kiskadee is the moniker of Jack Chown, a producer, and composer based in London who has previously collaborated with artists such as Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Tycho Jones, and worked as an engineer for the likes of Jessie Ware, M.I.A and HAELOS.
Photo Credit: kiskadee – Official
As kiskadee, he produces deeply affecting electronic music, capturing sounds from his surroundings and transforming them into bittersweet but ultimately uplifting soundscapes that reflect his own experiences in a highly relatable way.
EG caught up with kiskadee to learn more about the drop of his new ‘Believe In Love’ EP, his origins in the music industry, future endeavors, and more.
EG: Hi Jack! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you based right now?
kiskadee: Hey there! Thanks for having me – been doing great thanks, can’t believe how quickly this year is going. I’m currently based in Hackney, where I’ve been for the past 6 years or so.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of your ‘Believe In Love’ EP! What has the initial reception been like?
kiskadee: Thank you! It’s been great thanks, so many lovely messages and a first spin on BBC 6music, which was totally unexpected – a big thanks to Nemone for that!
EG: What can your fans expect to find on ‘Believe In Love’? Is there an emotional trigger to these?
kiskadee: Oh, good question – I think this feels very much like a natural progression for me! I actually wrote a couple of these tracks (‘Hypna’ / ‘Believe In Love’) just before my first show in 2021 – it was such a rush to be able to share this project with an audience for the first time so I guess they channel the joy and excitement of that moment and are a bit more bit-led than my earlier releases.
EG: How would you describe your music? Do you tell stories? Or do you view tracks more like sonic landscapes?
kiskadee: I think organic and electronic are the two words I’d use to describe it. I love trying to make synths sound human and finding beauty in electronic sounds. I’m actually a film composer outside of the project, so I often approach things from that visual angle – creating sonic landscapes along the way. When I started the project, it was during that first lockdown in 2020 when I got friends and family to send in voice notes, which I then used as samples in my tracks. So there’s a really personal connection there, which I’ve tried to carry on through to these newer releases…
“I love trying to make synths sound human and finding beauty in electronic sounds. I’m actually a film composer outside of the project, so I often approach things from that visual angle”
EG: So, how did you come across electronic music? Was there a show or record that pushed you down the rabbit hole?
kiskadee: Bonobo and Four Tet were a really big and early influence on my production that I still go back to a lot! It was probably ‘Black Sands’ that was the first entry point into electronic music in general too! I’m originally a drummer/percussionist, so was definitely drawn in by how he combines those different sounds with electronics which is something I’ve definitely put into my own music.
EG: You’ve actually collaborated with artists such as Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Tycho Jones, and worked as an engineer for the likes of Jessie Ware, M.I.A and HAELOS. How did that come about? How did you get started in the music industry?
kiskadee: Yeah! Most of those were at Baltic Studios where I was the in-house assistant and then engineer for a couple of years in my early 20s! It was actually also my first job in the music industry before going more into the composition side of things, which is what I do with most of my time now. I actually got the job by manically emailing 100 studios/engineers/producers one weekend with the subject line “I make a great cup of tea…” – I’ve actually randomly met and worked with a few of the other people who received it, which is quite funny!
EG: How do you feel about the role of social media in the music industry? Is it drawing us too far away from the actual music? How can we make our interactions with social media better?
kiskadee: I personally think the music industry is way too obsessed with TikTok at the moment. I think it’s obviously a useful tool to go viral and have a hit (if that’s your goal), but it’s increasingly difficult to build a sustainable community on there beyond the ‘for you’ section.
Having said all that, I think there are other platforms like Patreon/Discord that are really useful for building community which is where I see things hopefully going in the next couple of years. I think that can be really powerful and definitely a more positive use of social media to connect people around niche music that was maybe sidelined a bit by old media – that’s been great to see across electronic music! I’m loosely interested in Web3 too and think it’s great how artists like RAC, Max Cooper, and Tycho are using it to build artistic communities around their projects.
EG: How do you keep entertained when not in the studio? Have you checked out any good movies, series, books, or albums you’d recommend?
kiskadee: I’ve got into way more of a film habit recently…I’ve always been into film (thankfully, as a composer!) but always found it a bit tricky to fit it in between sessions. Anyway…Recent highlights have been ‘Triangle of Sadness’, ‘Living’, and ‘White Noise’ – there’s some great independent cinema (and music!) to get lost in at the moment, and I love it.
“I think there are other platforms like Patreon/Discord that are really useful for building community which is where I see things hopefully going in the next couple of years”
EG: Can you tell us something about you that very few people know about?
kiskadee: I’m actually training for the Paris marathon in April – and definitely not having a quarter-life crisis….
EG: What’s next for kiskadee? What particular milestones are you looking forwards to this 2023? Where can your fans catch you next?
kiskadee: I’ve actually just got back from Iceland where I was working on a debut album, so hopefully I can get that out later this year! I’m also developing an immersive A/V show around it which is super exciting.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Jack! We wish you all the best for the future.
kiskadee: Thank you so much for taking the time. Likewise!
kiskadee’s ‘Believe In Love’ is out now. Find it here.
Follow kiskadee: Instagram | Website | Soundcloud | Spotify
