Home Interviews Last Night On Earth @ADE: In-depth Interview with BAILE

Last Night On Earth @ADE: In-depth Interview with BAILE

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Today we’re sitting down with Reed Kackley aka BAILE. Being one of LNOE’s newcomers he will be playing Sasha’s sold out label night at ADE later this year. His popularity has certainly sky rocketed with his latest release including remixes by the master himself; Sasha. We thought it was time to catch up...

Hi Reed, thanks for taking the time to speak with us, tell us where in the world you are at the moment and what you’ll be up to today.
Right now I’m in Brooklyn, NY currently working on a remix. Later I’ll be slowly putting together my live show that I’ll be taking on the road in a couple weeks.

Tell us about growing up in Brooklyn, New York and how you discovered electronic music? Are you old enough to have experienced Sasha & John Digweed at Twilo?
I actually didn’t move to Brooklyn until about eight years ago. I could tell you about growing up in the suburbs of Washington D.C., in Northern Virginia, but I assure you it is not an interesting story haha. I’ve yet to see Sasha & Digweed together but I’m hoping to check that off my list sometime soon.

Name some of your favorite hangout spots in Brooklyn.
I’ve got a dog so Do or Dive is a great bar in Bedstuy, and one of the few that allows dogs. Super Power & Covenhoven are also cool spots that are near where I live in Crown Heights. As far as venues go, Elsewhere is a relatively new club that has consistently great acts and two really great sounding rooms.

In your bio it states you are more drawn to the sounds and textures of a track rather than the sum of its parts essentially. So how does a project start for you? Is it just playing with sounds rather than a melodic theme or a loop?
Sometimes it starts with a sound or sample that I’ve recorded and find interesting. I also start tracks by finding a synth tone that I’m drawn to. In that case I’ll start by composing a melody with it and building around that.

Most artists come across creative blocks from time to time, how do you break through when you get stuck on a project?
I usually just leave it be and come back to it later with a fresh perspective. However, sometimes when starting a track it can take a couple hours of getting nowhere before finally stumbling upon something that works. Overall I think it’s about walking away before the frustration reaches a boiling point and sours your mood for the rest of the day.

Looking at your discography, your relationship with Last Night On earth began with remixing Sasha’s ‘Singularity’ early this year. How did that come to be?
Sasha had reached out a few months prior inquiring about unreleased music that I had and if I was interested in opening up for him on his REFRACTED:LIVE dates in the UK. Shortly after that he sent over ‘Singularity’ to see if I wanted to remix it and I immediately said ‘yes’.

It’s a pretty daunting task, you must have felt some extra pressure or perhaps motivation on that remix?
There was certainly some added pressure. But I find that I approach nearly every remix the same way. I hone in on a few aspects that I really like and then write around those. I like to add as much of my own original style to a remix as I can without undercutting the original.

What does an original track have to contain for you to decide to take the project on as a remixer?
I guess I’ve sort of answered this above but it’s got to just have something that draws me in and that I feel like I want to put my own spin on.

Tell us about your relationship with Sasha, how has he helped mentor you and guide your career since connecting with him?
Sasha has been great. We’ve both now remixed one another’s tracks and I was able to play a few dates with him. Hearing him transform my track ‘Amae’ was pretty inspiring. As it stands I’ve had very few remixes done of my songs, so it was exciting to get two from Sasha. Watching and studying his live show was also beneficial. There are a million ways to translate electronic music into a live medium so I love being able to study how its done by those I respect.

One of the summer’s biggest tracks has been your ‘Amae’ single with two remixes from Sasha. Tell us a bit about the track and walk us through the production process on it.
I wrote the instrumental for ‘Amae’ in two sessions I think. If I remember correctly I repurposed an old beat I had sitting around. I immediately knew that I wanted to ask Felicia Douglass if she would sing on it. I gave her just a few notes and she took two passes on the song. I did some slight rearranging and kept nearly all of her vocal parts. She’s the type of artist that I usually just give the material to and step out of the way. I know that whatever she comes up with is going to be better than anything I would suggest. It was really as simple and seamless of a process as I’ve ever had with a song.

You must have been pleased when Sasha wanted to remix it, was that always the plan?
He first heard the song back when we were introduced and immediately expressed interest in it. It was a few months after that, when he was compiling tracks for his fabric 99 compilation, that he decided he wanted to remix it and include it in that release.

You seem to have found a home with Last Night On Earth, what makes it the right imprint for your music?
I think finding a label that supports you and is excited and genuinely interested in your music is always the most important thing. I’ve certainly found that with Last Night On Earth.

You are a DJ but also play live as well, tell us about your live setup and which do you prefer?
I have a few different live set ups. I play solo sometimes with a few samplers and a couple synths that are being fed midi. If budget and travel allow I also play with a drummer (mostly playing electronic pads) & a vocalist, usually Felicia Douglass,  for the songs that feature lead vocal parts. I suppose I prefer playing live, however, DJing offers a very different experience that I also really enjoy.

ADE is fast approaching, where can people expect to see you this year?
I will be playing the LNOE Boat Party on Saturday 19th October. This is the first boat party the label have done at ADE after their renowned sell out Miami boat parties, so I know it will be a special one! I will also be supporting Paul Kalkbrenner & Extrawelt on Wednesday 17th.

What do you love most about the scene? What would you say it's lacking?
Honestly I find that electronic music is constantly becoming more interesting and diverse both in its sound and those that are making those sounds. I’d say that is something that I really love about the scene and I don’t know that I could find anything to complain about right now.

You also have a side project under the moniker of Haulm, who is involved and how does it differ from what you do as BAILE?
Haulm is a duo featuring myself & JT Norton, a vocalist & composer based in Austin, TX. The writing process is very collaborative, which is quite different than BAILE, and I would say that the overall sound is a little more indie electronic leaning as well.

What’s the thing most people think they understand about being an artist but don't? And what are the biggest challenges you currently face as an artist?
I’d say the thing that *I* most didn’t understand was how many expenses are involved. It certainly seems like a constant battle to make more from you art than you spend on your art. I’d also say that its quite often monotonous & frustrating & depressing. That’s life though really. It balances itself out with the moments of joy and meaningful expression. I suppose these two things are probably the biggest challenges as well—pushing forward regardless.

What are you currently working on? What can we expect from BAILE for the remainder of 2018?
I’ve got a slew of new material that I’m getting ready to release over the course of this year and next. I’m also in the process of booking more live & DJ sets so keep an eye out!

You can get the latest LNOE release from BAILE on BeatPort: bit.ly/2L5qOeM
& Hear BAILE live on LNOE Amsterdam Dance Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2129712037099535

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