But not for this Swedish DJ, whose modus operandi is finding that sweet spot between psychedelic high and infectious groove, ensuring each beat resonates through our veins, leaving us yearning for more even after the final crescendo has hit.
An experimental artiste in his own right, his distinct and meticulously crafted sound has earned him a loyal fanbase that deeply connects with his music and artistic vision. His music has also found a home in Malaysia, as our EDM scene grows exponentially.
Mick Kastenholt to Kaaze
That sparked a creative detour. He began sketching out potential monikers, playing with different alphabets.
Tinkering with many variations, Kaaze landed on Mick Case but spelt C-A-S-E – like a suitcase.
“For the longest time, people had a hard time pronouncing it,” he shared.
Rooted in Swedish sound
“When I started producing 20 years ago, way before Kaaze, I was producing underground techno, we call it Scandinavian techno. It was very industrial.”
“I took huge inspiration from (house music), I started making melodic music.”
“We have a lot of music in our culture, so it comes a little bit naturally to us, Swedish people,” Kaaze mused.
Swedish music has a synth soul that sounds clean and sometimes melancholic. This subtle difference sets it apart from the more in-your-face American music.
“I do not think too much (about) what I am making. I take inspiration from all over the world – from American to Swedish music. So, I cannot pinpoint what my sound (is) and why it comes out the way it does.”
“I need just one specific sound in a song (that) can give me an entire vision to create something completely different, just based on one sound in a random song.”
Having cited 80s rock and cinematic music to be his major influences, Kaaze shared that music has always been a part of his life. Heavily influenced by his father, who played the piano, drums and guitar, the DJ also revealed he went to piano school.
Talking about a song’s emotional skeleton, he said: “What I take inspiration from rock is chord progressions – there are many ways you can do it.”
“A lot of chords and melodies always come from rock and those types of genres,” he said.
A true experimental artiste, Kaaze has evolved with time – from house to rock, the DJ has done it all. Quite literally – as his song Opera will attest.
Impressed by the vocals, his creative neurons sparked, and he wanted to create “an electro-opera thing”.
Kaaze emphasised the melodies were his priorities, which gave Opera its dramatic, serious sound.
The demo process
“To make a great song is to have a powerful vocal and a powerful melody at the same time. The trickiest part is not having them fight with each other.”
“Sometimes I have a demo, like a beat. Sometimes, I get a vocal that I think is good.”
“I prefer to get a vocal (written) first. Then produce something based on the vocal, because then you give the vocal justice.
Big names, big vibes
“Everyone collaborates differently. Luckily for me, the people I work with are very eager to work on the sound that I am making at the time.
A blessing, as Kaaze called it. He added that most of his collaborations sprouted from an idea that he had made. And it builds from that note.
Childhood inspirations
“Dreamchild was mainly inspired by my childhood, growing up with rock music.”
“When I made that album, I took away everything that Kaaze likes to play and (use) just what Mick likes to listen to. I wanted to make an album that I could press play and just enjoy, like Mick’s music – that is why I named it Mick,” he added.
A methodical artiste, who crafts his sound with intention, Kaaze revealed he starts with a mood board and a storyline.
For instance, with Dreamchild, the artiste commented he already had the title and artwork done before even making the first song. After creating a vision, he then explores different genres for the album such as rock for Dreamchild.
After Mick, Kaaze found himself in new territory. Diversifying his sound (yet again) with a heavy-leaning techno music, he admitted it was something people were not used to hearing from him.
Over the past years, Kaaze stepped into a music time machine to connect to his musical roots.
New era, new bangers
On his new music, Kaaze said: “It is originally a very old song from the 70s by (a group named) Four Tops.”
“It is a very heavy techno-based song with a very catchy sample. But it is probably the hardest song I have released so far.”
“It is going to be fun!”
As it has been made clear, Kaaze is an intentional artiste with a storyline – nothing about him is random. So, obviously, his music festival sets all have a structure.
He begins with a high-strung track to bring the energy, then mellows it out a little to “find the sexiness and groove”. After people have had the chance to catch their breath, he then picks it up again towards an exhilarating climax. Sometimes, playing for different shows means changing the structure. For Kaaze? Adapting to different sets is his superpower.
However, when it comes down to it, it is important for Kaaze to end his set with the same type of hype.
DJs not only have the pressure of showcasing an amazing set, but it is crucial that they possess good crowd control techniques. And for Kaaze, it is all in the persona and charisma. He said: “When you get up on stage, the crowd will instantly know how focused you are on them.”
He then said the crowning moment is really just his music and how he plays it. It is about figuring out the type of energy the crowd has and the direction the set needs to go in.
On his favourite fan interaction, Kaaze simply said he loves it when the fans wear or bring along his merchandise, such as his flags.
Kaaze is all geared up to bring the house down in Pitt Club KL on June 20.
Grateful for the opportunity to perform in Malaysia again, he said: “I am happy they wanted me to come back so soon. I have a great relationship with Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia.
Teasing new music, Kaaze quipped his fans always know to expect fresh beats every time he plays a live show.
On collaborations with local EDM artistes and incorporating ethnic influences in his music, Kaaze was open to the idea.
Message to Malaysia
With new music and a show in Pitt Club KL, the Hot Tekno pioneer is ready to take Malaysian fans on yet another pulse-pounding, hypnotic musical journey.
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