Glimpses of the South Florida Scene: The Get

New Times: When we first heard about you, you were DJing at

DJ'ing, doing remixes, and eventually making your own tracks.

Edwin Jantunen: I have been playing in some band or another ever

since I bought a bass guitar in the eighth grade. I met Judson [Rogers, of Sumsun] in high

school, and we ended up recording a few things. By

this time, I had started making my own tracks because I just couldn't

find any friends that were as into post-rock as I was. I was very big

into Constellation records and Sigur Ros, Mogwai, etc., at the time and

loved the whole concept of dynamics within instrumental music. I

started DJ'ing later on because I thought it'd be fun. It was a new way

to express myself, and it also gave me an excuse to buy a PA and some

live performance gear. My approach was definitely not the traditional

one at the time, but it was the cheapest. I don't use turntables simply

because I was broke, so now I do everything internally with Traktor.

I did some house parties and a couple of mobile gigs -- kids' parties -- to

pay off my equipment. Mobile gigs suck, by the way. After that, I

started remixing a lot more, just because it's a crucial part of music

culture. Eventually I started playing at more legitimate venues, though always as a DJ and never as an original artist. (I really have to thank

all the DJs at Respectable Street, especially J.J.) My music is so

eclectic and varied stylistically that I've never been able to make a

cohesive live set that truly captures my vision. I'm a real

perfectionist when it comes to this.

Wait, why do mobile gigs suck?

I had to deal with parents who thought they knew everything about

everything and still tried to stiff me at the end of the night. That,

coupled with spoiled little kids asking for Soulja Boy and Lady Gaga --

plus stupid party games -- equaled me out of the equation as soon as I paid

off my gear.

You've already mentioned how you met Judson, but how did you get

The first incarnation of the current Sumsun was in December '09 at a

Dewars' house show. We played a one-time show as the Real Sun, doing an

early version of "Ants" and a couple of other Samo

songs. It was a really relaxed thing with our samplers all chained up,

sitting on the floor across from each other. It was funny that we found

ourselves back there a year later playing some of the same songs with

the same gear. I ended up in Sumsun because Judson had been looking to

expand the sound and live dynamic for a while. As far as what I do

live, I'm basically handling a majority of the drums and bass as well

as mixer and line effects. This frees Judson up to really nail the

guitar parts and add further texture and tones with his samplers on top

of the core that he already has. Structure-wise, we are very loose, and

it's different every time we play, so we just cue each other on what we

want to happen next.

have contributed to your own sound-making?

As far as my influences go, it's a very difficult sound to nail down.

Post-rock, especially Lift Your Skinny Fists by Godspeed You Black Emperor! was a huge

influence in my early attempts at songwriting. Later on, going to UMF

and learning about minimal techno and techno in general really made me

fall in love with dance music. Going to Philadelphia in '09 also taught me a lot. I've ended up DJ'ing quite a bit up there during

the last two years, but it's more guerrilla stuff -- basements and

rooftops. More recently, it's been my friends and all the local

bands/DJs and other, lesser-known bands that I've met. It's not always

so much the sounds they make but the attitude and personalities they

have. I've really expanded my idea of what's possible as a musician

over the last year because of all the musicians I've met.

the song to sound like before you record?

My songs come about from everyday incidents -- a slip of the tongue or a

friendly smile. Pinning down that which moves me is a feat that still

eludes. A strong feeling will overtake me, and then I will be compelled

to translate that feeling the best I can through music. I start with

this feeling, and it evolves as I carve away at the timbres and

textures. I may have some kind of idea of where I am going when I start

a song, but I let each piece take itself to where it wants to be, which

may explain why I have such a wide variety of music. I am very much at

the whims of the everyday occurrence, and anything can create an emotion

that sends me on some tangent which I may work out one way or another. I am still waiting for that inspirational

moment that will drive an LP's worth of music that I truly believe in.

I know you've been working on tracks and that you hope to eventually

The only thing that will determine whether or not I put out an EP

versus an LP will be the amount of content that comes out of the

fountainhead. It's definitely possible.

Let's switch gears a little -- tell me about Lush Haus. How'd you get started on that project?

Judson

approached me and P.J. (Secret Hideout) around mid-November about

starting a monthly. We

settled on the name and the idea that we all really wanted a way to

showcase sounds and styles that aren't necessarily represented in the

local scene. Whenever I'm DJ'ing somewhere else, I try my best to play to

the crowd and their expectations in a way that supports the

other acts. This doesn't always mean I can really play what I'm into at

that moment. Now I have a space to let down my hair, have a great time,

and hopefully turn on people to some really new and interesting sounds.

I really love what everyone is doing here in the 561, so contributing to

the melting pot in this fashion seems logical. I'd love to see the

music scene keep growing and become ever more vibrant and resilient. After

a better-than-expected first show, I'm hoping the ball keeps rolling and

that people can find an experience in it worthwhile enough to share with

others.

Any upcoming live dates you can let us know about?

I have never played a live show, and I don't have plans to yet, although

I feel myself getting closer and closer to it. Maybe it'll happen at a

Lush Haus sometime.

Check out the Get on SoundCloud and Facebook.  Download his Lush Haus mix here.