At only 19-years-old, Patrick Harrison is balancing being a full time medicine student with building a career in the music industry.
The Thai music producer says everything comes down to time management and wants to make the most out of any time he has.
Talk to me about yourself as an artist.
My passion for EDM (electronic dance music) began when I was about 12, where I found myself inspired by many great artists in the industry. I’ve started DJing at the age of 14 and got into producing by the age of 15. Being able to take part in creating a bigger industry for more people to enjoy EDM motivates me to expand my discography until this very day.
Looking at your discography, you don’t stick to one sub-genre within electronic music. In particular ‘Victoria‘ which is a dark orchestral themed festival dance track. Do you tend to sit down with the intention of making something with a specific sound or do you let the music go wherever it wants?
I regularly listen to a vast amount of genres – as a result, my inspirations may come from different origins. I usually tend not to limit my ideas to a particular genre, but rather allow a mixture of sounds and experiment around to achieve a result I deem best for each track.
You’re currently based in Nottingham and studying at the university there – can you tell us more about that?
I’m currently based in Nottingham, a small city heavily populated by students in the midland regions of the United Kingdom. I’m currently in my 2nd year at the University of Nottingham. It’s a remarkable university with a diverse society filled with young and talented students from various backgrounds.
What made you pick medicine? Is helping sick people a passion of yours?
I’ve always dreamt of becoming a doctor ever since I was a kid. Back in high school, I’m stuck at a crossroads between pursuing my career as a doctor or a career in the music industry. I ended up choosing the former, while still trying to be active in building a side career in music for as long as I can. I’ve picked medicine for a number of reasons, one of them is to have a chance at helping patients in need.
So you’re doing a degree and still have time to produce music – how do you manage to find all the time, especially as medicine is known to be one of the most intense courses going?
Medicine is indeed a very tough and demanding course. Everyone’s given the same amount of time, but I think it really comes down to time management. I’ve always seen music production as a leisure activity whenever I’m taking a break from studying. EDM and music have really grown on me and it would be difficult for me to discontinue what I started. In times where there is less coursework and exams, I would always try and make the most out of the time I have.
I had to Google when I saw your real name to see where it originated and if I’m not mistaken, it’s Thai. Considering the culture in Thailand is influenced by many other Asian cultures, do you feel your music represents where your roots have come from?
Haha yes, it’s Thai. To be honest, I don’t think my music represents much of where I come from. A track of mine called ‘Ayutthaya‘ would be the closest resemblance of a track that was inspired by my culture. Apart from that, I would consider my musical influence to be global.
Coronavirus has been a global issue for what seems like an eternity. How has lockdown affected you personally and with regard to your career in music as Patrick Harrison?
I believe the coronavirus has given me a hard time as much as it did with everyone else. The most significant effect the pandemic has on my personal life has to do with traveling, whether it’s domestic or international. Many activities and places are not as accessible as it used to be, especially amidst the lockdown in the UK at the moment. In regards to Patrick Harrison, the pandemic has canceled all of my scheduled gigs. Nonetheless, I’m still always producing and will hopefully be back to some live gigs as soon as the situation becomes better.
When Covid-19 has finally cleared up and the world is a safer place, what’s at the top of your bucket list of things you want to do?
Definitely go for a night out. I really miss the party atmosphere, and it would be even better if I could play a gig myself. Let’s hope for the best!
