Basstian has been making waves in recent months, and he spoke to us recently about his new single ‘Break It Down’, with Adrian Fyrla, which has just been released on Revealed Recordings sublabel Revealed Radar. Here’s how it went…
Hey Basstian, hope things are going well! Let’s start with a quick introduction into who you are and a bit of information about yourself?
Hi guys, thanks for having me. I’m an Electronic Dance Music DJ & Music Producer from India residing in Germany for those who don’t know me. Over the past year, I’ve had three releases on Hardwell’s record label Revealed Recordings and have collaborated with big names in the industry such as Adrian Fyrla, KEVU, etc.
You’re based in Germany, how has the past year been for you? Have you had to look to different places for inspiration?
I’ve been living in Germany only since February 2020. I had many plans for shows & festivals when I moved to Germany. Unfortunately, none of them worked out because of Corona. There was not much to do around that time, so I spent most of the time working on music. However, inspiration hasn’t been that much of a problem for me, I would say. I try to find inspiration from little things.
You’ve just released your new single ‘Break It Down’ with Adrian Fyrla, which we love! What inspired you two to work together?
Adrian & I’ve been friends for several months now. We first got in touch when, a few weeks after the release of my track Titan, Adrian messaged me on Instagram saying that he loved the track. We started talking ever since then and became good friends. I guess the main thing that inspired us to work together was that we had similar music tastes and connected well.
How did the track come to life? Did one of you start with an idea and bring the other one in to collaborate or did you work together from the start?
This is my second collaboration with Adrian. The first one was Dancing In The Night, which was released in November. A few weeks before the release of Dancing In The Night, one day, when I was working on another track, the melody of Break It Down popped into my head. But it didn’t fit with the track I was working on at that time. So I saved it into a new project, started playing around with it, and made a drop idea using that melody. I sent the idea to Adrian, and he loved it instantly, so we decided to work together on it. After that, it was just one person developing the track a little bit, then sending the project & stems to the other person, back & forth, and so on.
Do you approach every collaboration in the same way, or does it vary depending on who you work with?
I approach nearly every collaboration in the same way. But also, it sure does vary depending on who I work with. With some artists, you can easily connect and communicate, whereas, with some other artists, communication is not the easiest, in which case everything changes.
You have your own Youtube channel and have recently launched your ‘Friends Of Basstian’ series for producers looking for tips. What made you start this and what plans do you have for the series?
I have so many music producer friends, and each has different things at which they’re extremely good. For example, it might be making melodies for one person, whereas for someone else, it would be creating a proper stereo image. So, by having different producer friends of mine make tutorials on topics that they’re good at, after some time, there will be a massive collection of videos on various topics from noteworthy producers that have signed tracks on the top labels in the industry. That’s the reason why I launched the “Friends of Basstian” series.
If you could give one piece of advice to a producer just starting their journey, what would it be?
Hard work, Consistency & Faith is the key.
What are you most looking forward to doing when the lockdown ends and we’re able to party again?
I’ve made so many bangers ever since the lockdown started. Nearly all of my best tracks were made during this period, and I haven’t had the opportunity to play them live yet. That’s what I’m most looking forward to doing when the lockdown ends, and we’re able to party again. Playing all these bangers to a huge crowd and taking them on a magical journey with the music I’ve created.
Who inspired you to begin your journey with music? Have you always liked dance music or was it a different genre that got you interested?
That’s a tough question because I’ve had several inspirations when I started making dance music. Some of them are Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, and David Guetta. I wasn’t always a fan of dance music, to be honest. When I was younger, I was really into rap and hip-hop. When I was a kid, I even saved up money, went to a studio, and recorded raps for fun, often. During that time, my big brother used to make progressive trance music in FL Studio just for fun. I found that fascinating and started playing around with FL Studio to make hip-hop beats that I could rap to. But somewhere along the way, I guess my brother’s interest in dance music took over me too. If I recall correctly, David Guetta’s album “Nothing but the Beat” is what made me fall in love with dance music.
What plans do you have for the rest of the year? Any special releases lined up you can tell us about?
I have so many things planned for this year, including releases on some major record labels and some significant collaborations are on the way, as well. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to reveal any of it at the moment. What I can tell you is that you can expect at least one new song from me every month this year!