Cassimm

How would you describe the type of music you create?

Haven't got a word to describe it honestly, I just create music I like, music I’d like to play.

What do you remember about your first gig?

My hands shaking for sure. I was excited bus also scared at the same time. I don't remember much about it, we are talking about almost 20 years ago now, I remember all my friends there though.

If you had to choose one — festival, intimate, or big venue?

Big venue 100%. I want proper lights when I play, something you can’t get in a festival especially if you're playing daytime.

I’ve spoken to plenty of guys from the UK over the last few months but oddly enough, almost no one lives in London. What’s the scene like there and how would you say it differentiates itself from other major UK cities?

Well, I’ve played up and down the UK, but it's not easy to compare a city where you’re staying for less than 24 hours (sometimes even just the time to play and that's it) with the city you live in every day. The UK got a really good clubbing scene, people know how to party here, but London is a special place for me.

You first put out music around 2014. It’s easy to look at that as the beginning of your career but we of course know that so much work goes into even realizing one track. Can you tell us about the years before 2014 and what that grind was like learning music production and being a local DJ?

Not everyone knew that I was already making music before 2014, under my real name. I was released on labels such as Stereo Production and Stereo Seven Plus. "Sweet" was one of my biggest records, it reached the Beatport top ten with the support of DJs like Hardwell before he went into EDM and stuff. I've actually learned how to produce in 2007, I’ve studied as a sound engineer that year but music has always been in my life. Before that, I was a bassist player in a band.

It seems like a lot of your earlier music had a bit of a deeper sound to it. Whether it was "Rock Da House," "Fat Beat," or "Acid." What inspired your early sound?

London. I moved here after almost a year of the first CASSIMM release which was nu-disco at the time. Then I came here and everything changed.

In 2016 you put out "Everything" and "That Chord" which signaled a bit of experimentation. Then in 2017, you get this massive remix with Sam Divine. How did that come about and did you feel like this was the start of a new direction for you?

Working with Sam on that remix (and other projects) taught me a lot. I think I’ve realized that I have never been much of a fan of underground music, and I’m keeping that path. I like to make music that gets played on the radio.

Do you have any favorite plug-ins or pieces of hardware that you find yourself going to regularly when you’re in the studio?

Not really, I’m constantly looking for new plug-ins or VSTs. Serum, Sylenth, and Massive they have been good friends for a while now.

Your output is immense, do you find yourself in the studio often and how many tracks would you say you produce that never see the light of day?

Every day. Making music is my daytime job. 90% of what I do in the studio sees the light of day sooner or later. If something I’ve done doesn't work I just get back on it and make it work.

What’s next for you release-wise and touring?

I’ve got quite a few releases coming up, some of them made during lockdown. I will release soon on Enormous Tunes, There Was Jack, Soulfuric, and Nothing Else Matters. Touring hasn't been resumed yet, all these restrictions are making it a bit hard to get gigs abroad like before the pandemic. I’m playing here in UK though, next stop will be Ministry of Sound.