Budakid, a genuine artist that embodies the full spectrum of the human experience through his music

Born into a musical family with Indonesian heritage, Budakid’s pathway into music was perhaps unavoidable. Initially a drummer, he traded in his drum kit for a computer in his teens and changed the trajectory of his life.

At 15, he performed live for the first time and began establishing himself in the electronic music scene in his hometown, close to Nijmegen. In his late teens, he studied to become a graphic designer, exploring the visual aspect of his creative energy. But, deep down, there was an intense yearning to commit his life to music, his first love. And so, the hobby became his profession.

Budakid’s attitude is friendly and relaxed, a go-with-the-flow character whose ambitions lie within finding the capacity to continue creating without restrictions. It’s a simple yet profoundly effective mission statement, which feeds back into his work and generates joy and solace for Budakid and all those who encounter his productions.

His genuine desire to deliver exquisite quality in his music led him to release them on top labels such as ‘Exploited’, ’Diynamic’, ‘Watergate’, ‘Lost&Found,’ ‘Disco Halal’, ‘Anjunadeep’ and ‘Last Night On Earth’, among others. The current year has been an incredible musical journey for him regarding releases and gigs, unveiling ‘Milestones EP,’ which he described as a stone set at the end of an era.

For this new issue of the magazine, we are pleased to present to our Brazilian audience a story that has captivated our ears with the sophisticated style of Budakid.

Click here to have free access to this exclusive interview for Mixmag Brazil in magazine format!

Great to speak to you, Kevin. How are you doing? What have you been up to lately?

Hi, I am doing great! Surfing the wave of life. I just had some big tours in North & South America and have been doing some running and bouldering around the globe to clear the mind. Besides that, I am also spending loads of time in my (portable) music studio, writing music for myself and as a ghost for others.

First, How did you come up with your artist moniker Budakid?

The name “Budakid” came up already a while ago back in 2004. I was coming up with the idea when someone asked me if I could play at their party. I still remember the moment, looking into my teenage room and thinking about names that popped up in my head. My eyes got stuck on a small statue that I’ve got from my Indonesian grandmother.

A sitting Buddha statue with kids sitting and climbing around it. It’s a personal thing to me so that’s why I changed the writing of it to avoid being associated with the philosophy. But despite that somehow people still connect it. A funny fact what I noticed a few years back is that “Budak” means “Kid” in the commonly used Indonesian language (Bahasa) and the “ID” stands for Indonesia.

This realisation felt like a gift and the name grew onto me.

For those who don’t know you, could you tell your story to the Brazilian audiences. How was your beginning in Electronic Music?

As a teenager from that time, I was very much into electronics, cell phones, computers and game consoles. A typical 90’s kid. Other than that, I was also into music instruments and playing the drums for like 4 years already since my 8th life year. These two things in combination melted into the interest of electronic music for me.

On the birthday of my uncle, one of my favourite cousins showed me Fruityloops, a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that instantly replaced the video games I used to play before. Once I started producing - which was a very playful process for me at that time - I also got into mixing music digitally with a midi controller which turned into CDs later on. I stepped into the nightlife at the age of 14 and went to some local bars and clubs.

Excited how I was, I slowly started to share my early music on cd’s to the local DJs who were playing at that time. This excitement opened some doors for me. Slowly people started to ask me to also play on their parties.

Around that time, I got booked together with acts such as Hardwell, Afrojack and many others. It was a path that I didn’t explore further because it didn’t align with my musical interest which was more melodic minimal/tech-house at that time.

How would you describe your development as a musician in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice and innovations?

It was quite a natural growth and development. I never had the big urge to succeed in becoming famous because I’ve approached it - until today - always as a hobby. The challenge I mostly face myself is that I don’t want to lose the joy of creating something that excites me. Something that I would like to listen to myself, for hours on loop.

I always believe that musical creations are a ventilation of experiences and things that people have been listening to in the past. The creative aspect and curiosity to innovate starts there. My personal touch has more of a diary approach. A reflection of my life and the experiences I go thru.

As a creator I mostly try to catch certain moods in sound. From the love stories to family losses. The music I create and write captures certain feelings and timeframes for me, seeing it like a diary in sound. Sometimes I also try to put in some gimmicks and easter eggs in my music, that align for me with the stories I want to tell.

This gives me total joy, especially while playing it out on one of my shows. My personal voice and innovations are topics I can’t force that much. It’s something that’s traceable in the context of the total discography but not in a single release, I think.

How crucial is it to stick to your Indonesian roots? Was there an important role model who guided you into your artistic vision in your earlier life?

