For many students, getting paid to do what they are passionate about feels like only a pipedream. For Dylan Browne, it is his past, present and future.
A UA junior and music major, Browne is a Tucson native and a musical artist under the name Bansheebeat. The independent electronic artist is inspired by Super Nintendo and Toonami, and Bansheebeat has been Browne’s primary musical project for years.
Music has been a staple in Browne’s life since he found himself needing a hobby.
“In elementary school, I needed something to do and I had tried chess and tennis but did not like it,” Browne said. “I tried band and played bells, which was kind of lame, but then I got into drums and piano.”
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After getting more involved with music, he began to write it.
“I started writing music for various small bands I played in, and once I got to high school I played an ensemble band called Chubbish Rubbish,” he said. “It was all written and produced by one guy, and I liked how he could make crazy sounds without other people.”
Browne has kept his passion for music throughout college and said majoring in music has aided his career as an artist.
“I am a composition major, so that is writing, but one class that helped was Careers in Music,” he said. “[The class basically said] ‘Hey, you are a musician, here are tips on advertising yourself, branding, meeting new people and so on.’”
On March 27, Browne released an EP, titled “Techno Deluxe,” that is available on iTunes, SoundCloud and Spotify to stream and purchase.
“My last album was a slow-burner. I loved those records a lot, but I cannot play it at a club to hype the crowd,” he said. “I wanted to put those two kinds of listening situations together so it could be listened to while riding in your car or on a walk.”
Many cities, Los Angeles in particular, have been instrumental in helping Browne craft his style.
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“Lately, much of my music has been informed by the independent club scene in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York,” he said. “I took a lot of cues from my DJ friends in L.A. and put parts of that into my own music.”
Browne also cites the artists he works with as inspiration for the music he makes.
“At the moment, I collaborate with a lot of independent electronic musicians throughout the country and internationally,” he said. “We bounce ideas, and I find more inspiration through that than when I first started hearing records.”
Despite rap not showing up that often in his music, Browne is a huge fan of the genre.
“A few years ago, I established Flying Lotus’ ‘Cosmogramma’ as my favorite album of all time, but J Dilla’s “Doughnuts” is a solid runner up,” he said. “I really liked the new Lil Yachty tape and that he sampled DAOKO for one of his tracks.”
When Browne is not making music, he often spends time buying and listening to new and old albums.
“My consumption of music varies to the point where I will buy 20 new albums or not hear new music for a year,” he said. “My goal is to write music for a living that can connect my message with an individual listener and have it resonate.”
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