s 8th Year Anniversary!

 

As a foundational member of the Monstercat family, Jonathan Winter, who also goes by Going Quantum, is one of the most recognizable names on our ever-growing roster. A core part of the original group of artists that signed on in 2011, his passion for electronic music has only grown and strengthened over time. From there, he joined Monstercat staff as one of the most prominent forces working on the music and talent acquisition side of things. His talent as a creator certainly stands out, proving he has that game-changing ear for music production, but it’s his work as our Director of A&R that puts the gold star beside his name.

Lately, Jon’s been the center of attention with respect to Monstercat’s 8th year anniversary! Appearing alongside the one and only Ephixa in the official Monstercat comic, as well as on the Monstercat Shop donning the latest anniversary-themed apparel, it’s fair to say that he’s kind of the face of the franchise right now. On top of that, he and Ephixa just dropped “Let''s Roll,” a collaborative effort that the two have been scheming to release just for this occasion!

Let’s roll right into this month’s interview with Going Quantum!

Tell us about when you first started producing! When did you start and what are some of your earliest memories of music and production?

I actually got into DJing way before producing, sometime around 2009-2010. Before that I was just a massive fan of all sorts of electronic music, from Trance to Electro, Hardstyle, Drum & Bass, and Dubstep. DJing was something I had to try out for myself. After creating mixes and doing several live streams it was clear that the next logical step would be to work on creating some music of my own. In the early days I learned a lot from Ephixa, who was actually one of the first artists I met in person. Funny story, I found his YouTube channel while searching for Hardstyle on YouTube, reached out because I saw he was also Canadian, only to find out after that we were going to the same school. We’ve been friends ever since.

Who were some of the artists you used to listen to that inspired you to start making music yourself?

In the early days of producing it was definitely some of the big dubstep acts that influenced me the most. I think you’ll hear this a lot, but Rusko, Skrillex, Delta Heavy, Doctor P, Nero⁠—pretty much any of the stuff on UKF Dubstep I would listen to religiously.

What are some of the highs and lows you’ve experienced along the way that you think other artists could relate to?

Every time I get up on stage to perform or release a new track it’s always an incredible feeling. The energy from the fans in the crowd or fans online is SO uplifting. On the flipside, I think it’s really easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other artists and you have to be very careful about that. On one end of the spectrum, it is great to hear what your music sounds like stacked up against some of your influences; it’s another to let that bring you down and discourage you from continuing to work on music.

Let’s talk a bit about the Going Quantum podcast!

What inspired you to start an EDM podcast back in 2011?

At first I was doing mixes on live stream, eventually moving over to YouTube so that the mixes could be listened to on-demand. With time-zones and people’s schedules it felt like a lot of people couldn’t catch an entire live stream, so it just made sense. Shortly after that I wanted to get the mixes out even further and knew that podcasts on iTunes was a good way to deliver new mixes to fans directly to their phones for listening both online and offline. I then re-branded my mixes to be episodes of The Going Quantum Podcast… and also started bringing on guests!

The Going Quantum Podcast ended a few years ago. How come?

So many factors came into play⁠. YouTube as a platform has changed a lot, and that was my primary audience. I would get videos blocked in certain territories, even after getting permission from labels—but the main reason was time. Every episode took a lot of effort to put together and the amount of time I was putting into Monstercat was going up and up. It was a challenge to balance.

Not only are you an EDM artist, but you are Monstercat’s Director of A&R!

What’s it like working as Monstercat’s Director of A&R? What’s a day in the life like?

It varies a lot but my role is to curate the upcoming releases for Monstercat. The artists we work with, and managers, will reach out to me when they have new music and I will also reach out to them if I haven’t heard anything in a while. I work really closely with Stonebank, who is also our mastering engineer, to provide feedback on the music we put out and make sure the music sounds the best it can.

When did you decide that doing A&R for Monstercat was the right call?

I’ve been doing it since pretty much the beginning, along with many other roles here at Monstercat. Over the years we’ve grown a lot as a label and built up many different departments to handle different all aspects of running a label & more. With all that expansion I’ve been able to focus in on what I’m most passionate about⁠: the music and working with the artists.

Does working as Monstercat’s Director of A&R mean you have to put more time into that, and set your artist project to the side as more of a hobby?

I think there’s enough time for both, but I have definitely put a lot more priority on other artists rather than my own project.

What are some of the highlight moments that stand out for you since joining Monstercat?

Working with artists like Darren Styles, Gammer, Kill the Noise and many other artists that I was a HUGE fan of before Monstercat even existed has been an absolute pleasure. Witnessing a Darlington DJ set at one of our staff Christmas parties was life changing. Lastly, Compound is always a great time and a great way to spend time with a bunch of the Monstercat fam. There are too many highlights to count!

It’s Monstercat’s 8th Anniversary, and you recently released “Let''s Roll” with Ephixa!

How long has this track been in the works?

Somewhere between two to three months. Not very long to be honest. It was an idea we had when coming up with the plan for the 8 Year Anniversary album.

What was it like to work with Ephixa on “Let’s Roll”?

It went a lot better than expected! We worked entirely online, sending stems back and forth. We both get along very well and understand each other’s music taste so we didn’t have any big disagreements. Would definitely do it again!

Both of you appeared, alongside the track, in the Monstercat 8th Year Anniversary comic! How did that whole concept come about?

I was actually not aware we would be so prevalent in the comic until the story was already written. The comic was a chance for us to give a nod to the past but also continue the story that had left off with Monstercat 030 back in 2017 and I think it did a great job of it. The comic book also has a ton of hints as to what’s coming next in our story, I wonder how many people have figured them out!

You performed at the 8 Year event in the VR game, Sansar!

Talk a bit about what that was like—did you enjoy it, and would you return for another Sansar event?

I had a blast! I’m glad I attended from home because I was so… sweaty after my set. Dancing in VR is quite tiring.

Heading into the event, what were your expectations like?

Sansar is still very new so I didn’t know what to fully expect in terms of turnout when going into it, but I was pleasantly surprised. I got to chat with a bunch of people in the crowd and at the meet n’ greet after the show. A lot of people also attended via Twitch so I hopped in the Twitch chat after taking a break from the VR aspect of the experience. I can’t wait to do more in the future.

Monstercat’s 8th Year Anniversary spawned a limited collection that flexes the creative side of the brand! Of course you’re featured as the male model. What’s in store?

There’s a limited edition long-sleeve shirt and some cool pins that celebrate the history of Monstercat. Get ‘em while you can!

Do you have a favorite Monstercat Series 4 Pin?

Embrace would be my favourite. In that design Monstercat is in a car driving through Gastown in Vancouver close to the current Monstercat HQ. Moving to Vancouver was a big change for me and for Monstercat as well.

Eight years strong, Going Quantum is the mastermind behind the masters that we’ve signed!

We wouldn’t be where we are today had Jon not been with our team. He’s a huge part of the Monstercat community that understands what the fans want and how to deliver that to them on the music front. At the same time, even while he focuses primarily on other artists and their signed tracks, he makes time to exercise the right side brain and, as Going Quantum, craft some of the most catchy and creative beats your ears will hear!

Check out Going Quantum and Ephixa’s new track “Let’s Roll” in the Monstercat 8th Year Anniversary compilation album!