I grew up in between two different cultures. Dutch and Indonesian. Being in the middle of two different worlds makes you conscious about certain cultural behaviors and traditions. This blend might unconsciously influence my taste and decision making.

Hiding behind a culture and use it as a tool to get attention I personally don’t like to do as it feels forced to me. I like to have more of a transparent approach and want to be as crystal clear as possible in image and sound.

There were multiple role models that guided throughout the years. A few that just popped up in my head are my parents who brought me weekly to my drum sessions.

The second one is my cousin who showed me the software to produce music with and introduced me to a wide spectrum of electronic music.

Another important one are my friends that have been part of my life. Sharing music with them and going to concerts also had a big influence on me.

How did you come up with the idea of working with Matthias Meyer again with Saye/System after Sweet Ease/Hybrid Society?

A few years back, after my release ‘The End’ which was released on ‘Exploited’ I got a message from Matthias that he was digging this tune. We slowly got in touch and decided to have a studio session together. The first studio session we had felt like we were friends for already a while and after our first jam the fundament of Sweet Ease was found.

We enjoyed making our first EP so much, that we decided to move on and spend more time on creating a second EP which turned out to be ‘Saye/System’. It was a nice and exciting process because we both felt more comfortable with each other in the studio. ‘System’ was the first jam we had; Matthias took his Modor NF1 (a synthesizer) with him which we explored.

This situation felt so comfortable that I started to sing the lyrics on top. ‘Saye’ was created afterwards, a joyful jam on the keys and a more friendly uplifting beat. After having the first ideas of the lead sound of ‘Saye’ we were as excited as two little kids seeing an ice-cream car, haha.

Moving onto releases, you have returned to ‘Exploited’ with Milestones EP this year. Can you talk about how you became more involved with the label and how that first came about?

Our collaborations started a few years back. With a shelf full of tracks, I was searching for a record label to collaborate with. A place that would allow me to do more than only four-to-the-floor jams.

‘Exploited’ is a place where I don’t have to think so much in the box. As a musician and producer, I am always curious to new sounds, music and ideas. I am driven to think forward and quickly bored to be stuck in a certain sound. It sometimes feels like a gift and a curse at the same time.

How did the recording and writing sessions compare to your previous releases? You say that ‘Milestones’ is “A reflection on a chapter of your life, a pillar that marks a musical journey”. What can you share with us? Was it emotional to create?

‘Milestones’ was actually a project that grew out of lyrics that Bad Actor and I wrote for one of my other tracks. We never used it for that track eventually, but the lyrics got stuck in my head, so I decided to write a new track around it.

‘Milestones’ was written in 2021, the year where I turned 30, a stone set on the path of my life journey. A moment of reflection and a pilar as time goes by. My whole discography is basically my diary. So, any moment, reflection or thought I process thru making music.

For the EP, you have invited the top vocalist Bad Actor; How was it to work with such a legend, and what makes lyrics good in your opinion?

Bad Actor is an artist I really admire. A vocalist, highly skilled producer and multi-instrumentalist. I was pleased to work with him on this, because I knew it would turn out in an amazing jam.

The lyrics I also try to write a bit abstract, so it could be interpreted from different perspectives. For me it has my own meaning, but despite that people could also associate other topics to it.

You are also releasing ‘Milestone’s EP remixes, where we can find great names like Shubostar, Make a Dance, and Milio. What can you tell us about this? How important is it for you that these artists show their perspective in your music?

The Milestones remixes are all of them club bangers. Piece by piece, strong and solid. Shubostar is an amazing artist who I’ve on my radar for a bit already and I’m pleased to have her on board for a remix. She used the main elements but elevated the whole into a peak party track. High energy and hands in the air!

Make A Dance is an act that the record label Exploited was proposing to me and I was positive surprised by their approach on it. A groovy and solid approach on the original mix. Milio - known from the Tunnelvisions project - is a long-time friend of me, and a very skilled and talented producer from the Netherlands. Lately he has been releasing bomb after bomb, so I am very happy he’s also on board for a magnificent remix.

To finalize, What are other hotspots where we can find you this year?

This year, you can find me on some events and festivals in Europe, the America’s, all over Asia and Australia. Playing my new Liveshow with some new band members at ‘Wildeburg Festival’ might be one of the highlights.

The other festivals I can’t announce yet unfortunately, but they also already make me very excited. Another hotspot for me personally is spending time in my lovely studio again which excites me a lot.

Many thanks, and we wish you the best.

Milestones and The Milestones remixes are out now on Exploited.

Click here to have free access to this exclusive interview for Mixmag Brazil in magazine format!

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