Chris Kaskie, Varyer

💭 Thoughts on the power of conversation, teenage engineering, and “enjoying the zen.”

Thought Enthusiast is an AdHoc Project where we chat with fascinating thought leaders across various facets of music, tech, and culture whose work we admire, simply asking “what’s on your mind?” and “why do you care?” 💭

Chris Kaskie is the CEO of Varyer, a Chicago-based Creative Studio and Brand Advisory. He co-founded and was president of Pitchfork for 15 years, overseeing all aspects of the company, including creating its festivals and leading Pitchfork’s acquisition by Condé Nast. Chris has also been an advisor and investor to other companies, including Kickstarter where he was the earliest seed investor and advisor. Things like that most recently led Chris to formalizing Slow Focus, a personal vessel for exploring his own ideas, and possibly those of others.

🎯 Current focus 

What I do day in and day out is Varyer and Slow Focus. Varyer is my forever home, a world we built that is purposefully difficult to explain but easy to understand. It is rooted in variety and the emergence of the unexpected. Our purpose is to be open, adapt, grow and build—both for ourselves and for those we work & collaborate with. As we’ve evolved, it’s also helped me define the vision I have for the totality of myself at a higher level. That’s Slow Focus, the other side of my coin. A vessel that I created that can hold all of the latent or unexplored ideas/interests/passions/who knows that I know could be fulfilling and that doesn't really fit within the Varyer world. My quality of presence and purpose is the goal, a well rounded existence that feels less about work/life balance and more a natural way to just accept that there may be no such thing if you’re comprehensively finding—or at least seeking—fulfillment. Some of that Bon Iver, Wisconsin.

🗣️ The power of conversation

I have been thinking a lot about the continued and increasing lack of importance being placed on the idea of conversation, things over the past few years can feel so transactional. Thing is, like everyone, I love the one-way form of conversation that exists via the abundance (and abundance of forms) of content that is out there that drives me to continually learn and evolve my perspective. But there’s so much fuckin’ noise, too. And whether at work or outside of it, there’s no greater—or more constructive—way to augment that reality than by just having a conversation and chopping it up. I yearn for conversations about anything, because they always have the power to inform, inspire, challenge our perspectives, or just have some fun. Conversations are always catalysts for something meaningful, however big or small. A two-way share.

This article is one of many that hits on this sentiment, reflected perfectly no better than by Nick Cave: “…the conversation unfolds in real time, and we see before our eyes the power of conversation to develop and deepen ideas.” Conversations can be a waste of time sometimes, sure. But to me - they really never are. I love them. More conversations!

👨🏻‍🍳 Embracing vulnerability: The Bear Season 2 and Zach Bryan

Two interrelated things right now – albeit not my favorite show or song – but more a favorite idea: The Bear S2 and Zach Bryan. The Bear, more than anything, for this article “What ‘The Bear’ Gets Right About Chicago” which both feels written for me/my bio and is a mantra for my home, Chicago. And in the NYT! But really, that article had me thinking about how important it is as an exercise in purpose. And maybe less overt—to me at least— a masterclass in male vulnerability (or the lack thereof). So I started watching The Bear s2 again with my son (his first run through, my daughter Cecilia is not into the rewatch yet). 

Zach Bryan is bringing a similar energy to the world in a way that has me believing. and we’ve been jamming on the ZB record, and it’s showing a lot more than I can possibly tell him. He is seeing how important purpose is, how change is required and common to us all, and how the only way to get there is to embrace what makes you least comfortable: vulnerability. As Popscast (Deluxe) so accurately said, “male tears”. Ready for that merch.

🎶 Record reorganization & foraging ahead with a Light Phone

I’m psyched to figure out how to organize my records. I hate the way they are now (alphabetized), and think I’m finally honing in on what my move will be. Beyond getting that answer, I’m excited to listen to the records as I do it and better understand how to test it out and help me to listen to it in ways I’m not doing now - whether alone or with my family & friends. It’s become a restaurant menu that’s far too dense to make a choice from. 

I’m psyched to deprioritize my smart phone. I purchased a Light Phone back in August and procrastinated for too long in pushing go. But it’s my nuclear option. Similar to the noise my records create in my ability to enjoy them, the phone has done the same with so many other aspects of my life. I will have my smartphone around for the things i need it for (work email, the camera), but tucked away for when it’s needed. And I will have my primary # on the Light Phone, forcing me to be present in every way: from making phone calls vs texting to being my best self with my fam to just putting music on it like an iPod and being ok with it to silencing the avoidable noise. I need to heighten my quality of presence and am excited by what’s to come. As it relates, I also got a nice handheld camera that I’ll now carry too and I’m psyched to learn how to use it just use it, along with an iPod in case 1gb just isn’t enough music (which may well leave the Light Phone full of only the Dead.)

🎹 teenage engineering

A brand I’ve been paying attention to is teenage engineering, comprehensively. What they do and have been doing for so long is mind-blowing. I want everything they make, especially in audio. I have imposter syndrome on it a bit, but they make me want to try and even try and believe I can figure it out. So while I don’t know enough about how what's inside their equipment stacks up to similar products, I don’t care. They make things that look perfect and have perfect ideas that make equally all the sense and none of it. Packaging sells wine bottles and cool snacks, and I’m into it. At minimum, I’m convinced that if I win a fantasy football league or two, I can at least rationalize splurging for their OP-1 synth.

📞 Trying harder to call people

The Phone + Voicemail : Too many texts, unless it’s used similar to Slack (aka efficient delivery of information or an easy link-share). Otherwise I want to try harder to call people. No answer, all good. I’ll leave a voicemail that may go unheard. But again, conversation is good and while some may not consider this content, it absolutely is. Each moment can bring something big or small within that’ll be easy to engage with and fun to have.

💌 dirt.fyi

I love media. And I love ambitious new ideas. I have no idea if dirt.fyi can pull off the ol’ “next Condé Nast” thing—or whatever version of quality content and trusted niche titles may be a good comp— but I can’t wait to see if they do. That said, I’m not a subscriber. I’m into web3, and similar to much I’ve shared - try to learn new stuff about it daily. But, when we talk about “noise”, I don’t really want an NFT (or even really to start a wallet). I’m a niche guy, and in this instance a part of a niche of niche media lovers that doesn’t quite wanna add more wallets or internet currency to my life. I believe supremely in what they are doing but may also just resign to not getting past the doorway. Queue old man yelling at a cloud.

📺 “Enjoy the zen”

I loved the Doritos “if not NOW when” campaign from 2005. It’s old but I also watched it again recently and it cut thru my noise. Never have such a delicious snack given us such an amazing reminder of a rule we should all try to live by.

More seriously, as a YouTube TV subscriber, while not really a “campaign” – I really appreciate the gap filler / “skip the ads” moment that serves up a few minutes of what they call “Enjoy the zen”. It feels like an ad for YouTube TV which makes me not mad. But it’s literally an anti-ad that cuts thru the noise of…ads. They just need an “extend ad” button on those to make it more impactful. Or hire tons of bad salespeople to give us that unsold inventory we need for more of their zen.

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