How did you get into music and for how long have you been producing for?
My dad is a pianist and my mother is a ballet teacher, so I was raised in an artistic environment.
I started a band with a couple classmates from middle school, one of these is Daniel Baiolla, who is still like a twin to me. After 2 years since the band was born a national TV show called us to be a part of the casting. That’s how my journey started.
When I was 16 I felt like I wanted to learn more about recording and production, that’s when I bought my first interface and mic. That little setup turned into a recording studio in 2017 and then into Rotbaum Records, the record label I founded in 2019 while I was getting my music production degree in London.
What are some of the biggest differences you’ve seen in this business?
This business is a completely different world from all the other businesses.
It’s the kind of industry that makes you give up if you work just for the money and not for the infinite passion you have for it.
Also, a music entrepreneur has a business plan that needs to be developed in a totally different way from the rest of his fellow entrepreneurs working in tech, commerce, finance or whatsoever.
I wish I could live in a country made for arts in general, with different taxes, different banks, different laws. I imagine that as the most peaceful place on earth.
What inspires you and what makes you want to keep producing music?
It feels like a mission to me. To more I confront myself with the real world, the more I know that that’s my role on this planet. It’s something way bigger than a simple choice.
When I’m in the studio, on the stage or whenever I hear the playback of what I shape with production, even in the car, I have something talking back to me.
People starting out in music may be questioning what they need to get started. What was the first set of equipment/software you ever bought?
The first thing I ever bought for my music career was my electric guitar.
But anyway, I think the first thing a producer needs is a computer.
After that you need to get your recording software, a MIDI keyboard, a couple speakers, a pair of headphones and an audio interface, in case you wanted to record anything like instruments or vocals. You can start off with cheap things but if you become really passionate there is a lot of money to spend. Especially if you fall in love with vintage gear.
What are a few key lessons you’ve learned about producing that other aspiring musicians and producers could take advice from?
While I started producing for real I learned to be conscious of what I’m doing.
I understood that investing my time in education, studying and researching to improve the quality of my productions is a much more solid way to build a career instead of waiting for luck. If there is hard work, I think luck will follow it.
What makes a good song?
The main rule about writing songs is that there are no written rules for writing songs.
Although, there are some efficient compositional techniques to create a potential good song, and that’s something I still recognize and like to hear in a record.
But the real answer to this, is that I need to get the vibe of what an artist is trying to communicate through the song.
Keyword: VIBE.
Tell us about a turning point in your career.
Some people still think that my biggest achievement was participating in a TV programme or being featured here and there when I was a teenager, but the real turning point for me was when I moved to London and I started learning how to pursue my own career by myself.
Tell us about a project you are particularly proud of.
I am proud of every artist that I produce or help and in particular about Francesca and about what we’re doing together, about the growth and the results that both me and her are achieving. We are literally growing together in the music industry.
What are your goals for the near future and do you have any exciting project you want to share with us?
My goal is to make Rotbaum Records grow exponentially, to make it become a more solid structure to help more artists, giving higher value to our projects.
The exciting news is that for the first time I am producing an LP Album with a visionary concept for Francesca and we are going to release it in some months.
Where can we see more of your works and get connected with you?
You can find me on Instagram @kevanreal on Facebook as Kevan or you can visit our website rotbaummusic.com