I have a longer connection with Cauê than is visible on the Affin label. A few years ago I received a notification that a vinyl record had been ordered from Brazil. I was surprised, because until then my records had never been ordered from there and the label had no connections there that I knew of. After some time, I knew the address and the recipient’s name, and it also became clear on the social media platforms who it was. This Cauê emigrated to London a few years later, and even came to a label showcase in Berlin. You can feel that there are people who really burn for a cause, and that’s exactly what always inspires your own motivation. It’s even nicer to get a demo from him after a while and find the music very valuable.
Meanwhile, the third Affin EP by Cauê (Umbral) is about to be released, so a little insight into his working method and world of thoughts was obvious.
JS: Over the past 2 years, you’ve done an impressive job of showing how your dedication to producing your music translates into results. What’s the main driving force behind your work?
CB: I would say the need to translate my emotions and feelings into music and somehow try to send a message to listeners. Talking about my feelings, or my vision of certain aspects of life with others has always been a difficult thing for me.
In music I have found not only an escape from reality, but also a way to express and try to translate those feelings. Whenever I am going through a difficult, or hard time in life, I try my best to get it out of my mind by creating new music. The eager and excitement to develop the technical side of music creation is also a great driving force, as whenever I finish new work, I already start listening to all the technical and emotional details that should be improved in the next one.
I guess learning how to let it go and decide a certain track is finished has also become a way to motivate myself to improve and create new music.
JS: With Animismo Natural and Spellbooks you released two eps within half a year that found their way into numerous podcasts/playlists, how do you look back on this time? Are there significant differences to the tracks you are currently creating, what has changed in the approach?
CB: It was quite surprising at first! It was truly overwhelming to see and listen to my tracks being played by many different artists. It was certainly a very exciting feeling that pushed me to keep going as producing and djing are very different things, so listening to the tracks from a different point of view certainly opened my view in terms of creating music. You start understanding more about the energy, control, arrangement, and many other aspects.
No doubt from that time to today, my approach changed (hopefully haha). I guess as a producer you start to pay more attention to little details, and the minimalistic approach to creation, as they are one of the main characters of this kind of techno. Timbre, texture, arrangement, energy / emotion and control – developing and understanding these aspects certainly come with time and a lot of experimentation (hit and miss).
I’d like to think in my more recent works I have improved a bit of these aspects and narrowed down my style, coming closer to a more defined identity but still being very careful and sensible not to fall for formulas. There is still an infinite space to evolve as music is an ever-changing art, but I have come to be more and more happy and satisfied with my creations as I finish new projects.
JS: What has changed in your personal life since you left Brazil, how do you like living in London, are there differences in the environment of both countries that inspire you differently?
CB: Hard to say in words how it has affected me, as lot has changed in these past years, personally, emotionally and professionally. Life in London can be quite difficult and intense, but these hard times I experienced have brought discipline and commitment to my life.
Time here goes way faster, after two years I realised I was slowly being swallowed by the city, the job, bills, responsibilities and nothing in terms of music was actually happening. I have come to realise that experiencing a scene and a “techno community” was more than going to parties and afters every weekend. There was this click that made me realise I was surrounded by opportunities to grow as a person, and artist, and also surrounded by really good kind hearted, honest friends who were truly supportive and pushing me to evolve. At some point I decided to change and started focusing.
The weather, architecture and way of living is extremely different, Brazil is a tropical sunny country, whereas London is the opposite, but both have their own beauty and energy that inspire me. External factors like weather, culture and language have an influence in the way you think and experience life, I feel very thankful for this experience and truly like my life here.
JS: Besides your current environment are there influences that affect your music?
CB: For sure, my spiritual beliefs and emotions play a big role in my works. In every track or release I always try my best to translate a feeling / emotion, and in general try to leave a hidden message within the ep.
Most of these messages come from my spiritual education and my admiration for the universe. I deeply believe and feel that life and existence are more than what we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands. These beliefs not only influence the way I create, but also in the way I play.
Music is sacred and one of the oldest forms of magic in the world, it has the power to dematerialise the human mind and connect us to a different energy of the universe, it breaks social and cultural barriers bringing all kinds of people together. No one can explain in words what exactly this is, but we all feel it and know it is real. This kind of phenomena and belief are the main sources of inspiration and influence for my music.
Joachim Spieth 