Born and raised in Anaheim, California, Aaron Bonnema, better known as AYYBO, has been engulfed in music for most of his life. It wasn’t until recent years that he decided to dive headfirst into house music, and hasn’t looked back. In this intriguing interview, we take the journey into understanding what it takes to put your all into something and see a beautiful outcome, going deep into the extraordinary world of AYYBO, whose creative journey has been nothing short of inspiring.
From the early days of middle school, where he taught himself to play the piano and discovered the joy of recreating their favorite tunes, to high school drumline, where their passion for music theory began to blossom, their musical path has been filled with curiosity and determination.
From then on, their passion for electronic music grew, and they found themselves drawn to the compelling sounds of house music. This fascination with electronic music would later significantly shape their unique sound and creative vision. Recently we had the opportunity to sit down with Bonnema and talk about his journey and where his future is heading. Check it out here:
EDM Maniac: How’s it going in life right now? How are you feeling?
AYYBO: It’s going well! Just getting as many tunes done before all these shows to test out. And I’m feeling really good and motivated.
EDM Maniac: We love to hear that you are in a great headspace. How’s your summer been?
AYYBO: It’s been really good, I just got back from vacation in Indonesia, so I have a ton of inspiration. Been in music production mode and excited to test out a lot of new music.
EDM Maniac: We can’t wait to hear what you have been cooking up! Let’s start from the beginning; how did you get into music?
AYYBO: It was in middle school where I taught myself piano and loved learning how to play my favorite songs. Then in high school, when I joined the drumline is where I got more into music theory. After high school, I watched youtube tutorials and learned how to make music on my laptop with no clear direction. In 2020 I started to produce house music, and that is when I fell in love with the genre.
EDM Maniac: Although music has always been in your life, you are self-taught, which is incredible. When was your first connection with electronic music?
AYYBO: As a kid, I remember the song “Do It Again” by the Chemical Brothers is really what got me into electronic music. I remember the bassline really stuck with me and was my first memory of house music.
EDM Maniac: What a timeless classic! Who are some of your biggest inspirations?
AYYBO: As of now, Michael Bibi, Shermanology, Mochakk, The Martinez Brothers, and Chris Lake to name a few. And Radiohead, my favorite band.
EDM Maniac: If you could describe your sound in a few words, what would you say?
AYYBO: I would say dark and funky.
EDM Maniac: Some of our favorite words to put together. Do you still do anything in cinematography?
AYYBO: Not really, aside from shooting my content for social media. I’ve sold all my film equipment and just have my iPhone tripod, that’s all I need.
EDM Maniac: In this day and age, that is all you need! What about design?
AYYBO: I still do Photoshop work and make my own artwork for my Soundcloud edits and tour fliers. And currently trying to make my own merch designs, but we’ll see how that goes!
EDM Maniac: It is so fascinating that you are designing your own merch! I can’t wait to see what you make. Can you tell us the inspiration behind “DRENCH?”
AYYBO: Thank you! I am excited as well. I think Channel Tres really inspired me to make a hip-hop-infused house song, and I have always loved both of those genres. I’ve been into hip-hop longer than house music, so feel like it’s a track I’ve always wanted to make.
EDM Maniac: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind “..PLAY SOME RECORDS?”
AYYBO: Dances With White Girls’ vocals are what floored me to make the track, as I felt like his vocals were deserving a dark and funky direction. Felt like his vocal was a pure stream of consciousness that needed to be grounded into a minimal groove.
EDM Maniac: You really accomplished that vision, it is such a heater! What is something you are looking forward to?
AYYBO: I’m looking forward to dropping my EP as it feels genuine to my evolving sound. We’re working on a lot of cool visual content for it, too, and excited to see how it’s turning out.
EDM Maniac: We are sure it is full of passion and love; we will look for it! Thank you so much for chatting with us.
AYYBO: The pleasure was all mine; thank you so much.
