Comast is a 20 year old producer and DJ coming from Leicester, England. Comast's music is a versatile approach to Techno, exploring and producing the sub-genres, creating hypnotic and pulsating rhythms perfect for the dancefloor. Comasts versatility can be seen in his recent Label success, ranging from Industrial Techno with label 'Industrial Techno United' to the UKG scene with his latest label release on Leicester's own 'Beastwang'. No matter what style Comast chooses to make, the desired result always remains the same, to make people dance.
Photo @diddycam
Tell us more about Comast, where it began and where it’s at right now.
Ok, so Comast started off when I was in my first year at uni, and this is before I even began making electronic music, I had FL Studios and I was making trap and hip-hop beats, as everyone kind of does when they start producing, well at least most people anyway. Yeah, and I remember I just kind of did it as a music page and I created the alias ‘Comast’ to have something kind of different and I used to post a lot of guitar videos and loads of random stuff and my good friend Harry also known as ‘Techtile_DNB’ he took me to Pirate Studios one day and was showing me his mixing. Ive always liked dance music but Ive never really thought to mix or produce it but when he was mixing it it was like a real kind of energy, and I was like ok this is what I want to do.
So I was doing a guitar course at university and through starting learning how to produce I realised I wanted to do that further so I switched over to the Music Production course and started to really focus on producing, and some of my first productions. But yeah thats how it began, just mixing at uni halls with my friends and getting into the dance scene, Ive always been into music but that definitely honed a more specific interest to dance music. In regards to where it is now, im not too sure to be honest, im just doing what I’m doing.
I released an EP last month so thats exciting, and I'm just continuing to make music I like making, hoping that it will resonate with people and if I do that’s brilliant but if i don't no worries. I’d also love to do a few more sets when things pick up again as I was relatively busy last year but obviously coronavirus began so only time will tell.
You mentioned a former collaborator ‘ Techtile DnB’. Within your growth as an artist how important has it been to surround yourself with like minded people?
Oh that’s massively important, I think it’s one of the most important things, that you have people with similar goals around you. If you’re around people who want to do well and they are doing well then all they will do is boost you. I think its really easy for you to be with a toxic group of people and not even realise it until you’re out of it. Being at a BIMM Birmingham, where everyone is doing music is brilliant because we are all giving each other constructive criticism.
I also heard the saying ‘You are the average of your 5 top friends’ so you’ve got to make sure they’re good basically. Also when you’re in a race its easier to speed up when you have someone in front of you, it provides a sense of motivation and makes me think it’s time to pick up the pace, especially within the last year, I’ve really met some amazing DJ’s and producers that not only have given me that boost but also massively inspired me. So yeah, surround yourself with good energy people.
Photo @_co.mast
You also mentioned the current climate of the world, especially in terms of Covid and the lockdowns. Has this hindered your creativity or inspired you at all?
This lockdown has actually given me a lot of time to create and improve, which has been really helpful and I’ve probably improved the most over this year than I have any other period of time, but at the same time it’s really hard to be creative when you have no inspiration. What gave me inspiration was going to raves and seeing the effects directly music has on people and then when you strip that away it’s really hard to picture your music anywhere else than in your bedroom it can be a bit demoralising but I just try to keep in mind hopefully things will get back to normal and I’m sure they will do sometimes soon.
It has hindered my creativity slightly, I’ve taken drabs on inspiration but mainly it’s been a bit more of a struggle. I think my music changed due to the fact I can’t really picture nightlife anymore, this time last year I was making a real hard hitting industrial techno because that's the raves I went to like the second class rave I went to was Amelie Lens at The Mill Birmingham but because I’ve been listening to Lo-fi jams in my room that’s the approach ive now taken, like my new EP is very ambient and I’m really enjoying that right now.
Whilst creating your music is there a specific approach you take?
I kind of realised when I was forcing myself to make a track I took away to creativity of things and it turned into a formula and a process instead of it being enjoyable, so I kind of just create when i'm feeling the inspiration.
Photo @_co.mast
Is there a specific message you try to convey as a creative and within your art?
Good question, I think some artists definitely have concept in mind and lot of albums are very conceptual, for a very cliche example Dark Side of the Moon has that narrative of slow descent into madness, where as mine my EP ‘Getting By’ the message is kind of be kind to yourself and allow yourself to love, its very reflective and it’s more about showing emotion through music and letting myself be intimate. The titles are very much reflective of my moods but my full circle message is kind of love, be open and enjoy things.
So you’re from the Midlands right? Who on the local scene at the moment do you think deserves a bigger platform?
So many people, so so so many people. There are so many people I am surrounded by that where their music is phenomenal and i have no idea why they arent superstars. Just to name a few my good friends band King Genghis, Tommy Saunders, who is an amazing techo DJ, Era 95, also Mizo with Casey and Faraz and Tyger Blue.
Photo @_co.mast
If you wasn’t to do music would you still be venturing down a creative path? What would you see yourself doing?
I’m into personal training and I’ve also been a sports guy and I really like my fitness, health is wealth, and you will hear me say that a lot. Creatively I like art im just really bad at it, I remember at school I used to really enjoy art exams but they used to be dreadful, but yeah I’d still do something creative but music is my calling.
What does the future hold for Comast?
I wish I knew that myself, I think the near future involved playing alot of GTA online and eating a lot of food whilst finishing off some uni work. But hopefully in the grand scheme of things it involves a nice little apartment and lots of vinyls, with a cute dog maybe somewhere in Berlin or another European country that isn’t England, and yeah just DJing and making a living for myself.
Comast's Links
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/comastmusic
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/_co.mast/
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