Underground trailblazer VORHTEX has been releasing genre blending content on SoundCloud for the past 3 years; showcasing his powerhouse vocals and lyrical talent ranging from each end of the emotional spectrum. While most known for his heavy vocals with hardcore influences, he has proved to be more than just another trap metal artist. Beyond his music, VOHRTEX remains humble; showing his supporters and fellow artists his true self, beyond a persona. After taking a step back from his career, the Virginia native is ready to show supporters, old and new, a new side of the artist with sounds we’ve never heard before. ‘With a vengeance’, he is back, and ready to take his rightful spot in the forefront of up and coming underground musicians. VOHRTEX spoke with us on his eager plans of rebuilding himself as artist, and the journey he has taken to get here.
UU: What was your upbringing like? How has that helped shape you as an artist?
VOHRTEX: My upbringing was rather dark. My mom was mentally unstable and unmedicated, and dad was always working to support us. So, I dealt with quite a lot being a single child. Home was bad, school was terrible. I was actually institutionalized a few times before I even made it to highschool. So yeah. Pretty bad, but not entirely awful. I feel like my parents really tried sometimes though, even through all the bad. I was isolated a lot, though so that’s where the music thing came into play. While other kids were outside or hanging out with friends I was discovering and creating music. As much as I would like to say I wish I would’ve been hanging out with friends, I’m pretty thankful, because I learned a variety of trades and found a lot of artists.
Before you started making music, who were your favorite musicians? Who inspired you to start creating?
I liked a lot of different music growing up, my dad hipped me to a lot of great music. I would have to say the top ones were Born of Osiris, Animals as Leaders, Suicide Silence, Korn, Alice in Chains, Genesis, Marilyn Manson, Three Six Mafia, Tyler the Creator, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, ect. A lot of variety. I would have to say the two that really drove me to create was I Set My Friends On Fire and Tyler the Creator. I was in middle school when I found I.S.M.F.O.F. They were just two goofy dudes that managed to make music by themselves. And they did it for fun, not to be the “best artist” or anything. And when I first found Tyler it was just so different.
I realized rap didn’t really have to be put inside a box.
What was your musical start? Where does your rap influence come from?
I started playing percussion in band when I was in 5th grade, which eventually led to playing drums and guitar in middle school. I was always a fan of rap music, but I kept losing interest in the newer stuff because I felt everything I was able to find was either corny or I couldn’t relate to at all. I liked darker toned/themed music cause I was into metal and emo type shit. Eventually in highschool, I stumbled across artists like Denzel Curry, Flatbush Zombies, Pouya, and Tyler the Creator. They really changed my perception on what rap could be. After that, I kinda just tried it. And it was far easier for me to make rap music than be in a metal band. Metal is more of a reflection of a group of people, rap is kind of a reflection of one person. And I couldn’t really leave the house much, so rap was my best route.
Is there one moment that changed you forever musically? At what point did you realize this was more than a hobby?
My first show at Shaka’s. The Pouya one, of course. It was just really insane to see all those people chanting my name, I didn’t expect it at all. I didn’t even think anyone besides my friends that bought tickets knew who I was. And then as soon as the first bass drop hit they started moshing so hard they were shaking the entire floor. I was already stoked about the crowd reaction, but then I notice to the side Pouya and the boys had come out of the green room and were actually watching me. I told everyone I was going to win the audition to open for that show, and then it really happened. So, I realized it was possible for gnarly things to happen if you put your mind to it. Then for it to get as crazy as it did, AND the artists that inspire me dug it. Wild. Certainly one of the best days of my life so far.
If you could gift the world one thing, what would it be?
Alright this is going to sound so corny, but happiness.. If something I make can distract someone from their terrible life situation for three minutes, that’s fucking cool. I thought back on so many times where everything was just absolutely terrible, but there was that one artist or that one track that I could drown everything out to. If I could become that for a lot of people, I would feel really accomplished. Especially if I could make a living off of it.
You’re kind of a jack of all trades when it comes to the industry, trying your hand in many different sections of creation. Why have you made it a mission to verse yourself in several areas of creation? What is most rewarding when creating?
Really it’s two things: one, I’m broke as hell, so I don’t have the resources or money to get anyone else to help me, and two, I just wanted to prove a point. Everyone acts like they don’t have the ability to do things themselves, and I think that’s just an excuse. When I first started recording, I was borrowing equipment, and whenever they took it back I couldn’t work on music. So I saved money to buy my own cheap microphone, then learned how to record on a free audio program. You don’t need the top notch stuff to make something. I actually got that kind of mentality from watching a documentary on Jack White. Dude picked up some scrap and a piece of wood and turned it into an instrument.
Ever since then I just kind of realized you don’t need a bunch of stuff to create. It’s really awesome to see something you made with the bare minimum and people appreciate it like like it’s something great.
With how vocally demanding your style is, how have you taken care of your voice? Do you have any tips and tricks for keeping your screams powerful and clean?
