Technically too, the lad has only recently arrived at home in San Francisco. “I’ve only been living there for a year and a half,” he says. “I grew up on the East Coast of the US in Pittsburgh and I also spent a lot of time in Boston. But San Francisco is amazing. The music scene there is very open there and you can really do your own thing. But all of America is becoming a bit more welcoming to my kind of sound. In fact, just before I came to Australia, I finished a full-on North American tour and the response had been fantastic!”
Indeed, the lad claims he is also about halfway done with a debut album. “I’ve stopped taking remix requests so that I can focus solely on that in between all my touring,” he claims. “I’m very anxious to get home from the tour and finish it!” But not before he tears Australia up. Especially given his love of bass and beats is a favourite pastime of many punters Down Under.
“To be honest, I don’t know what it was about this music that appealed to me. I guess it was a natural progression because I used to play raves in the late 1990s and the early 2000s.
“I was an early adopter of the so-called bass music scene and to me it just felt so much more accessible. I grew up on R&B and hip hop so being able to mix the two into electronic music has proven to be an ideal sound for me!” No less, the youngster has resisted the urge to pack his bags and relocate to be a part of the burgeoning European scene, rather claiming that a tour is there coming. “I’m just waiting for the right opportunity,” he suggests.
Moreover an accomplished engineer, Kastle admits to beginning his production with a robust sound and synth design. “Once I have certain sounds and patches created, it often inspires the entire track. I’ll create a short percussion loop and just play the sounds on my MIDI keyboard for a solid day while recording melodies and synth lines. Then I’ll choose the best ones and by then the track will fall into place. The key is to just keep it as natural as possible and to ensure it comes from that creative space that flows effortlessly! That also translates to my sets which are very diverse and dynamic and incorporates many different genres and BPMs!”
Likewise, he has been humbled by some of the attention he has received from some of the biggest names in the business. His unique style has attracted the attention of names such as Ministry of Sound, Scion A/V as well as artists like Example and The Glitch Mob. “Many of these talented artists have become close friends too,” he describes. “It’s a big inspiration, to be surrounded by like-minded artists with a strong drive and passion. It makes you push harder. It also means that I don’t have much time outside of music to have any intense hobbies, but I definitely enjoy a good book. I enjoy reading philosophy, science, ancient history and anything involving creative thinking and ideas. It’s all very inspiring for my writing process as well.”
Here here.
BY RK
