INTERVIEW
by Maria Angélica
Source - GRVE MAG
English Translation by Diego Paulo Jacintho
KOBBAIA
With approximately ten years of professional experience in electronic music, Kobbaia has outlined a consistent career in his field of activity. Part of the second generation of residents of the famous Santa Catarina label party, Seas Label, he makes his way through the strands and sub-strands of Techno, Progressive to House, with a lot of versatility, musical research and euphonic constructions.
Among many gigs, some highlights brought him an important growth in the dynamics of events like Clube Inbox, Pacha Ibiza on Tour, Cyclus Festival, At Home Brava, Injeção Eletrônica Festival, Terraza Praia Brava and the most recent feat, his acclaimed night at Surreal Park.
Always looking for new territories within electronic music, he founded his independent record label "The Bird Music", which conquered charts Worldwide and some Top#10 Releases in the genre of Techno at Beatport. Not much sooner he merged with the British label Vintage Music Label, where the sub-label Komplexa was born.
After his debut at Surreal Park, he felt in his skin and soul the reinforcement of his purpose in bringing music to people and creating unforgettable moments. We caught up with him to know a little bit more about that night and his plans for his career.
Hello Kobbaia, how are you? How nice to talk to you, as this is our first contact. We would like you to tell our readers about your relationship with electronic music and how it turned into a profession.
I grew up in a Christian family, where everything there involved music, instruments, singing and other artistic activities in the church. So with the rising of electronic music in 2009, I found myself involved with the artists from that time, such as Skrillex. Since then, the years have passed, and my curiosity and fascination have only increased. Until the moment I dived in headfirst and on my own, I started studying music production in foreign forums I found on the internet. Over the years, I improve my studio techniques until I came across Techno. It was love at first sight, inevitable I would say. I haven't stopped since.
We saw you are a resident DJ at Seas Label. Explain why you consider it important for a DJ to have a residence, and what does this grants to DJs?
I usually say that a residency is a loving embrace of people who believe in the artistic potential of a DJ. It is more than a title, gigs or visibility, but is a vote of confidence in one's essence and posture. The residency at the Seas has certainly been one of the greatest gifts I have received during my career, and I am very grateful for that.
You have also taken a step into the world of record labels. Why did you feel this necessity, and how was that transition with Vintage Music Label?
Music has always fascinated me. So I found myself at a level in my career where Djing and producing were no longer enough. I wanted more! I went on a wave of “I need to show this magical energy to a greater number of people and create a great musical ecosystem”… So, THE BIRD Sunset was born, an event that had 6 editions over the years, reaching an average of 2 thousand people in its biggest edition. So, with that in mind, I transmuted it to the record label format where we release some artists there like Marcelo Oriano, Nineteen Sines, Hopper, Nevrau, Carlos Pires among others. Vintage Music Label and its CEO Stark D, for years, supported my project mainly during the transitional phases in which I was musically shaping. There wouldn't be a better way to expand even more with who has always been by my side. Then, Komplexa was born, which is still a small project with great future potential to be explored.
On the DJ side, you explore the sounds of Techno, Progressive to Melodic, itself. Staying versatile is important, but it's not a rule. Why did you choose this strategy?
Music is pure versatility. Just imagine if everyone throughout history made the same sounds, looked or behaved the same way. Wouldn't it be weird? I realised that versatility without losing my identity was the best way to find gigs. I've found myself at the level where I had to explore other aspects to include certain tunes where I want to present myself. So I spent hours, and days researching new songs, labels, and artists. That attitude lead me to expand my sound knowledge in a way I never imagined. It certainly took me much further!
Who are the artists you admire in this context? Any female artists?
I admire and get inspired by the work of guys like Weval, Apparat, Max Cooper, Recondite, Overmono, Thomas Schumacher, Maceo Plex, Pan-Pot, Dubfire, always in a hypnotic line full of textures. For sure! I always say that women are much better than us men at everything they do. The attention and dynamics of a woman are multiple, subtle and precise, bringing a majestic performance when it comes to djing in pickups and in the studio. There are many female artists that I'm a fan of and I've followed for years, like ANNA, Peggy Gou, Nastia, Anfisa Letyago, Lilly Palmer, Eli Iwasa, Aninha, Any Mello, Mari-Anna among other amazing artists that I've also had the pleasure of sharing the stage.
You made your debut at Surreal Park, on the Bells stage, which has people always buzzing about. How was that moment? I know that this debut came through the invitation to djing on Ratier's 50th anniversary.
It was a bizarre mix of emotions! From the moment Renato Ratier got in touch with me in the middle of the night until I press play on the CDJs. The dance floor was filled up in just under 10 minutes after I started the set, it was a crazy feeling. I've played in big festivals with 3 to 7 thousand people present, but, I've never felt a crowd connected to every track I played as BELLS stage. It was amazing, magical! Minutes before entering, not unlike other big dates, I felt that typical butterflies in my stomach, as if I were a child waiting to open my gifts on boxing day. It was crazy, because usually during the set, that feeling goes away, but not there during that set; it was constant, it was joyful, intense and the more the set progressed, the more it filled me up in a very good way!
I heard that at the performance during Ratier's anniversary, you experienced a deep connection to the crowd that was felt by many people, which led to the release of your set on Vintage Music Label's YouTube channel.
People looked me in the eye, thirsty and curious about what was to come as if I could hear the dancefloor say “So, what have you got stored for us tonight?” … Surely after that experience, I had to share my gratitude towards everyone who shared that moment with me, so I drop my set recorded at the event with the idea of bringing back the nostalgia of that moment.
You are producing a documentary, right? What is the theme and why did you decide to create such material? Why is this type of record important, in your opinion?
I believe that every artist wants to leave their mark on the world, in a timeless way. And this is my way of immortalizing my work, my history and the achievements during this journey of almost a decade. In addition, the documentary will show a more personal way of connecting with people through music and things I believe in. We've been working on it since September of 2021, and there's a lot of cool stuff coming when it comes out! Think of an anxious guy, yes that's me.
And to close: in addition to the projects above, what else can we expect from you for 2022? Any news that you can anticipate us? Thanks!
Hmmmmmmm, with spoilers or without? hehe … The release of my debut set at Surreal was the start of 2022 I needed. From now on, releases will come with European labels, with remixes from friends and great artists. I can say that there will be a reinterpretation of the tune “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga produced by me in the voice of my dear friend and great artist Mari-Anna.
