Baauer is very online

The platinum-selling hitmaker is back with album “PLANETS MAD”.

Harrison Rodrigues, the Portuguese New Yorker and platinum-selling producer better known as Baauer went viral with 2012’s “Harlem Shake”, the bass track that would go onto inspire one of the biggest memes of the early 2010s. When he’s not shaking up the Internet, he’s collaborating with some of the biggest names across all genres from Jay-Z to Lil Miquela. 

To celebrate PLANETS MAD, his latest album, we slid into his DMs for a lightning speed conversation about his favourite meme of the minute (it’s not Harlem Shake) and memories of dial-up Internet. 

@hungermagazine: What’s your earliest Internet memory?

@baauer: So long ago I can’t really remember… The things that seared in my brain are the dial-up sounds and matched with AOL graphics. I loved talking on AIM.  I’ve just gotten into Discord since this whole thing which reminds me a lot of that in a great way

 

@hungermagazine: What are your five most-used emojis?

@baauer: Lately the earth emojis… and the angry face. Trying to put my album name in emoji form. I also like using the gas pump emoji which I can never ever find and always takes forever. I love the moon phase emojis… They look so good.

 

@hungermagazine: Has your screen time increased since self-isolation lockdown?

@baauer: Yes. A lot. I would love to say I’m reading more or meditating… but I’m not. I’m on the screen heavy! I’ve just been jacked into the matrix all day every day. If I’m not on my phone or computer I’m watching TV. Oh well. Quarantine!

 

@hungermagazine: You’ve switched to private mode on Spotify: what are you listening to?

@baauer: Since I spend so much time working on music and abusing my ears, I mostly like to listen to podcasts when I’m relaxing. People talking is so comforting to me, I pretty much have one going constantly. I only just managed to fall asleep without podcasts on.

 

@hungermagazine: What’s your favourite meme?

@baauer: What if I said Harlem Shake. My favourite recent one is probably Mike Wazowski with Sully’s face. There have been a bunch of good captions but anything with that image is so dumb it makes me laugh every time.

@hungermagazine: Have you ever been blocked?

@baauer: Not that I know of… but probably. I’ve never gone to an account and realised I’ve been blocked. Ignorance is bliss.

 

@hungermagazine: Last person you stalked on IG?

@baauer: Tommy Cash. Absolutely psycho IG and I love it. He creates an amazing nightmare world with his IG and videos.

 

@hungermagazine: Is there such a thing as being too old for TikTok?

@baauer: On the contrary, on TikTok I’ve seen the broadest age range of any platform.

 

@hungermagazine: What’s your most-used app?

@baauer: Honestly, Instagram. I really wish I had a better answer but, like with the screen time question, it’s the brutal truth. I’m totally hooked on the Insta scroll. I mindlessly swipe through stories without even realising what I’m doing. I should really get rid of it… but I won’t.

 

@hungermagazine: What’s the longest you can go without being on your phone?

@baauer: If it’s there, I’m gonna be checking it constantly. But once it’s out of reach, or out of the room, I adjust pretty quick. I think this goes for everyone. If it’s in your pocket you’re gonna check it constantly, but if the thing isn’t near you, or maybe you’re in a place with absolutely no service – it won’t take long before you don’t miss it.

Get more of Baauer’s Internet recommendations by following him on IG. PLANETS MAD is released on 5 June. 

Cover image
Teddy Fitzhugh