This year’s Billboard Hot 100 Festival brought so much talent to their stages. We had the pleasure of personally getting to get to know some of these artists and learn about their careers.
CID, an incredible DJ and producer, was a performer at the festival with whom we had the pleasure of meeting. The passion and dedication CID has devoted to music has brought him so far that he is now a recognizable name in the EDM world.
Congratulations on your new song with Kaskade “Sweet Memories”. It is the second song on which you have worked together, the first being “Us”. How is it working with him?
It is just unbelievable. He’s one of the most genuine nice people. We got introduced maybe a year or two before “Us”. He started sending me music and there are a couple of songs that I haven’t even put out yet but when he heard those he said “I really believe in your sound and I want to help you.” We saw this opportunity of doing “Us” together and it came out on Automatic, which was amazing, he took me on tour with him. For “Sweet Memories” I had this really basic idea and asked him what he thought about it. He flipped and asked me to send him what I had so far so he could finish it. I can’t wait it comes out on Friday. [Released on the 27th]
I read that you have always had an interest in music, that as a kid you would go to a record store to search for music and people started noticing you. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Yeah, so my dad has a restaurant/ catering hall in Queens and when I was like 8 or 9 years old I was fascinated by the DJ there, he showed me the basics of DJing and I was hooked. I don’t know why I always leaned towards dance music, specially growing up in NY, which has a huge hip-hop scene. But yeah, I found this record store in Flushing and I would take the bus there every week. I didn’t really know what I was looking for but this was a place that a lot of big DJs in NY went. It was always the same guy who worked there and he’d be like “Hey, listen to this and this. A lot of DJs are playing this.” I would pick things that I liked and that’s how it started.
How did you get involved in the music business then?
I started as a hobby. It’s just something I always loved to do. I graduated college with a degree in accounting and then I was like “I don’t want to do that.” Then when I was in college I finished the first songs and I emailed it to Markus Schulz, he signed me to his record label. Through that I knew this is what I really want to do. I started working in a recording studio in New York and learned more about the techno aspect of it. From there just meeting different people, some people helped me along the way. It was all about networking.
How did you transition from being a DJ into producing as well?
In New York there are so many DJs that I asked myself “What sets apart certain guys from other ones?” It was the DJs who made their own music, they were the ones who were traveling, coming to New York, etc. You knew them not so much because they were DJs but because of their music, that’s why I started producing.
You’re going on tour with Galantis, congratulations! How did that come to be?
Thanks! We have the same manager, they put me on. I had remixed “Help” almost two years ago and from then we kind of just started talking. They have been supporting a lot of my music so it was just kind of a natural thing. I did a tour with them this February and now when this opportunity came to do the tour in Europe they asked me again and I said absolutely!
You have gotten to play so many sets, what has been your favorite so far?
I’d have to say playing NY on the Automatic tour with Kaskade was amazing. Being able to come back to NY and being in front of such a big crowd was definitely was one those awesome moments.
So many artists have moved to LA for work. What has made you want to stay in New York?
I feel so inspired here. I spend a lot of time in LA. I just think people in general in New York are just much more fast pace, have a brightening mentality. Going out, walking around seeing everyone else moving 10x faster than anywhere else inspires me to want to work. A lot of people are in LA but as a dance producer you are in a studio doing the majority of it yourself so if you want to go out there and do sessions with writers you can but I have always felt drawn to being in New York.
What would you say your sound is going into a different direction, or do you want it to?
No, I think I found a little niche. I am trying to make house music but still be able to work on a bigger stage like a festival. I have been trying to keep everything within a family of my style.
Who are some artists you would want to collaborate with again?
Kaskade (laughs). Galantis and I have talked about doing something together. Nothing is done, we haven’t really started working on anything but I would really like to do something with them for sure. Don Diablo is one of my really close friends, I hope we do something else together. I would be happy doing stuff with those guys.
What are some songs that you are currently listening to?
I was in Europe for a couple of weeks and kept hearing this song by Kungs called “This Girl”. It’s huge in Europe and I think now it’s gonna come to the US. Really great song.
It’s always great to be able to interact with an artist who has so much going for him yet still feels as approachable and personable as CID. He is such a great talent, love and vision for what he does that without a doubt he will keep breaking the boundaries of his music as well as EDM. Very excited for what’s to come. Don’t forget to check out “Sweet Memories”, it’s amazing!
