Artist Spotlight - Okayden
What is your name?
Caidan de Win
Where are you located?
Melbourne, Australia
What is your artist's name?
Okayden
How long have you been writing music?
I started writing music as a kid but started getting into it about 6-7 years ago.
What inspired you to start playing and making music?
I've always been interested in music in all forms, and creating my own was something I'd always wanted to delve into but was too nervous to perform in front of strangers. I began to learn the piano back in primary school to impress a girl (I know, kinda dorky of me). I also picked up a trombone in high school and started teaching myself bass after school. Later in life, I was also into theatre and worked backstage in audio, which helped me work on my mixing skills.
What are your favorite artists or other artists that inspire you to write music?
I'm a big fan of Damon Albarn from all the different styles of genres and forms of music he has created. Tyler, The Creator, is also a big inspiration, including his endeavors in other areas like fashion. To round out my favorite artists, they include Enter Shikari, Nnamdï, and bbno$. I have had my music tastes described as "sonic whiplash" before, as you can tell.
How would you describe your style of music?
I'm always in two minds about how to describe my music as I like to try out new genres and styles frequently but they still few uniquely me. The music is typically in an electronic dance style, with orchestral elements added in as a reference to my classical piano and big band origins. I have also done some slower tempo styles like Lo-Fi and ambient tracks.
How is your personality reflected in your work?
I incorporate many elements from my past music experiences, including jazz bands, musical theatre, and growing up in the country. I include at least one element in every track I make. I might revisit those someday if people are interested, but for now they're something I revisit purely for my enjoyment. Sometimes it works, and sometimes the song sits on a hard drive.
Describe your creative process when you write new music.
Sometimes I don't have any ideas when I start creating, and the song comes to me as I start improvising. Other times I come in with a full idea or melody already imagined; for example, a track I'm working on is based on four colours, and what those colours represent or evoke is translated into the music.
What is the name of your latest releases?
My most recent release is titled "Rhythm Of The Evening," It came out on April 30th.
What was the inspiration for that release?
I'd recently discovered Baauer's videos where he dives into artists like Daft Punk and Deck Sauce and their use of sampling in music. Seeing this made me realize how some of the biggest songs we know were just one of two samples with additional work from the artists.
Can you tell us any behind-the-scenes stories about writing or producing this release?
When creating music, I like to start a base of two or three elements and create multiple versions of the same track. This song has hit a personal record for me in versions made, which is why I also released an extended mic version.
What are you currently working on?
I have several tracks I'm working on right now, one being the colour track I mentioned earlier. I also have a couple of other individual songs I've created that don't work together as an EP release, but I may release some of these as small collections soon.
How can folks get in contact with you?
For most socials I am under Okaydenaus, I predominantly use Instagram for announcements and personal posts, and Bandcamp I use as an early release and interaction hub with music fans before the songs come out onto other streaming services. I am contactable via email at caidanaudio@gmail.com for more business-related communication.
I'm also very active in the theatre and live performance doing lighting, and recently active at The Workers Club.
The song is available now on Bandcamp, so please listen! I know there are also some free codes remaining for the single are available to reach out on the socials if you can't find any :)
