What happens when you mix an upbeat, modern take on vintage disco with French house? ‘Miles Away’ is what happens, entrapping listeners with its sample aesthetics and positivity. Kasket Club and Soul Gem, the two mavens behind the creation, have just released the single along with B-side of ‘Self Control’ via Uppwind Records.
Premiered via CLASH Magazine, ‘Miles Away’ stands to add significant growth to the tens of millions of plays the two have already received. Curious about how deep with well of musical knowledge and diversity goes, we sat down for an exclusive interview with them. Read what they had to tell us below.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
It’s a great way to get your mind off other things, such as work.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
The sound is key! Gotta make an atmosphere that’s interesting before developing the specifics of the song!
Does your material feature any collaborations?
I have a lot of work with Soul Gem coming up. His hooks are deadly.
What’s on your current playlist?
Tame Impala, Pheonix, Poolside, Jungle, Theophilus London – but also some retro classics like Stardust, Mr. Oizo and Basement Jaxx
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
Resampling is great to get something unique outta something ordinary… heavily layered guitars and keys can sound magical with the right processing.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
Running Toothfairy Label and Management I’m usually in the studio on weekends only. So, there’s usually a very laidback vibe, going with the flow and beginning with whatever comes naturally whether that’s a vocal hook, a guitar riff or something else. I usually get bored of whatever I’m making pretty quickly, and that’s usually a good time to start resampling and playing around with heavy effects to re-amp the sound and to find the inspiration needed to start working any real structure. In terms of equipment, I’m lucky enough to borrow Benjamin Giørt (Kid Astray) and Coucheron’s studios every now and then, and they have some awesome gear that I use whenever I can, including synths, drums, guitars etc
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
I’ve always played around with music. Ever since I was about 7 years old and started playing the guitar. I’ve played in bands with neighbours, classmates, etc. Kasket Club made things more serious and think that was the first time I ever seriously considered music as something I could do for work. I decided to chase a job in the industry after I graduated since it has always been one of my biggest passions. I’m very happy that I started working with Toothfairy where I have a bunch of great colleagues and clients! And as of now, it gives me the chance to work new Kasket Club music every now and then which is great.
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
I haven’t played shows in a while, but a towel, “snus” and a beer is always key!
Any emerging artists on your radar?
Coucheron, Yuno, Pasha, Carl Louis
What gets your creative juices flowing?
Getting up, working out and going straight into the studio
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.
Not much gear – guitar, bass guitar and a nord goes a long way!
Any side projects you’re working on?
I barely have time for Kasket Club, so I think that will do for now. I love working all projects on Toothfairy from an A&R perspective, though.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
At one point I became very concerned about what everyone else was doing. I think that’s very typical. It can be a positive thing in terms of inspiration, but it can also be a negative thing if you decide to use others’ sound and opinion erase the very thing that makes your style unique. There’s definitely a fine line there and I feel that’s something I deal with every day as an A&R.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
A lot of releases!
Follow Kasket Club:
Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Spotify
Follow Soul Gem:
Facebook – Soundcloud – Instagram – Youtube – Spotify
