WWD: Hey Julian! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Let’s kick things off with your latest release “Painfully”. What was the development process like for the track? Did you run into any obstacles when producing?
JW: Hey guys, thanks for having me! After my first release “Extase & Manie” on ‘Wassermann’, which was very technoid and for clubs, I wanted to do a more musical project with vocals. I started with progressive and emotional melodies and added a contrasting harder baseline. After the first sketch was finished, my team thought about who could deliver the vocals. At some point, we had a flash of inspiration to work on it with a friend from Hamburg, Germany. I heard him sing live with an orchestra for the first time in Munich and was quite impressed by his soulful voice. After a short sympathetic phone call I explained my idea to him. He immediately started writing lyrics and recorded the first take. The first result was already fantastic, but after small adjustments of the lyrics in the second take it increased immensely. I arranged the vocal tracks, mixed them and edited them with effects. Painfully was done :). The first obstacle was to create the right song structure, so that the vocalist has as much room as possible. Also very tricky was to use the right selection of recorded vocal tracks and put them in the right spots. In the end, I hope I succeeded!
WWD: The vocals in “Painfully” are so impactful. Can you describe what was the inspiration behind the lyrics? Can you explain what the theme/mood of the song is? Did you draw inspiration from your personal experiences to create the single?
JW: I wanted a melancholic track that fits the season. It was also important to me that the lyrics weren’t too clumsy. But since I have no experience in lyrics, I gladly put it into the hands of a trusted singer and songwriter. This separate creative process worked great.
WWD: Growing up, who or what inspired you to pursue a career in the music industry? What’s the best tip you could give to any young artist wanting to pursue a career in music too?
JW: After first club visits I started to fall in love with electronic music. That didn’t let me go until today. The nice thing is that there hasn’t been a day in the studio or a gig where I regretted it. My tip is that you should trust in yourself and continue to work on yourself and your abilities. The most important thing is to be patient with this topic. At some point it will work out!
WWD: You are currently based in Germany, what is the music scene like in that area? Any clubs worth checking out as a tourist? Also, you are currently playing a string of shows in Germany. Which one are you looking forward to most and why?
JW: I am happy and proud of the electronic scene in Germany. There are great venues in almost every city and also many well-known festivals.Since I’m resident at Harry Klein (Munich) it’s nice that I can play shows in my home town. But it’s something special to play in other cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Augsburg, Stuttgart and so on. I’m especially looking forward to my performance in Stuttgart at the SEMF Festival in December and afterwards my premiere at the great Heinz Gaul (Cologne).
WWD: You will be playing in the US at 101Brooklyn in New York in December. Is this your first show in the states? What are you most looking forward to for the show ? Any tourist places you are excited to see?
I am incredibly happy to play in the States for the first time. That was always a big goal! I’m looking forward to the audience and NYC as well. Maybe I’ll be able to see all the places I’ve set out to, like, for example Top of the Rock, Brooklyn, Central Park and many other spots.
WWD: Your single “Surreal” recently hit over a million streams on Spotify. Congrats! How does that make you feel? Did you expect such support?
It’s magical, and it’s kind of amazing. I wasn’t expecting it. Since Surreal my Spotify numbers have risen from about 15,000 to 300,000 monthly listeners.
WWD: Deadmau5 has shown his support for the single too, how does that feel?
That’s crazy! I was incredibly happy that day and had to send my manager one million party emojis, because we’re both fans of his music. That was a really great moment for me.
WWD: With the end of the year quickly approaching, can you share a favorite moment of the year that left a lasting impression?
JW: That was definitely the day at Warner Music Europe in Hamburg to sign the contract. I didn’t expect to reach such a professional level with my hobby.
WWD: Do you plan on releasing any more EP’s or singles anytime soon? Any festivals for New Year’s you will be attending/playing?
JW: I’m already in the plans for the next releases. In January I’ll continue with the successor of Painfully “Zeitgeist”, a track that is produced very different from my other works.
In addition I’m currently doing a remix for Florian Kruse. It will be released on one of my favorite labels Last Night On Earth. Unfortunately I can’t tell you anything yet, but we already have some shows planned for next year.
WWD: Thanks for chatting with us, we hope you the best for 2019 !
Follow Julian Wassermann on Facebook and Soundcloud. Buy ‘Painfully’ here