Motif Interviews Tom Evans, aka Procrast, of The White Panda

On December 30, The White Panda will be appearing at Lupo’s for the sixth time. In anticipation of the show, I sat down with Tom Evans, aka Procrast, to talk about their latest album, their inspirations and what the future holds.

Llewelyn Ross (Motif): You and your partner DJ Griffi (Dan Griffith) just put out your sixth full-length album, The Pawprint. What is the dynamic like between the two of you when you’re producing new music?

Tom Evans: I think that we made 100 or so mixes for The Pawprint. It took about a year to make. It’s more electronic than past albums, which reflects our taste in music a bit more. The process of making our albums starts out as a very independent endeavor, and then we bounce our creations and ideas off one another. It’s nice to have a second set of ears.

LR: Who are your biggest musical inspirations, and who do you like to sample the most?

TE: Our go-to mixes are an electronic beat with hip-hop on top. Examples of samples we’ve used recently are M83 and Passion Pit. Right now, the people I admire [in this industry] are innovators like Diplo and Skrillex — people who find their own sound.

LR: What has been your biggest break/opportunity so far in your musical career?

TE: We’ve been playing a lot of shows and haven’t had many “breaks,” but Lollapalooza back in 2012 [Tom calls Chicago his home] was probably the biggest opportunity we’ve had so far. Also, getting asked to play Firefly [see confetti-filled photo] for four straight years.

LR: How has your sound evolved?

TE: Our music has evolved in terms of its tightening of production viagra online because our skill sets are better, so our mixes are properly EQ’ed and mastered. Also, for samples, we only use 100% original, official, high-quality audio. In the past, we used lower-quality audio sometimes. We’re holding ourselves to higher standards.

LR: What are you working on right now?

TE: We always do mashups, but it’s fun to challenge ourselves with remixes and original production. That’s what we plan to work on now.

LR: What can concertgoers expect when they see you make your sixth appearance at Lupo’s on the 30th?

TE: A real sweaty, high-energy, big party. We come out swinging and we keep the energy going. We’ve still got our custom LED masks, a light show that is timed to go with the music and lots of confetti cannons. We’re excited to get back to Lupo’s.