FOR the untrained ears, EDM (electronic dance music) feels like taking 10 espresso shots before your nervous system completely shuts down. The euphoria hits like a brick, but the high dips just as fast, like the plunge of a roller coaster.
But not for this Swedish DJ, whose modus operandi is finding that sweet spot between psychedelic high and infectious groove, ensuring each beat resonates through our veins, leaving us yearning for more even after the final crescendo has hit.
From an underground DJ to playing on colossal stages such as EDC Mainstage and Ultra Europe, Kaaze has risen to stand among EDM’s elite.
An experimental artiste in his own right, his distinct and meticulously crafted sound has earned him a loyal fanbase that deeply connects with his music and artistic vision. His music has also found a home in Malaysia, as our EDM scene grows exponentially.
Returning to Malaysia for the second time, the pioneer of “Hot Tekno”, an EDM subgenre that blends techno and electro with groovy, distorted and seductive elements, is all set to perform an electrifying set for his fans in Kuala Lumpur. Ahead of his show, the 36-year-old DJ sat down with theSun for a chat about music, production and his upcoming show.
Mick Kastenholt to Kaaze
“Between 2013 and 2014, I was working a lot with Tiesto. My DJ name was my real name – it was Mick Kastenholt. But Tiesto had a hard time pronouncing my last name,” Kaaze recalled.
That sparked a creative detour. He began sketching out potential monikers, playing with different alphabets.
“I knew I wanted to have something with K and A, like my last name. And, at the time, there were not many DJs with names starting with the letter K,” he shared.
Tinkering with many variations, Kaaze landed on Mick Case but spelt C-A-S-E – like a suitcase.
“Then, I changed it to K, added another A, and then the Z,” Kaaze said, admitting that the name does not have a meaning, but it is phonetically similar to his last name.
“For the longest time, people had a hard time pronouncing it,” he shared.
Now? They are finally catching on.
Rooted in Swedish sound
Hailing from the land that gave us artistes such as Abba and Avicii, Kaaze traced his journey back to when he first started spinning as an underground DJ.
“When I started producing 20 years ago, way before Kaaze, I was producing underground techno, we call it Scandinavian techno. It was very industrial.”
When EDM in Sweden went through a house music renaissance, it was not long before Kaaze found himself under the same trance.
“I took huge inspiration from (house music), I started making melodic music.”
Sweden, he pointed out, has always had a strong music pulse. From juggernauts such as Max Martin, who was the biggest producer-songwriter in the 90s, to EDM artiste Swedish House Mafia, it is a land where music is in its DNA.
“We have a lot of music in our culture, so it comes a little bit naturally to us, Swedish people,” Kaaze mused.
