The GRiD's alternate venue was just down the way from their usual spot in the Mist.
The large plot had a beautiful view of the neighborhood. After joking about how I was being taken to a basement, I was pleased to find that the downstairs club was decorated to feel like a private dance party on the beach—exotic fish, water flowing, views of the ocean, and what looked like a tiki bar.
When I met Slickwix Gobbybeats, also known as DJ Gobbybeats, at the spot in Marilith, I had no idea how cozy it would be. Shortly after we sat down to chat, folks were coming in from all over to enjoy the set. The opener was another DJ who goes by the name Ctrl-Z. The trance music had some edge and cool melodies that worked nicely with the chill tone of the evening.
Gobbybeats is a Lalafell, or “Goblafell”, DJ who hails from the Pacific Northwest and livestreams his sets frequently on Twitch.
“Gobby is an exaggerated version of myself,” he said. “I have a lot of… gremlin energy IRL and enjoy being goofy."
"Gobby has his own lore I usually make up on the fly, but otherwise he’s just a very caffeinated me.”
We both laughed about that. When I pressed him for what was new in the lore of Gobby, he did provide a little backstory. As the tale goes, Gobby was adopted and raised by a family of Goblins. Thus, he prefers the tag of a “Goblafell”.
Being a Lalafell amongst Goblins made him a bit of a black sheep no matter how steeped in Goblin culture he may have been. And with a family whose career hopes for their children include both adopted siblings going into law, the decision to become a musician wasn’t met with immediate praise.
“They were hoping for another prestigious career-driven member of the family. It doesn’t help that the lawyers of the family typically have to bail [Gobby] out of legal trouble,” he explained.
The wheels were turning behind the mask as he recalled a few times he was caught putting his foot in his mouth.
“Legal counsel is always nice. Yelling, ‘Yes, it’s a gland, and no I will not elaborate,’ into an entire venue takes some smoothing over.”
Not every moment of Goblafell life was met with struggle, though. Being a goblin was succinctly described as a life where you didn’t stay in one place for too long, you scavenged a lot, and you got to blow stuff up.
“Recreational explosives are not as well loved here in Eorzea as [they are] in Goblin culture,” Gobby explained. “Sure, you guys have fireworks, but it’s [not] the same as turning something into rubble or blowing a hole in the wall.”
(But let’s not jump ahead of ourselves and add too much chaos to the next Moonfire Faire.)
Outside of Eorzea, Gobby uses the freedom of livestreaming to get out all their musical kicks.
“My [IRL] family isn’t full of musicians, I’m the only one,” he explained. “However, ever since I was little there [was] always a radio going or VH1 (when that was a thing). My parents got me Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory when I was in 6th grade. From that point on I was obsessed.”
Linkin Park was one of many musical acts to leave a mark on him; he still regularly listens to their flagship albums Hybrid Theory and Meteora. And who can blame him?
IRL-Gobby found his pursuit of happiness in music.
“I was a guitar player for 10 years, was even gonna get my degree in guitar performance,” he said. “Arthritis and carpal tunnel in both hands and wrists sidelined that. DJ'ing became my outlet.”
A guitar performance degree is no joke, either. Such a degree often comes with extensive ear training and curricula focused heavily on music theory and tone, culminating into building your own unique sound for an eventual recital to prove your body of work.
It was a time of metamorphosis for IRL-Gobby, though. His personal life was completely changing the same time that he had to put down the guitar to focus on his recovery. “[The pain] wasn’t even the worst thing happening at the time," he admitted with a laugh. "Fast forward, however, I have come to grips with it. It helps that no one can ever force me to play a barre chord again. And that after 24 weeks of physical therapy my pain has greatly reduced, and I can play my guitar a bit again."
FFXIV became the escapism Gobby needed, and a small introduction into the club scene by his FC was all it took to get started DJing for crowds.
“It’s been a wild ride since,” he said. “Having a background in music and an obsession with my music library allowed me to gain ground really fast.”
Having Gobby as a persona has also helped him personally. Being a goofy Goblafell has given IRL-Gobby the chance to embrace more of his goofiness and kindness and let go of whatever else might be eating him in the real world.
“Gobby definitely brings out the best in me,” he said.
“I leave all my snark and sarcasm at the door… OK not all of it, but like a lot of it.”
When asked if there were specific elements in music he seeks out for his sets, he replied: “Yes, but it's nothing I can explain other than the feeling I get. When a track hits right it's like the lizard part of my brain just lights up and I know this is gonna work.”
As a DJ, his focus is on complex mixes and smooth transitions. Gobby loves being a Lalafell performer and being part of the community.
“Any time it’s a Lalafell party, I’m having a good time,” he said. “I also enjoy that I don't get hit on. I just want to spin good tracks, make bad jokes in /yell, and vibe.”
Other than joking that having to stand on DJ decks rather than standing behind them to be seen during a performance can be tough, he’s had a great time being a Lalafell performer. He hopes to continue doing so and livestreaming his work.
“I have pretty bad anxiety and ADHD, which makes holding a traditional job torture,” he said.” So, I’ve definitely aimed for making my living streaming. If for whatever reason the FFXIV scene ended, you would see me streaming something music related and doing sets.”
When asked what advice he’d give to Lalafell looking to join the club scene or become a performer themselves, he said:
“Find your tribe."
"Not every venue is gonna be a great fit and not every crowd is gonna fall in love with what you do. However, the scene is large enough that you will find [your people] if you keep looking.”
Soon after the interview was over, Gobby took the stage himself. His set was full of dance music that combined some lyrical classics with trance or EDM musicality. The mix was upbeat and really proved that VH1-era influence he spoke about earlier.
DJ Gobbybeats performs every Wednesday from 9 p.m. to midnight EST at The GRiD in Marilith. If you’re interested, you can find the venue in the Mist, in Ward 13, Plot 32.
If you want to see more of Gobby, make sure to follow on Twitch at dj_gobbybeats.
Comentários