ARTIST ON THE WATCH: CASSINØ
This is CASSINØ.
CASSINØ, tell us more about how you got started.
CASSINØ was born roughly a year ago when two separate musical journey’s crossed paths.
Founding members, Sully Malik and Maxi Nickou, met through mutual friends at a house party in Santa Monica.
Sully had just recently arrived in LA, while Maxi had been making a living as a full-time musician for a few years.
After exchanging info, the two began collaborating in writing sessions.
The music, the vibe, and the chemistry were all present immediately.
After a year of polishing through writing sessions, the two developed a sound, style, and aesthetic that would later be known as CASSINØ.
What is the most difficult aspect about launching a career in music?
I think one of the most difficult aspects of starting a music career is finding your sound.
It’s a journey that starts and never ends because it is so intimately linked with the journey of discovering yourself.
It’s easy to get lost in this journey.
It’s tempting to want to look for shortcuts.
It’s even easier to get distracted by the pursuit of a glossy ideal we’ve been spoon fed our whole lives.
I’ve learned time and time again that the best way to avoid these pitfalls is to openly and honestly understand yourself.
The growth of an artist is often dependent on that artist’s ability to dive into themselves.
Our sound, our writing, our style, our “vibe”; all grow and evolve as we do.
This is one of the most magical parts of music.
I’ve found that the more I take time to understand myself, the more empathetic I am in understanding others.
This is because despite our many differences as humans, our emotional responses are all the same.
We all feel love, joy, sadness, and loss the same way.
This can be an extremely helpful tool when translated to songwriting or any artistic pursuit.
My advice to anyone who feels lost in their artistic journey: “Take a deep breathe.
Check your compass. Make sure it’s pointing at yourself.”
How would you describe your style/sound & how is it different from others?
The CASSINØ project sparked into existence at the intersection between sonic and visual style.
By blending 70’s and 80’s disco and funk with elements of modern production and song writing, CASSINØ offers an escape from reality into a dreamy retro wave aesthetic.