Hot music maker Mr. Carmack draws on experience for creativity

DJ and producer Mr. Carmack — a musician with Hawaii roots who often plays and performs in the islands but has been elusive to media, even as his professional profile rises — has transformed himself from college dropout to one of the most prolific electronic music producers of today.

Along the way, Aaron Carmack has also risen above personal setbacks to share his high-octane sonic grooves with the world.

The acclaimed trap-electro music-maker, whose affiliations include Diplo’s Mad Decent label and forward-thinking Los Angeles-based music collectives Soulection and Team Supreme, comes to The Republik on Friday.

Born in San Francisco before eventually moving to Long Beach, Calif., the 26-year-old versatile beat marvel credits the three years he lived on Oahu for helping him understand that potential has no limits.

“I had a feeling that I really had to harness what I was doing,” Carmack said. “It was a life-changing experience for me living in Hawaii, then I moved away. It was almost like a dream.”

A French horn player in high school, Carmack, who is also gifted on the piano and ukulele, earned a music scholarship at California State University, Long Beach, before dropping out. Broke and living on the streets of Long Beach, he scrounged up all the funds he could and bought a one-way ticket to Hawaii to live with his older sister.

“I needed to take the time to get my real life together, and who better to help me than my sister?” he said. “Also, being by myself really helped. It’s the age-old artist story: You can have all the talent in the world, but if you can’t get your life together, it can kind of fall apart.”

Carmack, who is Filipino and Hawaiian, comes from a family of musicians with ohana on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island. His father, Carlton “Ka‘ala” Carmack, is a producer, singer, pianist and music instructor at Windward Community College. His sister Anima is also an accomplished vocalist.

Living with his sister in Alewa Heights provided Aaron Carmack with the change of scenery he desperately needed. The move also gave him the chance to focus solely on making beats.

“I was literally doing nothing but writing music and working,” he said. “All day, all night, no people obligations, no financial obligations, no tours, no nothing.”

Focused and free from the distractions that plagued him in Long Beach, he would post five or more songs on Soundcloud for free every month. He made money by selling tracks on the online music store Bandcamp.

Two No. 1 songs on Bandcamp helped him build a strong online following. Before he knew it, he was in L.A., surrounded by like-minded visionaries, producing full time.

Fast-forward to the present and Carmack, who has worked with artists like RL Grime, Kehlani and Skrillex, is one of the most sought-after trap-electro producers in the game.

His sound is hard, innovative and in your face. It is equal parts urban symphonic street thumps and quick-tempo, bass-knocking, electro-jazz grooves, melded effortlessly.

You would be hard-pressed to name a major music festival stage that he hasn’t conquered — Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival, Lollapalooza — or a remix he hasn’t utterly destroyed (in a good way).

He recently teamed up with Canadian duo Tennyson to produce three songs (simply titled “Tuesday,” “Wednesday” and “Thursday”) in three days to respond to a challenge by Red Bull Sound Select, a hub that spotlights independent artists.

Carmack’s knack for attacking a soundscape from an assortment of genres and styles on a deep catalog of projects like “Bang Vol. 3,” “Dimebag,” “The Yellow EP” and “The Reality EP” shows off his versatility in full flex-mode, but in most cases the Mr. Carmack effect is best experienced live.

He says he’s ready for his return engagement at The Republik, where members of Team Supreme will kick things off before Carmack closes things out with an hourlong set of original music.

“This show is relevant to my experience in Hawaii. Team Supreme bought my ticket from Hawaii to L.A,” said Carmack. “They have showed me a lot of love and support. This show is to thank them.”

Local producers and recording artists take note: There will be a pre-show event called “Pass the Aux” at which audience members will be able to hear their music on the venue’s sound system simply by plugging in their cellphone, laptop or other audio device into the system. The “Pass the Aux” concept has been a popular attraction at Carmack and Team Supreme shows.

“Hopefully, this is something fun for local Hawaiian producers and artists,” he said.

“A lot of kids don’t get to hear their music outside of their headphones or their … computer speakers.”

Carmack’s selfless approach to putting out music hasn’t changed with fame. He said establishing close relationships with fans through his music is something he will always value.

“It’s not like my fans are going to shut down on me,” he said. “I can give them something they may not like, but it’s indicative of where I am in the world today. … My ideas constantly shift.”

As honest as he can be about the highs in life, Carmack can be just as candid about the lows he’s experienced.

“I was feeling depressed this morning. I didn’t want to get out of bed — but I remembered I had to (stuff) to do,” he said. “I learned over my life that if you don’t address your problems right away, they pile up.”

On a recent Australia and New Zealand tour, he said, he drank a bottle of whiskey a day. Four weeks of sobriety followed the liquor binge. Being on the road constantly can also hinder his creativity, he said.

“It was definitely party time. When you are on tour, they kinda give you whatever you want. You can kinda lose yourself and have fun,” he admitted. “I’ve never come close to the feeling of everything just being perfect. It’s a constant struggle for balance.”

While avoiding stagnancy is key to Carmack’s goal of longevity, he believes there is much more ground to explore and conquer in the realm of music. Erasing the boundaries of sound and a little perseverance has gotten him this far, but he’s really just getting started.

“Helping people get their ideas out or reach ideas they never knew they had is something I want to focus on now,” he said. “Magnifying what it is that you do and finding things you’re not good at, and trying to work out the kinks — that’s a good way to keep yourself engaged and enthusiastic.”