MEET OUR SOUNDCAMP FINALISTS (PART TWO)

Soundcamp 2024 is well on its way, funded by Youth Musicand in partnership with Thirty Pound Gentleman. We held a two week bootcamp in February, with over thirty aspiring musicians in the Reform Radio space collaborating and working on their crafts. Throughout the bootcamp, they received support from our exclusive mentors, Layfullstop and Jack Kong.

Following our bootcamp, eight participants were selected to take part in Soundcamp’s six month artist development programme. Each week, in the lead up to our Soundcamp Showcase on the 15th of May, we will be introducing you to two of our selected finalists. This week, get to know kaoti and DREIXSS below.

kaoti

My name is kaoti, my pronouns are they/them. You can find me on all streaming platforms and on Instagram as @kaotiiii.

How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?

You’re in for a ride and you’re about to have your ears blown off by this beautiful chaos. My music is like popping candy, or a pinball machine in your head. It’s full of heavy bass that you can screw your face at and lots of break-beats and drums to move to. There’s lots of high flute and twinkly sounds to balance out the low frequencies too. In the lyrics, you can expect anything from heavy rap to soft poetry. We have it all in the kaoti-sphere.

What prompted you to get involved in Soundcamp and what are you hoping to achieve from it? 

I got involved in Soundcamp because, simply, I love making music. It was an amazing opportunity to even get to attend the Bootcamp. I’m hoping to understand the industry better, get myself out there more, find people that vibe with my sound, and make new musical friends. I’m a big believer in trade. I want to trade energy and creativity with new creatives and see where it takes me.

Where did your journey with music begin?

Like any small pop punk kid, I wanted to be Avril Lavigne. I wrote some very angsty and angry lyrics. Then, I started to mash up songs together and make videos singing them when I was as young as 10. It all started there.

Describe your creative process from starting to finishing a track.

Sometimes it starts with me freestyling over a beat; other times I will have a funny phrase and shape a whole song around it. I’m also a big fan of concept pieces. For example, I wrote a song about my pink car last week. My creativity comes from so many different places, but it always ends up going through the motions of trial and error to create a full song. Currently, I start with a beat and then go on a spiritual process of acknowledging what sounds and, then, words feel right. This process has really improved my freestyling abilities too. After this, I will go back and fine tune the track. I’m really enjoying the journey of seeing what comes out of me, working independently, and listening to myself before sharing my work for feedback.

Who are the main inspirations and influences for your sound and aesthetic?

It’s hard to put my sound in a box and it has qualities of a huge range of music I listened to growing up. My attitude is inspired by punk and rock music heavily. My rap is actively inspired by Eminem and Tyler, the Creator. However, I also love drum and bass and higher BPM music to get moving to, alongside hyper pop and glitch-core artists like Grimes. There’s a huge fusion of sounds and inspirations within my music.

If you could collaborate with anyone on a track, who would it be and why?

I would have to collaborate with Tyler, the Creator and experience working with him. Ashniko and I could also smash a track together, or even Cookie Monsta.

What are your biggest goals/plans for your music in the future?

I know I’ve mentioned Tyler a lot, but I would love to follow in his footsteps of combining fashion, art, film and more. It would be a dream for my music to expand to form a whole world of creativity – the ‘kaoti-sphere’.

DREIXSS

My name is Idreiss, also known as DREIXSS. My pronouns are he/him and you can hit me up on any streaming platforms out there to hear my music.

How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?

I would just describe it as ‘DREIXSS’. I’ve picked up influences from music I listen to and the music my parents brought me up on. I like to think of my music as a collection of timeless classics.

What prompted you to get involved in Soundcamp and what are you hoping to achieve from it? 

I heard about Soundcamp through Kong, one of the mentors on the project. He was really encouraging and it filled me with confidence to get involved. When I looked further into Reform Radio and what they did for the community, I was even more keen to be part of Soundcamp and share the room with such talented people. I am really hoping to use this time and involvement with Reform to build a strong foundation to move onto big things.

Where did your journey with music begin?

When I was a kid, my parents used to play the classics – my mum was a massive George Michael fan, and my dad was a proper Ministry of Sound raver. They shaped my ideas of music. It all started out with me singing in choirs as a kid, but it never felt like the real me. I liked singing, but I didn’t like what I was singing. I started listening to garage and DJ music and then I discovered R&B, rap and trap. It’s been a journey so far, and it doesn’t look like it’ll be slowing down any time soon. I’m excited to see where it ends up going.

Describe your creative process from starting to finishing a track.

As a creative process, it all starts off in a similar way – I have to connect with the music. It might start with a line in my head and then I’ll start building it from there. Or I will find a beat I love and start writing lyrics to this. It simply just has to start with something I connect with and I’m feeling.

Who are the main inspirations and influences for your sound and aesthetic?

Obviously I have inspirations, but I like to think I am an individual and I am true to my own unique sound. I’ve been very influenced by Ne-Yo and Usher, but I also love the UK scene. Bugzy Malone is another great example of someone I appreciate. I love what he addresses through his music and the messages he shares. I hope I can form a community of people that resonate with my work like he has.

If you could collaborate with anyone on a track, who would it be and why?

I’d have to go with D-Block Europe. What they’ve built all by themselves and by being their unique selves is hugely inspiring to me. I love their music and I love the community they’ve made so organically.

What are your biggest goals/plans for your music in the future?

My biggest goal is getting as many people to hear my music as possible, building a solid fanbase and foundation for my future in the industry. I want to walk down the street and hear people playing my music out their cars. I want DREIXSS to be heard by as many people as possible.

Grab your free ticket to see kaoti & DREIXSS alongside the rest of the Soundcamp cohort live at The Blues Kitchen on the 15th of May here.