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| Gun$linger performing live at Bombs Away Cafe while Jaapur keeps the beats flowing from the dj booth. Photos Courtesy of Aaron Ojeda |
Eckert begins to play some beats off speakers that make the whole room shake. The bumpy noise is introduced to Stevens’ voice as he begins to rap. They are practicing for their performance at Bomb's Away Cafe.
These aspiring musicians combine to make the duo ZAP. Stevens, known as Gun$linger, is the rapper/producer, and Eckert, known as Jaapur, is the engineer/DJ of the group.
How did you get involved with music?
Gun$linger: Through probably lyrical writing first, I was inspired by music from a very young age. Inspired by rock, blues and most of the music that my parents were listening to. I also got involved with rap because my brother was heavily into that at the time, so that was what started my influence on writing lyrics. I started doing that when I was about nine years old. I didn't really start picking up actual instruments until maybe Middle School. From there I was in a couple of bands with Jasper, and progress with my own musical career from there.
JAAPUR: The first memory I have of creating music is realizing what harmonics are on a guitar and so before I could really like socialize with adults I was like 3 or 4 years old and I was in the hallway with my Dad's guitar like hitting it in specific spots and made it sound super cool.
What surprised you the most being a musician?
JAAPUR: When someone approaches you as an artist, and not a musician.
Gun$slinger: There’s that, but also the diversity that it brings with genres. How inspired we are by all these different genres, and how they kind of all affect our music in some aspects melodically or instrumentally.
What do you find the most challenging?
Gun$linger: The overall networking experience. Being able to promote yourself independently is a very big task that is very prevalent for a lot of artists in this day and age, especially for us. We just don't have a lot of outlets others than the very standard ones that most people know, and it's becoming even more and more common for people to put their music on iTunes and Spotify. it's so easily accessible that it is actually diluting what you're doing in the sense. Back in the day when I said my music was on there people said “Wow, your music is on Itunes?”, now it’s not as exciting.
JAAPUR: Finding what it is that connects to the most people.
Living in Corvallis do you find it challenging to receive recognition, with your specific genre?
Gun$linger: I believe that there is a scene here but I believe there's a demographic that we’re not fully reaching as well. The college students are definitely a large majority of the population in this town. We definitely network to them by doing shows in town and trying to get the word out on campus.
What is the best thing since you've started being a musician?
Gun$linger: The best thing is the outlet, the ability to express emotion where I can’t in words. I am able to do that in music, whether that is instrumentally, lyrically, or both. At the end of the day, that’s the reason I do it, and the most fulfilling part because there isn’t really a lot of success in this industry. You know I’ve had some milestones that have been pretty significant. However, as far as making money off of this consistently, there hasn’t been a lot of that. I feel that the people who really do it for the art, are the ones who do it as an outlet to process, cope, or the enjoyment of it all. It is an enjoyable process.
What is the worst thing since you've started being a musician?
JAAPUR: The worst thing is lack of being taken seriously.
What do you wish other people knew about your music?
Gun$linger: The complexity
JAAPUR: It takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. You can’t buy exactly what you want, you have to make it yourself.
Have you met any interesting characters while working?
JAAPUR: Yes, every day
JAAPUR: Yes, every day
Gun$linger: It’s still a realization that my parents have constantly as I continue to pursue music and try to make it my full-time vocation. It’s definitely not something that I explicitly said to them, it's just something that through my actions, it has been shown and will continue to be shown.
JAAPUR: I feel like it was a slow realization. I didn't have to tell anybody, everybody just realized it after a while. For some part of my family, it was a lot easier to understand and support than others.
What did your friends think?
Gun$linger: I think it's the people that you do tell and the people that really understand. For example, we've been making music and collaborating in at least some way shape or form since 6th or 7th grade, and I think the fact that we are still doing that to this day just like represents a lot of what Jasper was talking about in the sense that like not just commitment but just like the people that you tell and like how you tell them.
Who is someone that has influenced your work?
Gun$linger: My older brother was the reason I got into writing hip-hop lyrics. I always looked up to my brother, so it was almost like he inspired me to aspire to be what he grew up listening to, and still listens to.
