Today we’d like to introduce you to Kasto.
Hi Kasto, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Ben aka Kasto and I’m a Producer/DJ from Los Angeles, CA. I began really taking music seriously about 13 years ago or so when I decided to leave community college and go to Recording School out in Hollywood. That was ultimately one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My ultimate goal was to learn the technical aspects of mixing and recording for my own music and be able to get my foot in the door in the music industry. Since graduating from there, I put in the hours as an intern for a Label/Management company called “Entourage Management” and was their lead audio engineer. From there I landed a full time gig as an engineer with Atlantic Records/APG/Warner Music Group, and am now working with a Songwriter/CEO named, Sam Hook, as his personal lead sound engineer and also help him run Operations for his company The Family Business Enterprises LLC.
Under my alias, Kasto, I’ve been lucky enough to have releases under labels such as Insomniac, Space Yacht, Box of Cats, Rock Bottom Records, Farris Wheel, Perfect Driver, House of Hustle, and many others. Along with these releases, I’ve had the privilege of sharing the stage with legends such as Green Velvet, Jack Beats, Wongo, Justin Martin, Devault, Wongo, Gene Farris, and many others. Then back in 2022, I won the Insomniac Discovery Project competition that landed me a slot time at their Countdown NYE 2022 event that was judged by Habstrakt.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There will always be bumps in the road. The road to where I am now has been very long with so many ups and downs. I’ve failed more times that I can count, and even though I’m currently winning more than I ever have been, I still fail. You have to just brush it off and keep moving, otherwise you’ll slow yourself down.
I must have entered the Discovery Project competition 7 times over the course of 6 or 7 years and it seemed impossible to win, until it wasn’t! I’ve also submitted probably 20+ tunes over my career to labels that I now call home, before getting one picked up. I’m grateful for every opportunity that has come my way because nothing just landed in my lap by chance. I had to grind for the knowledge and experience that I have now. And things only get busier the higher you climb the ladder.
Some advice for you readers, DON’T STOP. KEEP GOING.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My main focus and line of work used to be strictly recording/mixing Pop, R&B, and hip hop artists, but over the past few years my main focus turned to mostly production for the Kasto project. I would say that my sound is a blend between tech house and melodic techno. I enjoy the rolling/grooving basslines and drum patterns that most tech house tracks have, while including some bass heavy synths and fills throughout my tracks. Some have told me that they can hear an ID in a set and know it’s one of my tracks from the dark, wubby synths and reese basslines.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
There are so many things I can say, but my biggest piece of advice (kind of cliche) is to make goals, work towards achieving those goals, and NEVER GIVE UP. If you want to “make more music” this year, write down how many tracks you want/hope to make in all and delegate time to work towards that number of tracks instead of winging it and shooting in the dark. Time management is key for any business and also for anything in life. Don’t over think things, if you’re making a track and it feels good to YOU, then roll with it. At the end of the day, that’s how you’re going to find “your sound” without sounding like a copy of someone else.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/kastoofficial
- soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kastoofficial
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1U5ofxKFlZfwUWCsouwNU5?si=LaHkYQJeT9SgRXPXAo0Dmw
Image Credits
juansolophoto, Jose Reyes, Jo Bautista (7isheav3n)
