The first time I heard music by Biicla I was speechless. I couldn’t help but marvel over his soulful approach to music that gets you out of your seat and on the dance floor. This multi-talented singer-songwriter, music producer, and visual designer has so many attributes that it’s not a surprise to see how dynamic Biicla’s music creations are. Borrowing from the best in the world of Techno, House, and Soul, and sticking to his pure interpretation of the Electronic Dance Music platform, Biicla provides endless possibilities in tracks that were once thought unimaginable.
If his releases of “No Place“, which was premiered by This Song Is Sick last summer, and “Girl” are any indication of what we should expect from the Russian born artist, then it’s no wonder he’s destined for great things in the music industry. I was able to find out more about Biicla, his creative process and why he prefers to write on the road.
Hello, It’s RiMo here from Fresh Music Freaks. I’m speaking with Russian music producer and DJ Biicla.
Your songs are wonderful. I was listening to your track “Girl” and how much fun it is expressing what it’s like to be in love. How did you become interested in music? Was the idea for this song from a real-life experience?
As long as I can remember, I’ve always loved music. I always loved to share new music with friends and at some point, I found my own special taste and thought it was time to write something of my own. The track “Girl” is a collective image, of course, it has a bit of personal experience, but I didn’t put deep meaning in it. The track itself describes the relationship between a guy and a girl, and the variety of sounds tells about the character and actions of this girl.
Please tell me about the instruments and gear you use.
In order to record a demo, it’s enough for me to have a computer and headphones. I use Ableton Live 10 from VST and I like Serum and NI Massive. It may seem that there is nothing unusual in my setup, but I position myself as a bitmaker, so most of the time I experiment with different samples.
How would you describe your music?
My music is unique, that’s for sure. I like the way it sounds now and I’m always looking for something new and interesting. It’s important for me that my music sounds fresh and immediate.
Your music has an incredible amount of soul. Tell me what inspired you to create your track “Heart and Stay”?
A few years ago I found that vocal and it reminded me of Kiesza’s “Hideaway“. In the meantime, I was working on my trademark sound and decided to try to record something to dance. I recorded this demo, then showed my friends. They liked the combination of sounds and vocals, so “Heart and Stay” came along.
Tell me about the role singing plays in your music creations if any?
For me personally, vocals are one of the main parts of the hit. Since I didn’t know English before and couldn’t sing in it, I was naturally worried about it. I had no money for good vocalists, and vocals in free sample packs sounded kind of primitive. But as they say, where there’s a will there’s a way, so after a while I discovered splice.com and now I’m studying English closely. It’s just getting started!
You mentioned the difficulties involved in promoting non-conservative dance music in Russia. Please tell me what is non-conservative dance music in Russia? Also, please tell me what are some of the challenges associated with promoting it?
It is an endless topic for discussion. Modern music in Russia is very original. Big labels are not promoting something interesting, they are promoting something that is sold now. They love something simple and memorable here, and we have a lot of talented artists, designers, directors and other creative people who need music that will inspire them. I can’t briefly describe the reasons why it’s so bad, maybe it’s about people themselves. It’s right to say; no demand, no supply.
How much time do you spend in the studio weekly?
I don’t like studios, I think it’s boring. I work exclusively on trips if we’re talking about writing music. If we’re talking about mixing and mastering, I work with a talented guy from Kiev. We talk about details and he fixes the parts where I might have missed.
Please share with us what it was like for you to play on Holy Ship! Wrecked.
It feels weird to me. On the one hand, I am very excited because this is my first trip abroad. New people, different climate, no Russians. You know, I never imagined I’d be able to do anything like this. On the other hand, I imagined things a bit different, I waited for more people on the stages, I thought my English was much better, lol. Anyway, it’s a great experience and I have something to strive for.
What artists are you currently listening to?
I like Sebastian Paul, Maxime, Against All Logic, Asgeir, Agora, and Memba. also Tyler The Creator, Kanye West, Labrinth, MorMor, Mattew Chaim, Cassian, and RÜFÜS DU SOL. Many of them are the brightest for me at the moment.
Is there any specific artist(s) that you would like to collaborate with?
Yes, maybe it’s Louis the Child, What so Not, Quiet Bison, Memba, Sebastian Paul, I really like the vocals of Ásgeir .
What are you most looking forward to in 2020?
To be honest, I’m not expecting anything, I just wish as many people as possible could listen to my new album. I’m sure some people will find themselves in it. I’m talking about mood, it’s kind of affectionate, but a little bit sad. The main thing about “No Place” EP is that on the one hand, it’s for somewhere to play the background during a party, or cooking, or people will listen to it in headphones while traveling. On the other hand, it’s like expensive wine. You know, to taste it and to fully open it you need to know about Electronic Dance Music and have good musical taste. In other words, it is for those who are always looking for something interesting and for those who are looking for inspiration. The sounds I’ve worked on in it are bold enough, they combine the best of what I like now, and the vocals make it sound understandable.
Check out Biicla’s newest track “Deeper” below:
Biicla on Social Media: Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | SoundCloud
*Featured Image of Biicla Via Artist*
