viista

Interview

About Kurtis St. Marie aka viista

Hey yall, I'm from North Carolina but moved to Massachusetts for 10 years and then moved back to NC 4 or so years ago. I've been on this website for roughly 5 and a half years, and I can assure all of you I would not be the same person without this place that helped me find my sound, as well as most of the friends I've made online. So thanks for that, I'm very grateful, I really genuinely mean that.:]

Describe the style of music you produce

There are two main versions of my style on Audiotool, Trap and Downtempo (calm chill melancholy stuff). My goal now is to really push these genres to a different level. I try my best to combine elements of other styles and genres of music with trap drums, and different types of breaks just to see what happens.

What is your musical background and when did you start making music?

Well if you wanna go ALL the way back the first music I ever listened to was Linkin Park. I vividly remember getting Meteora and listening to it fully for the first time on my PS3. My first interests in music production started around on Indiloop when I was around 10 years old. After I couldn't use Indiloop anymore, I shifted my focus towards another website called Looplabs. After discovering Audiotool, I signed up. Aka the best decision I ever made. My name was vistamista for a long time until it became shortened to viista, although both names are interchangeable.

What is your favorite Audiotool device and why?

Okay, so it's a three way tie between the Pulv, Pulsar Delay, and Waveshaper. But if I had to choose, I'd say the Pulv because my Downtempo style would either not exist at all or not be the same without it.

What is your favourite trick in AT/What technique do you always use?

My favorite technique is how I've been making my 808s recently. I'll just take an 808 sample, put some tube distortion, then waveshaper, then slope with low frequency turned all the way up, then a crusher to help with mixing. Ok the crusher thing might actually be my favorite. It just doesn't seem like it would work but it does a pretty good job at mixing your track.

Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?

I usually take a short break from it all and either go outside and sit on my porch for a few mins, play a game or two, just do some random improv on my keyboard, or watch YouTube videos. If that doesn't work then I'd try using your emotions to your advantage and make music off of that.

What has helped you the most on Audiotool to improve and widen your musical horizon?

I'd say all the people I listed earlier in this interview, as well as my family. I'm grateful to have known people that genuinely care about me, especially when they could have easily said I should pursue something else, but they're supportive and I'm eternally thankful for that.

What do you like most about Audiotool? Is there anything you would like to suggest?

My favorite part of Audiotool is the sheer amount of variety of things you can do in the studio. You can literally make any sound you want, for free. I would have actually sucked at music production for a lot longer if it wasn't for this website.

Your message to the community:

I want to tell you all that you're loved or will be loved, even if it's not right now.

“My favorite part of Audiotool is the sheer amount of variety of things you can do in the studio. You can literally make any sound you want, for free.”

— viista