Kid Optimus gets Featured on Juno Recommends Electro House

With his most recent 3 track EP release “Beautiful Faults” being featured in the Juno download recommendations, we recently had the chance to sit down with one of EHTraxx’s well-known electro house producers Kid Optimus. We talked about his inspirations and his journey through his music and his career. Check it out.

Q: What were some of your first experiences with music?

A: I started taking drum lessons when I was in the 4th grade. I started playing guitar in 8th grade and writing my own music when I was 14, playing in bands etc. that was my real starting point in making original music.

Q: How has your music taste developed over the course of your life and what was some of the music you were into at an early age and how as that influenced your music now?

A: I’ve always had very eclectic tastes. I played in a lot of alternative rock bands throughout high school. Major influences during that time range from psychedelic bands such as Pink Floyd, the Beatles & Phish, to grunge music like Nirvana, Alice n Chains & Pearl Jam. I got exposed to electronic music in my junior year in high school by the soundtrack to the movie “Hackers” and people like The Chemical Brothers and Prodigy. In 1996 I started going to underground shows and was immediately hooked on the note progression of trance music. My career as Kid Optimus has been an attempt to fuse the melodic and harmonious progressions of trance music with the energy and feel of hard house music. When the Electro House style hit the scene, I was instantly hooked and have followed the progression of the genre.

Q: What does your creative process look like?

A: It varies every time. I try to change my process or the way I do things with every track trying to develop something new whether it’s a synthesizer sound or different plug-ins within the mastering stage. When it’s a remix, I usually start with that one part of the song that I really like and want to stay the same and then can meld my style of sounds around it. I normally don’t use every stem provided to make a remix. When working on my own tracks, I mostly start off with the melody, sometimes I’m just messing with sound design and make a sound I really like and build on that. It could be chords and occasionally the vocals. For me, drums tend to come later in the process.

Q: What was the first major and most memorable performance as Kid Optimus?

A: I’ve done a lot of decent sized shows in the New England area which is fairly close to home, but I’d have to say the most major and memorable show was in 2010 when I perform an opening set for the one and only Dj Bam Bam in Portland Oregon. It was such a great experience not only to showcase my production work for the previous years, but to be flown across the country to a venue in a state I’ve never been, to perform for over 1,000 people whose reaction to my music was easily the warmest welcome anyone could’ve received. They really seemed to like it as almost everyone in the place was cheering and dancing the entire time.

Q: Who is currently your biggest inspiration for music production?

A: I would have to say Far Too Loud. His sound design & mastering skills are top notch and has played a major role in shaping the direction in which I’ve been working hard to achieve. His high energy production work is always super inspiring.

Q: When someone is walking away from a Kid Optimus performance what do you want them to be thinking/saying?

A: I’d like them to walk away thinking “That was the best show I’ve ever seen. I’ve never danced so much in my entire life.” To which I hope they pass along to all their friends.

Q: What do we have to look forward to from you in the near future?

A: I’m currently in the studio working a lot right now. The “Beautiful Faults” EP which was just released, is the beginning in a long line of original productions to which I’m extremely proud of. The stuff I’m working on right now is the most original stuff I’ve worked on with new sounds and a lot more progressions.

Coldbeat: "-... That was definitely a great interview, been working with Andy, which you also know as Kid Optimus, for about 4 years now (I guess), and to be honest I never had the chance to have a closer look into him and his career, as we did now.. a few facts I knew from his artist BIO but is always great to know a bit more about your favorite producers. I would like to personally thank him for this great blog post, and on behalf of the whole team of DJs, producers and staff here on Coldwave headquarters as well. Been a pleasure work with Kid Optimus for all those years and I'm definitely looking forward the new music he mentioned.
I hope you guys enjoyed this interview as much as I did, and I see you in the next "Artist Spotlight" blog post..."

Now, tune in with 'Beautiful Faults' EP by Kid Optimus: