Let’s start at the beginning: how did your musical journey begin?

 

I've always loved music in general and wanted to get my hands on it. However, it wasn't until 2015 that I really found a way to produce music digitally. Not just strumming away with my acoustic guitar.

 

The music industry was very different seven years ago. Spinnin’ Records made me crazy for progressive and big room house. With my first productions, I was trying to recreate this genre. Even though it was very amateurish at the time. I was part of a dui called ‘notsoloud’. And yes, all lower-case letters that is! Small sidenote: I have always been fascinated by the way a certain word is spelled. I guess it’s a way to give both graphic and mental emphasis to the word itself. Anyway…

 

The act ‘notsoloud’ was me and a friend of mine from my hometown. Even though we were just trying to do something cool for two years, we had some successes. We reached fifth place in a Spinnin’ Records’ contest where we had to remix Mike William’s ‘Feels Like Yesterday’. We also collaborated with a couple of foreign singers. 

 

However, besides the successes, I started to realise it wasn’t my style. In 2017, I started to listen to the more ‘quiet’ stuff. My music is intended for not only those festive moments, but also moments we experience every day. Such as waking up in the morning, taking a train ride, driving a car, making my way to university. Things like that! I believe this is the reason why I started appreciating more care-free and calm types of music. Suitable for many moments everyone experiences in life. Both difficult and easier situations. 

 

When covid paralysed the world and we were in a lockdown, I had the time to focus on what I wanted to do musically. I was writing my thesis and listened to a lot of music. It resulted in me producing some 20 to 30 instrumentals over the course of 1.5 years. They were just waiting for a singer. Early 2021, I had a virtual meeting with Ludovic Raymond and he helped me realise all the projects. I released ‘My Darling’ together with Junerule on the last day of 2021. Since, I have released 10 songs!

 

That’s a great story! But… ‘calm’ music and CAPITAL LETTERS?

 

Haha, good question! That’s where we’ll move to the idea behind AUGUSTKID! I got inspired by a conversation I had with a friend. He wanted to start a lofi project called ‘December Kid’, because he was born in December. 

 

As I said, I think the way a word is written fascinates me. I think it just looks beautiful graphically and makes it stand out from all other artist names out there. Simply fantastic! It is a panacea for the eye, haha!

 

In your music, which is electronic music, you still hear a lot of the more traditional instruments such as the guitar and piano. Is this the most recognizable thing about your sound? 

 

You see, within the genre I produce, it is rather difficult to stand out. Unless you have a very particular sound that is the same in every song. Even with a guitar and a piano. Very often I recognize the producer by a specific drum structure or sound effect. In addition to the sound dimension, I try to be recognized by a certain rhythm and background. I actually invested a lot of time in this for my track ‘Don’t Cry’, which was released in February 2022. It’s one of my most valuable tracks, as I was able to produce thát particular sound that makes for an AUGUSTKID track, besides using the guitar and piano. 

 

Why is this sound so fitting for you? You could have turned into a heavy metal guitarist as well…

 

Hahaha! I also had my ‘metal moment’ from age 12 to 15. Like any other human being on this planet, I guess. 

 

All jokes aside, I believe the music I produce now is more related to moments we experience in life. More emotions. Not sure how to put this into words… Certain moments in my life have led me to this kind of music. Even before I started producing it. It can be both a bad or good reason. But the genre is suitable for many situations, both negative and positive. You experience and feel something and want to let it out. Songs can help you with that. See how powerful music can be?

 

How would you describe your style as an artist? Would it be possible you’d make a more uptempo style track without losing that true AUGUSTKID feeling for example?

 

Well, I have always defined my style as something that is constantly jumping between tropical- and deep house with bouncy choruses. Also, I often like to build up the two drops in a different way. The first one provides an atmosphere being relatively ‘empty’ and with just a few drums. The second one is more complete as if the earlier sound has progressed and is now at 100%. You can hear this in two of my upcoming tracks that will be released in February 2023. 

 

Although I am very sceptical about making extreme changes in terms of genres I produce, I even create tracks within 120 - 126 BPM. You can hear this is ‘My Darling’ which makes me very happy. Even in these kinds of tracks, you can still hear my style strongly. There’s a little bit of AUGUSTKID, besides the track being 10 - 20 BPM faster than normal. I hope you can notice it too!
 

A-men to that! I am glad you’ve found more ways to share your thoughts on music. For instance, you created the December edition of Soave Selections. You did it together with your producer friends! 

 

Damn, that project was really surreal! Collaborating with artists and singers is something that just suits me and is extremely useful in terms of inspiration. In this case I created the tracklist myself and then reached out to the artists if they agreed I’d use them. Contacting the singers was most challenging. I expected a lot of scepticism but most were extremely helpful. That was a beautiful thing! I’ve always seen collaborations as a group of friends with similar interests finding each other, sharing ideas and, in the end, creating something. I think it’s a beautiful process! That’s why I love making mixes like this. Very glad it’s appreciated! 

 

Well, I sure do! Who else appreciated your music, according to you? What does your fan base look like?
 

Well, I think my fans or listeners are people with the same mindset as me. They also have the urge to have their mind fly away while the music is flowing in your ears. I see, as we are conducting this interview, I am in the mountains of Northern Italy, two hours away from my home. I had a few days off and took the opportunity to come here. While I am here, I also listen to music. I believe certain situations require a kind of ‘musical carpet’. A genre like the one I produce is very suitable for that. I hope others experience this as well. I call it my greatest aspiration to help people with my music. Whether they have small or bigger problems. I hope my music has the power to soothe the soul. That would be the biggest achievement I can imagine!
 

Your recent release at Soave was Coastline. What can you tell us about the process of creating that track? And how did you end up working with Moise and LU2VYK?

 

‘Coastline’ was born in 2021, I believe it was fall, as an edit/remix. Since there was no drum base, I could realise my own ideas and had lots of ample room to work with. Some time later, I approached Ludovic with the question if we could turn it into some sort of cover. I can play a bit of guitar, but not professionally. Therefore, he played the guitar and I decided to add him as a collaborator. With Moise, I already released two songs with him and have another 3 to 4 pending. We understand each other very well musically. As far as the vocal part of my songs are concerned, he manages to make the best out of the tropical and chill sound.

 

Okay, final one: What can we expect from you in the near future?

I already have three songs ready for release in January, February and March. And many other songs in the making including a track with Olly Wall, which is very very very nice! Surely you know him! My idea is to release a track every month until the end of the year. In 2022, this was 10, but I have many more demos available. So, it will be a more difficult year since I also have to finish my studies and graduate for my master’s degree. And then there’s work… Well, we’ll see how it goes!

 

Thanks for taking the time, you busy bee! We’ll let you get back to it then.