A specialist in augmenting music possibility, Derek VanScoten is the producer, guitarist, and Emmy-winning musician behind Cloudchord. His remarkable technical skills on the guitar give a refreshing take on dance music, solidifying his place in the world of psychedelic soulful chillhop beats. Derek grew up coveting guitar gods like Jimi Hendrix. The game changed when his Dad took him to see George Benson, and his Mom paid for jazz guitar lessons. His college years saw him learning about high-level recording studios; a summer spent as an audio engineer intern at the Aspen Music Institute ignited his reverence for acoustic music. His inspirations grew to include jazz pianist and life mentor Art Lande, and hip hop acts like Jurassic 5 and The Roots. After several years as a Brooklyn-based touring act called D.V.S*, Derek moved to Austin and rebranded. The creative focus was on the chill sides of dance music (from chillhop to deep house) while featuring live guitar and lap steel. In his first year as Cloudchord, he scored 6 consecutive #1 tracks on Hype Machine. Shortly after, a call came to score the documentary In Football We Trust. The work premiered at Sundance and won an Emmy. Other scoring clients have grown to include Disney, Gatorade, Facebook & L’Oreal. His latest work (to be released via Nettwerk) is a continued exploration of his signature guitar riffs and a sonic reflection of living a creative, playful gratitude-filled life. “I see no reason ever to stop because music is absolutely my favorite thing to do in the world. Music is my spirituality and my quest for truth. It’s always right there if you’re willing to listen for it.”