Honestly, I don’t take care of my voice at all, and it’s absolutely awful. I smoke cigs and pull gravs, and I’m pretty sure that’s probably the worst thing you can do to your voice. The only tips I could really give is watch some old vocal tutorials on YouTube, and learn how to use your diaphragm to scream. I feel like a lot of people are just yelling now, and equalizing it, then throwing distortion on it. And that works for recording the tracks, but if you try straight yelling when you’re performing you’re going to wear out your throat quick. Especially if you plan on touring and yelling for days straight. On show days I usually just try to smoke less and drink room temperature water, but that’s about it.
What has been your favorite performance thus far? Where do you hope to perform one day?
I have two. The first Pouya show of course, and then this local show I did. It was at this old historical building downtown during the middle of summer. There was no AC and the building was made out of stone, so just being there was exhausting. It was all friends and acquaintances so it was really awesome, almost like a highschool reunion type shit. I was really nervous, cause I was the only artist that was there with “my sound” and a lot of the locals were only hip to my Kanye remix, but people went so crazy the floor actually broke. Like, dudes leg went through a plank or two. So gnarly [Laughs].
Where do you see yourself musically by the end of the year? What are some of your goals for 2018?
Hopefully a lot farther than I am now. I took a break for a while and I feel like I really put myself back. So now I’m planning on kicking it into high gear. Kind of a now or never thing. Expect bigger things though, definitely.
Who among your peers do you admire most, and why?
I really love all my friends, and they’re constantly making me proud. But, definitely Zack Kelly. Unfortunately, he’s not with us anymore but he continues to bring us all together. If it weren’t for him none of this would have happened. Seriously. I probably wouldn’t even be typing up this interview. He introduced me to all of my friends that turned into my biggest supporters, even made the booth I record in. I just wish I could thank him, ya know. Everything I do from now on will be with him in mind though. That boy never gonna be forgotten.
Tell me about your involvement with Pouya. How did his cosign affect you as an artist, and do you think that support from larger artists is necessary in this industry?
I mean I caught his attention at the show, he followed me, and every now and then he responds. But, we’re definitely not as close as everyone thinks. He reposted one of my covers/parody/remix and it boosted me up a lot. I wouldn’t call it a cosign though, I feel like it’s more of an “I’ve got my eye on you” type deal. I think he wants me to further myself as an artist before he makes any moves with me like a collab or anything and I respect that. He’s always been the bigger artist to reach down and shed the light on artists he feels have potential. I think great new music would be so much easier to find if bigger artists started helping the little guys get out there. There’s so many talented kids all over that have a product they don’t know how to put into society.
Genre blending has become a basic component of underground music, though you seem to successfully push the limits. Have you ever, in your opinion, pushed the envelope too hard, or is that impossible?
I think that music is music. And if it wasn’t for people stretching the norms of music, we wouldn’t have so many genres and styles. To go back in time and to see what some of the things society said was “pushing the limit” is almost comical. Like my grandma remembers parents burning Elvis albums because they thought he was “too much.” So really, I don’t have a specific desired sound, or a sound I feel like I need to fit into. I just make what I want, and if people like it they like it. If you don’t believe in an envelope anything is possible I guess [laughs].
People commented on your Fallout relics. Tell us about that. Do you find that hobbies outside of music are necessary to continue your creative flow?
Ah, the prop making [laughs]. Really, I have no idea where it came from. I guess it was the classic sense of not having much money to work with. I’ve always said you’re a product of your environment, so I usually try to get creative with my work area. Before it was Deathnote, but I needed a switch up so now it’s Fallout. I just really love the aesthetic and lore of their games, so that’s what I went with. So I bought a few things, and made a lot myself. As for hobbies outside of music, absolutely.
I think that if all you try to do is music all the time you’re going to burn yourself out. Yes, consistency and practice is key. But, you also don’t want to overdo something.
If the only thing I ever did was music I would grow tired of it so quickly. Getting into different hobbies also introduces you to different content and experiences, which can then lead you to inspiration and new ideas.
You have a new project coming out soon, potentially over the next couple weeks if i’m correct. Is there anything you can tell us about this tape? Further, you’ve committed to releasing content monthly, including tapes, music videos, and podcasts. What can you tell us about the reemergence of VOHRTEX, as far as the amount amount of dedication you’re committing and content your releasing?
I’ve been sleeping on music and putting out content for so long that I’m planning on coming back with a vengeance. Last year was absolutely awful, and people were definitely expecting more of me. But, unfortunately that’s just not the way it ended up working out. And I feel like more than an apology is due, so I plan on releasing as much content this year as I possibly can. The tape that I’m going to drop this month is more of a showcase of all my different kinds of sounds. I feel like people have already put me inside the box of the “rap-metal” stuff and I just want to show I can be far more than that. As for all the other content, my supporters are kinda bummed I don’t have any visuals. The visuals I do have, aren’t for any of the tracks they really dig either. So this year I’m going to fix that. I just bought video editing software and my homie is learning how to film. About the podcast, I don’t really think that’s my thing. So I won’t be hosting the podcast, my homie is. However, I’ll be featured on it co-hosting in a segment.
Your long hair had become a signature of VOHRTEX, but you recently donated it after 5 years of growing it out. Was this always the plan? What motivated you to donate it?
