Insight Interview: Cash

17 Year old Indian composer and producer Cash, has shared with Insight their thoughts surrounding their background and musical style, a long overdue interview with one of the scenes rising stars.  

 

Please tell us about yourself in a few words (who you are, where you’re from, what you do etc.).   

Hello. I am a 17 year old high school student from Mumbai, India. I compose and produce music under the moniker “Cash” and I also play piano to an intermediate level.

What is the story behind the origin of your artist name?   

There really is no story behind it, it’s just something I started as a joke which took off. I think my artist name sounds like I’m not really taking this seriously (which is wrong). I know many artists do have amazing stories behind naming themselves but to be completely honest here, there’s no backstory to my name and it’s more about the music anyways.

Please describe your music for us.

I would say my music is a mix of various styles such as ambient drone, progressive house, post rock and modern classical. I love composing sounds that go well with different colors and visuals. I do compose music based on a particular theme or event in my life and therefore they are diverse, sonically.

Do you try to express something tangible through your music? A particular mood or feeling perhaps? 

I do! Almost all of my pieces have been the result of me pouring down my emotions and feelings into sound. I try to express what my heart feels at the moment. I try to use various compositional techniques into my music. I have so far composed pieces that signify love, heartbreak, desolation, euphoria, exploration, dystopia and utopia.

Who are your major musical influences?   

I do love listening to almost all kinds of music and I take inspiration from many musicians and artists. I’d say the most inspiring musicians to me are: chopin, debussy, yiruma, spherià,

deadmau5, aphex twin, sigur ros, eden and many many more 🙂

How long have you been producing, can you describe the moment when you first realised you wanted to make music? 

I used to play pop and rock songs on the piano since the age of 12. I got to know more about electronic music when I started to mess around in GarageBand. I discovered a lot of music and production techniques through it and bought Logic Pro X later.

Do you have an education in music or self-taught?   

I am completely self taught in music. I taught music to myself through youTube tutorials, eBooks and ear training exercises. I am going to attend Berklee College of Music in September to study composition 🙂

Are there any other musical projects that came before your current artist identity? If so, what triggered the change in direction?   

When I initially started producing music, I used to produce horribly produced dance tracks. I deleted them from my Soundcloud long back. However, at the time I was discovering and self-learning production techniques which is definitely not the case now. I could branch out and produce other genres of electronic music in the future 😉

What is your approach to starting a track, is there a routine you set for yourself? 

My approach towards building a piece is very simple. I believe that even simple and minimal melodic structures can contribute to something very euphoric and atmospheric sounding. I like to compose a piano progression or a soundscape rhythm after which i build soundscape elements through synths or guitar and then structure out a whole piece.

How has your music evolved since you first began producing? 

I think my music has evolved from being very similar to progressive house and dance EDM to composing a whole variety of genres under the ambient spectrum. I think my production and compositions have improved over the years.

Out of your entire body of work, is there one track that means the most to you and why?   

Almost all my tracks are based on real life experiences, so they’re very dear to me. However, if I had to choose, i’d say “Serenity EP” is the best thing I’ve ever done as it was basically me expanding on one song into three pieces. I would also say “Découragé” is my favorite composition of mine 🙂

As an artist, what would you say is your ultimate goal?  

As an artist, my ultimate goal would be to help people relate their life experiences to my music. I want to reach out to everyone and spread love through art. I’d also love to make music for films and form a band at some point.

Any particular artists you’d like to work with?   

I would really love to work with artists like: solace, kisnou, blackbird, 4lienetic, spherià and sam wallace in the future, they’re amazing musicians and I do take a lot of inspiration from them.

What’s on the near horizon for you musically? 

I see myself working my way up as a film composer and a producer in the next couple of years. I would also want to form a band/duo with like minded musicians.

Any releases coming up?

I did release “collision course” a few months back. It’s a track very close to me. It was the result of sheer exploration and experimentation and I’m very happy with how it turned out. I hope people like it too!

Best advice you were given in regards to having a music career? 

deadmau5 once said that “We should never expect any good from people. People only help you for their benefit and they could screw you over sometimes. Never depend on anyone.“

Any advice you can share with those just starting out?   

Make the music you want to make, not what others want to hear. Stay grounded, be eager to experience challenges and blocks, they’re only going to make you stronger in your craft and art.

And finally, are there any artists that are relatively unknown that you’d like people to know about?

In my opinion, there’s one artist who doesn’t get the love he deserves. his name is aimsir. (a really great friend of mine) and he makes amazing sound pieces that go well with graphic design and photography. sparkle and fade is another amazing musician who I think doesn’t get the recognition he deserves 🙂