INTERVIEW: Detroit’s Rising Melodic House & Techno Artist KAWSAN Shares About His Career, Helping Other Artists … – Magnetic Magazine

Magnetic • Apr 4, 2024
His blossoming career has been marked by numerous remarkable achievements. He has graced the stage alongside renowned artists such as Dash Berlin, Paul Oakenfold, and, coming up this month, he will be supporting Darude. Furthermore, he is slated for direct support at Meduza’s official Movement afterparty on May 25. Additionally, his music has garnered support from industry icons like Paul Van Dyk and Ferry Corsten, as well as recognition from Spotify editorials ‘New Music Friday Dance’ and ‘Dance Rising.
KAWSAN’s passion for his craft shines through in every aspect of his work. He dedicates countless hours to perfecting his DJ sets and productions, always striving to deliver an unforgettable experience for his audience. Beyond his own pursuits, KAWSAN is known for his generosity in sharing his knowledge and expertise with others, particularly with local artists in the Detroit music community. Whether it’s offering advice on music production techniques or sharing insights into the industry, KAWSAN is always willing to lend a helping hand to fellow aspiring DJs and artists.

When I moved back from LA, I had the opportunity of playing at a venue called the Grasshopper Underground. It gave me a ton of opportunities and it really paved the way for my career. I played so many different clubs around here, including after-hours and late night/early morning sets. I’ve opened for some of the most incredible people that I could imagine and I’m truly grateful for everything that has transpired so far.
The great thing about Detroit is they are very supportive of their community, it feels like I am a part of a family here. I’ve spent so many hours practicing my DJ and production skills while also working a full-time job, and modeling, which is also a full-time job so in essence I have three full-time jobs! It is very chaotic, but I love it and I would never choose anything else in the world. No matter how much rejection and obstacles music and modeling can have at times, I’m so glad that I chose them. I feel that in my heart and I’m so grateful that I’m able to live my dream.
There are a lot of artists that DM me on Instagram or come up to me in person at a show asking for help or advice in various areas, so I try to give them the best advice I can based on the experiences that I have had. I’ve helped them out with music and DJ tips, and I also offered advice on good ways to market themselves. Given my modeling background, I’ve learned how to market myself as a brand, which has tremendously helped me figure out what I need to do to present myself in the best way possible. I’m thankful to be able to share what I’ve learned along the way in order to help others continue to rise.
Some common tips include encouraging artists to record their sets and listen back to them to get better, the value of mixing in key, importance of practice, playing what you love to play, make sure to support other artists and show them love (whether that’s on social media or at their shows), and most importantly, always be yourself.
Melodic house & techno isn’t the most popular in Detroit, but there is still a growing community for it. We are seeing more and more bigger names in this genre come through Detroit, such as Kream and Paul Oakenfold and I’ve had so many incredible opportunities to open for these artists like them.
Detroit also has a rich legacy of producing exceptional talent, from pioneering techno to the legendary Motown sound. Being part of a city that has birthed such influential movements and artists is really inspiring. It continues to motivate me, knowing that I’m following in the footsteps of these legends who have achieved incredible feats originating from this remarkable place.
What was the inspiration lyrically and/or sonically behind your latest single ‘Nightmares’ with Daniel Pinho & Gabi Gray on Dennis Shepherd’s ‘A Tribute To Life’ imprint?
This track is particularly special to me because compared to my previous, more underground singles, this was my first track using vocals as well as writing the lyrics. I wrote the lyrics in my studio during an in person studio session. I actually suffer from nightmares – so the lyrics kind of came naturally to me. From a production standpoint, we wanted the sounds we created to create a sort of haunting, mesmerizing experience to complement the lyrics, and overall couldn’t be happier with the result. Of course, I’d like to give Dennis Shepherd a very special thank you for believing in this track!
Daniel and I made this collaboration through Zoom, which has been such a helpful tool in working with artists all over the world. Sometimes it’s a challenge to get the sound to come through properly but for the most part, it works great.
The track was road tested at numerous shows and took us a really long time to make, especially since we only met once a week on Zoom. That was a challenge within itself because we both had full-time jobs, so for the amount of time that we had together each week, we grinded hard and were intensely focused during those 4 or 5 hours on a Thursday night after work to get this one across the finish line.
I will spend weeks and months sometimes preparing for my sets. I put a lot of time and effort to create special moments within my sets. I have always been this way. I just want to bring the best possible show and performance to each set that I have. That is why I always DJ sober and take care of myself as much as possible. I want to be able to perform at the highest level when I am up there and need to be thinking clearly on the fly. I do plan out my sets for the most part but things can still always change in the middle of my set. I always have other songs/playlists ready to go depending on the vibe of the room. I use an RMX 1000 and a DJS 1000 currently to add my own flavor to my DJ sets. This is where the magic happens for me. I look up to other artists like James Hype for instance because of what he’s able to do during his live sets. I do my best to do a mixture of vocal tracks, underground tracks, and a few that you would not expect to hear a progressive/melodic techno set.
I will be playing the following shows: March 16th for Paul Oakenfold in Detroit at the Magic Stick, April 5th Spybar in Chicago for OCULA, April 20th for Darude at Elektricity in Detroit, May 25th for MEDUZA before and after playing opening and closing set in Detroit at the Magic Stick. I will potentially be playing in other major cities very soon.
I also have a couple collaborations coming out this year and worked with some incredible vocalists on them too – so more to share on that soon!
© 2024 MAGNETIC MAGAZINE
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