I don’t necessarily remember what drove me to do it, but that was the plan all along. I probably saw something on twitter that made me cry and continued growing it. Eventually people actually started recognizing me because of the hair but, I never forgot about the main reason I grew it out and that one day I would be cutting it. Recently, I’ve been working in some very dusty conditions and it started making my hair really dry. So I figured it’s about to get hot, and I didn’t want my hair to get damaged before I donated it. So I chopped it. I can actually feel the wind in my hair now [laughs]. It’s pretty great.
after five long years i finally did it. chopped and donated my hair to pantene beautiful lengths. guess they can't call my music hiphop hair metal anymore.. 💕 pic.twitter.com/RiKWshoFKr
— NOTHING, NOEONE. (@VOHRTEX) February 21, 2018
If you could be any other artist in history, who would you be and why?
Probably Prince, he was cool as hell. Talented too. I have no idea though [laughs].
You recently came back from a year long music break. Why did you make that decision, and has it helped you in the ways you’ve hoped?
Really I just didn’t have time for music, and I burned myself out trying to be so consistent on top of the life stuff I was dealing with. Last year was one of the hardest years of my life. A ridiculous amount of debt, death, and depression. All I did was work, trying to get debt paid off. Everytime I made progress an awful event would occur and I would miss work and get behind again.
Really I just needed time to work on me.
Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have been able to handle the stress of music. I did a few local shows and opened for some bigger artists, but as for making music it pretty much came to a halt. I think that after last year I’ve grown quite a lot, and progressed my sound. So I hope when everyone hears/sees this new content they’ll agree. Expect change though.
After this break, what can we expect to be different about VOHRTEX? Will we be seeing a new side of you?
Definitely. Almost all of my earlier music followed a storyline. I’m sure a lot of people don’t know this. But if you go back to the ancient stuff, all my music was made into these two characters. Dirt and Vohrtex. I really threw some heavy hints in Jukai and the Sinsational Summer tape, but it just got old. It was really frustrating making all this music as these characters. Having to develop a story behind every track I made became exhausting, especially when I wanted to make certain tracks as myself.
So I’ve dropped that for awhile, and now I’m just making music as myself. I just think it’s a better approach because there’s only so much someone can relate to a fictional character.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you hope to do with your life?
I have no idea, I think about living in a remote place and working with animals or around nature a lot. I guess the top one would be to become a wildlife photographer. I really, really want to travel. No matter what. Wherever my life leads me, all I can hope is that I’m able to travel and see the world before it’s destroyed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIvW09gBBQm/?taken-by=vohrtex
You seem to be more vocal about your personal life than others in the industry. Artists have gotten into a pattern where their personal lives are only discussed through their music. Why do you think that being vocal about your struggles through more than your music is so important?
I have no idea, sometimes I just be bitching on twitter [laughs]. But I feel like more of a person than an artist, that’s why I’m not afraid to hide my emotions or shit I’m going through to protect this image that I’ve created. Not just that, I feel like a lot of my supporters relate. And when they see me having a shitty time, sometimes they reach out to me and tell me their life situation is trash too and we bond, ha. I’ve been trying to be more positive though.
Rather than complain about things I don’t like I’m starting to just post about things I do like. Kinda a “if you don’t have anything good to say, just don’t say anything at all” type thing.
Do you ever feel like you have offered too much of yourself to your supporters? How have you balanced life as an artist and as a human?
I feel like I haven’t offered enough yet, honestly. But starting this year, that’ll change. And I’ve come to the realization as I’ve said before that you shouldn’t burn yourself out. So I’ve kinda figured out how to balance it. I asked for designated days off of work so that I can have a day to relax, and a day to just grind on music, clothes, or videos. It’s a lot less stressful than trying to work on music any given free time I get. Sometimes you just gotta chill.
Who do you hope to make music with that you haven’t yet?
Too many to name really. One of the top ones would be Tyler the Creator though. It’s always been my dream to work with him because he definitely drove me to create. His production is absolutely insane. Maybe $uicideboy$, Pou, Shakewell, Ramirez, Germ, Nedarb, honestly just too many to name [laughs].
What has been the most rewarding moment during your life as VOHRTEX?
The last couple weeks of summer after the first pouya show, everyone was so proud of me. There wasn’t a single minute we were bored, plus there was some great music dropping at that time. Summer of 2016 will definately be one of the best times of my life. A lot of that time was spent with my boy Zack, I’ll never forget that shit.
What is your mission as an artist? What do you hope to achieve during your career that others may not realize is a goal?
Just to make a decent enough income to where I can live comfortable and continue making music for my supporters. The more time I have to create, the more content comes out.
What do your supporters need to know about you? Do you have anything else you’d like to include?
That I really appreciate them. When I was out of work due to medical problems, my supporters would check in on me and buy merch.
That merch money fed me and paid for trips I needed to take for shows.
And that support got me through the day. I had a huge gash in my back so I couldn’t really partake in anything, couldn’t even sleep really. I was miserable and if it wasn’t for my friends and supporters I would’ve went insane.
Check out VOHRTEX down below