By Carisma Leyva
Staff Writer
Junior Daniel Popov takes his music to another world, from inspiration to the listeners’ first play. Through this journey, Popov expands his own musical horizons.
Popov has been posting his work online to the music sharing website SoundCloud for over a year through his account “Mr. PurplePurple.” Working under the pseudonym Charlie Funkhousen, Popov enjoys creating dance and electronic tracks. He usually posts a preview to his SoundCloud before the release of a full song.
“I experimented with tons of things when first starting out, and I still do now,” Popov said. “It really is such a great thing to be able to look at past work and being able to see how much I’ve grown both musically and as a person.”
Popov honed his creativity, focusing mainly on the production of electronic music at the start of his sophomore year. Popov greatly enjoys the experimentation that the process brings.
“I believe and I hope that his music will help him a lot in the future because I believe that he has some serious potential in what he’s doing,” sophomore Angelique Angelastro said.
According to Popov, he is greatly influenced by artists Daft Punk and Deadmau5, as well as films like “Star Wars” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Specifically, he finds the serene atmosphere of the astronauts and the vastness of space inspirational for creating music.
“Daft Punk and Deamau5 really are an unconventional and unlikely combination, but I really loved the styles of their songs,” Popov said. “These artists have impacted me in a way that I hope to impact people with my own music. Music is such a powerful way to express yourself, and I am lucky to have the opportunity to do that.”
In addition to certain film soundtracks and music producers, Popov also gathers inspiration from Oliver Heldens, a 20-year-old Dutch music producer. Heldens has earned many awards, such as the Best Breakthrough Artist Award, at the International Dance Music Awards in Miami, Florida.
“Seeing Oliver win was such a huge thing for Daniel because he admires him so much,” sophomore Miles McCorkendale said. “It really made him begin to understand just how far he can take his music.”
According to Popov, getting feedback from his friends and peers is essential to his creative process because it further encourages him to pursue a higher level of musical expression with every song that he produces. He enjoys challenging himself by any means possible with his musical creations.
“I go through so much when producing my music,” Popov said. “Sometimes I don’t find what I like. Sometimes it comes to me when I randomly hear a melody. The inspiration can come at any time, which I find extremely amazing.”
Popov released a new track at the end of spring break titled “Sonic Sleep,” named in accordance with the atmosphere it creates. The piece focuses on the story of an astronaut who is traveling into space and experiencing a sense of calm as he breaks the sound barrier.
“I am ecstatic and cannot wait for people to hear what I have been working on,” Popov said. “It is going to be different from the pieces I have done before, and I am really looking forward to putting the finishing touches on it.”
One element of Popov’s music that he particularly enjoys is the beauty produced by the chord progressions that he incorporates into his tracks. According to Popov, he spends multiple hours in his room reworking his projects and figuring out how to perfect them. His inspirations for his songs appear in everyday life, and Popov appreciates that aspect of his music production.
“I enjoy being alone, really, when it comes to producing music,” Popov said. “The creative process is something to be admired because it allows for so much to be expressed. I really enjoy getting to create music, and I love that aspect of it.”
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