JAAPUR: Recently? Julian Casablancas. I listened to The Strokes in middle school, but I recently started listening to them again and I'm realizing that one of the reasons that I liked them so much is because of their wordplay. I'm getting into that a lot more than I ever have in my life, I'm writing lyrics and performing them more often.
What might your audience be surprised to know about you?
Gun$linger: I feel like my audience will never fully know me, in any regard. I feel though, through music you share a piece of who you are with the audience. And that is their whole perception of you.
JAAPUR: I used to hate singing. People would try to get me to sing, and I wouldn’t ever do it. I still won’t sing if you tell me to. People that don't know me will hear my music and it has vocals in it so they are like “Oh he’s a singer, he probably loves to sing all the time,” but it's about 10 percent of my music I sing in.
JAAPUR: I used to hate singing. People would try to get me to sing, and I wouldn’t ever do it. I still won’t sing if you tell me to. People that don't know me will hear my music and it has vocals in it so they are like “Oh he’s a singer, he probably loves to sing all the time,” but it's about 10 percent of my music I sing in.
Hip-hop has become the most popular genre in music, do you think that will affect your audience?
JAAPUR: I definitely wouldn't have had the inspiration from hip-hop if it weren't so popular. The fact that it's the most popular genre right now, I think isn't necessarily in my favor as much as another genre would be. My creations of music are more drawn towards electronic, so I make hip-hop beats in an electronic fashion.
If you weren’t making music, what do you think you would do instead?
Gun$linger: I’d be struggling man, from the standpoint that I see it if I didn't have music, a lot of my dire situations that are really difficult would seem much more difficult. It's just really hard for me to put myself in the shoes of someone who isn't an artist because I don't really see myself doing anything else.
JAAPUR: If you took away music from my life there would be enough of a person there. I would probably be doing some other sort of expressive outlet that allows me to feel okay with The Human Experience. I was able to hear things to a tee that I didn't understand at an early age and it's just something I realize I need to harness and use to my ability to make myself the person that I can be. That I want to be.
As a musician, what sort of trends have you seen?
Gun$linger: So many, but a lot of emotional turmoil. And just coming out through music. The trend of having some sort of issue in my life, and then also having some sort of musical project that is almost completely synonymous and compatible.
JAAPUR: Numbers, people think songs are good just because of numbers.
How would your audience best describe you?
JAAPUR: Eclectic and diverse. Inconsistent with those who don’t recognize the development in my style. My album has three different genres on it at least. They are very different songs. There are common themes of course, but overall, down to try new things, expressive, and experimental.
What do you do when you’re not working?
JAAPUR: When I’m not working I’m trying to do something creative.
Is it difficult to find people to work with?
Gun$linger: Yes and no. I feel that some people can be standoffish because they think they know better or something, and I feel that collaborating comes with the understanding that, not everything you say, or do or contribute, is going to be a part of that collaboration. Some people need to take a step back and realize that it is an equal contribution. Whenever I work with someone I try to lay what I want on the back burner, because if you don’t, it’s just going to be two people with ideas butting heads. When I’m working with Jap it’s very much a 50/50 contribution to all the parts of a song. It’s not hard to find people to work with, but finding the right people.
JAAPUR: Yeah it definitely is. There are a lot of people who want to work with you, but a lot of them don’t work with you. I’m used to making music a certain way and having an idea of how it’s going to turn out. So generally someone has to meet me halfway.
What else can you tell me about ZAP?
JAAPUR: It’s basically our names combined, Zack and Jasper, ZAP. We made it in high school and then released a really experimental three-track EP. We're trying to make our next release the most, potent. We also have so much unreleased music, we need to get around to just making releases happen.
When performing, what is the process of set-up?
JAAPUR: Setting up the Dj booth, compiling all the songs from the performers, getting everything straight, then soundcheck. Finally waiting for the go from the owners of the venue.
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Jasper Eckert AKA JAAPUR. DJ and engineer for other artists.
New album: Star is the universe Part 2 coming soon
Age: 22
From: Corvallis
Interests: Creating art
SoundCloud
Spotify
Itunes
Zack Stevens AKA Gun$linger. Rapper and producer writes and creates all his music. New single “Without You” available on most streaming services.
Age: 21
From: Eugene
Interests: Making and creating connections.
SoundCloud
Spotify
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