After years of honing his technique and sound, Cassian is finally ready to put out his debut album. It’s called Laps, and today we get a glimpse into the future with the release the phenomenal title track.
Today’s release, “Laps,” draws you in close with the very first note. The soft, fuzzy synth invites a pack of spine-tingling sounds and melodies before plunging you into a gripping rhythm that holds on tight. At that point you’re in it for the long haul. The track is nearly eight minutes long, but the way Cassian choreographs the dance of his instrumentation will keep you on your toes ’til the end.
After being charmed by this rich and pristine sound, and with a career milestone up ahead, we hit up Cassian for a chat. We got to talking about how he’s grown since his breakout track “Lafayette,” how he views producing vs. DJing, his favorite snacks, and more.
Stream the brand new single, “Laps,” and check out our conversation with Cassian below. Enjoy!
Cassian – Laps
Current favorite artists: Icarus, Yotto, Lane 8, Durante, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Floating Points, Kiasmos/Ólafur Arnalds, RY X
Most recent Google search: Macbook pro won’t boot to safe mode
Favorite post-club snack: Haha I have bananas, almond butter, rice cakes & RX Bars on my rider so usually a combo of those
House or techno?: Techno spirit at house bpm.
The synth work on “Laps” is next level. What’s your method to creating such rich sounds?
Thank you! I could talk for days about this but on “laps” specifically I was really careful and intentional in creating & recording the biggest sounding synth parts i could. From there it’s just about respecting them and not over-processing.
What’s the best way to listen to “Laps”?
Between sunset and sunrise in isolation through some beautiful headphones with your eyes closed.
This debut album is a long time coming. What have been the most important things you’ve learned during the process?
It’s been a non-stop learning process. The main thing is that despite what I thought for the last 10 years, I can do it.
We first fell for your sound when we heard “Lafayette.” How have you grown as an artist since then?
That track really helped me define what I wanted to be as an artist. From there, it’s been an interesting journey of growth but also trying to stay in the same zone in order to finish a cohesive album.
Who are your dream collabs? Pick one electronic and one non-electronic artist.
There’s so many and I’ve actually started a few recently but I’m gonna stay loyal to Australia on this one and say RÜFÜS DU SOL & Tame Impala.
If you HAD to choose between being either a producer or a DJ, which would you choose?
Producer, easily. I used to try to be a true DJ, and what I played would change pretty drastically night to night. But since “Lafayette”, my DJ sets have become an extension of what I do as a producer/artist, and now they’re mostly my own music. Since I made that change, I’m getting a whole new level of satisfaction from DJing that I wouldn’t have without my own music.
What’s your favorite part about the Australian music scene vs. anywhere else in the world?
Community. We are all so close and overwhelmingly collaborative and supportive. I grew up thinking that was normal, but the more I’m exposed to the wider music industry, the more I’m realizing that isn’t the case and we have something special.
If you could play a set anywhere in the world with no restrictions, where would it be?
I think at my parents’ farm. It’s my favorite place in the world.
You’ve worked on some significant projects as a mixing engineer. What’s something about that job that you love?
So many things. I approach mixing from the angle of a fan, so in that respect the best thing about it is getting to hear music from artists way before anyone else AND getting to play a part in how it sounds.
What are you most looking forward to after [the album] Laps drops?
Just to keep moving forward as an artist and creating. I’ve fallen in love with that process and I can’t wait to dive into what’s next.