A revolutionary sonic republic has emerged from the underground of Europe, and is taking over pop as we know it.
Kadebostany does not conform to a mainstream music format, and yet their addicting sound makes them appeal to masses at large across the globe and beyond (yes, their hit “Castle in the Snow” is on an official NASA playlist). With drumrolls, trumpets, and never before heard of electronic sounds, The Knockturnal welcomes The Republic of Kadebostany to the United States with an exclusive interview with its creator, genre- defying Swiss producer Guillaume de Kadebostany.
Photo Credits: Sophie Brasey
The group’s latest album, Monumental (2019) enjoyed a spot in the Top 10 for over 30 countries with “Mind If I Stay” and “Save Me”. Their cover of Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” served as the inspiration for that 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack we can’t stop listening to. A self- regenerating republic, Kadebostany has collaborated with diverse singers like the angelic front live performer Kristina, as well as with songwriters like Texas- based Katie Wallace. With over half a billion views on Youtube, and over 500 live shows internationally, Kadebostany strives to experiment and reinvent itself with every new melody, while elegantly maintaining a solid visual brand.
The Republic of Kadebostany invites you for an audiovisual journey to another dimension. A plane ticket won’t get you there, but Spotify surely will. You may now be wondering who is behind this soul reaching music. Here is the story of Kadebostany, as told by the president himself.
The Knockturnal: I’m catching you mid-tour. Where are you right now?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: I’m in the Czech Republic now. We’re on tour going from Serbia and travelling all the way up to Northern Europe, Brussels.
The Knockturnal: Ten years ago, had you imagined that you’d be touring throughout Europe and beyond?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: I think I was quite ambitious, and I took my music and my art quite seriously. I would have liked it if I said, yeah, I see myself doing that in 10 years on such a big scale, but it always keeps surprising me. A few days ago we were performing in Serbia, in Belgrade for the first time, and I was telling my crew that it’s unbelievable. You’re so far from your hometown, and you have so many people coming to the show and going wild, and they know all the music; this is a crazy feeling.
The Knockturnal: How does it feel to be recognized?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: I think it’s not about being recognized, it’s more about people singing your songs with you, people coming to your show and believing in the Republic of Kadebostany. But its not about a persona, its not about myself; it’s more about creating something from a little studio in Switzerland, where I live, and watching it resonate around that world, and that’s an intense feeling.
Photo Credits: Benoit Jeannet
The Knockturnal: Tell me a little bit about Guillaume before Kadebostany.
Guillaume de Kadebostany: It all started a bit more than 10 years ago. I was already a solo touring artist creating and playing electronic music live with a lot of shows in different countries. Actually, I played in New York in the more underground scene in a place called The Bunker as part of a festival. I had the chance to collaborate with different people and meet different artists, but I wanted to create something bigger than just me and my machine.
The Knockturnal: What is the story behind Kadebostany?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: I wanted to set up something that would be much more than a band. I was just searching for inspiration and all of a sudden it struck me- what if I were to create a republic where I would be the president and use all the aesthetic of a republic to help me promote my ideas. There are a lot of advantages in doing that artistically. You can get a lot more versatile, you can go in a lot of different directions, but you still have one main idea and a strong visual identity. In fifteen minutes, I could envision all the benefits of creating my own republic. I have my own money, my own uniform. I set up something that so I could be really free artistically, and I have a lot of different ideas, so I don’t want to be a prisoner of just one style or one kind of music. I think having that [a republic] allowed me to go in a lot of directions, and that is very beautiful.
The Knockturnal: The road to stardom can be a rocky one. Was there ever a point when you felt discouraged? What kept you going?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: From a very early age I was into music I was sure I would do something with creativity and for me, the most important thing was being passionate about what you do in your every day life. I had the fortune to have a family where, for my parents it was very important to be passionate about your work, and they showed me that this is possible, that no matter what you want to do, you should wake up every morning and be like, its going to be a good day. I saw my parents doing that every day so I thought, this is a possibility for me. My dad is an engineer, and for him, his job was not only a job; he would work every day, even Saturday, Sunday, and he had a little atelier he’d bring me to. I would spend time with him, and I could see that he made a living from his passion and that was a big influence on me.
The Knockturnal: Did it feel like a risk taking this path of music and not doing a traditional job?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: I think the risk would be to work in a normal environment for me. That would be way more risky.
The Knockturnal: You describe your genre as “sophisticated music with mass appeal”. Is there a message you intend to communicate through your music?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: I think there are different layers. On a basic level, I just want to make the best music ever. I would say my music is played on very indie radios and at the same time it can be played on very mainstream radios. I get the feeling that every time I can place my songs on a major mainstream radio, it’s a win because I’m doing that [making my music] with a lot of sincerity and I don’t make any concessions. Its like proof that you don’t need to compromise yourself to have this very big, popular response. There is not so much a message, its not about politics, its about getting played on the big radios and having a big audience, while still making good music.
The Knockturnal: Tell me the story behind a favorite song that you’ve written. What makes it special to you?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: “Cathedral” is one of my favorite songs, and I wrote that song with a girl from America called Katie Wallace. She’s from Texas, and actually I just met her on the Internet, I never met her personally, but we exchanged ideas. I sent her some compositions and she wrote the lyrics and a topline on top of it, then I took everything to my studio and I built a song from that. This is the mixture of my ideas, her ideas and our exchange from the Internet. I find this really beautiful, and she’s a really cool person but I never met her in person.
The Knockturnal: How did you connect with Katie Wallace?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: It was the drummer of Kadebostany who told me she’s cool and suggested I contact her. I sent her a message and she was like, yeah let’s try to do something; she was really positive and into trying to create something beautiful. I think she comes from a very different background musically but she is willing to experiment and create things. I’m really proud of this song. She deserves all the credit for the lyrics. When we play live I’m usually not really singing, but I sing this one [“Cathedral”] and every time for me, there is a meaning and there is something very strong about it.
The Knockturnal: Do you find the music scene in America to be different than the one in Europe? If so, how?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: I like a lot of different artists from America and you have your own way of dong things, but nowadays I think the world is lead by the Internet and it doesn’t really matter where you’re from. There are many good things coming from America that fascinate me. It’s still a dream for me to set up a tour and go there, I’m like a young child when I think about America. Next year we’re going to tour China, and I also want to discover America through touring. I’m really interested in the way the music is created there, and the production and engineering. I read a lot about it, and about the great artists and great creative people that come from America. I’m kind of a nerd about that, and it’s a world that’s very interesting to me. I’ve been to America a few times, mainly New York. It’s always a place where I feel good. There is something very positive there, and this is something that is missing sometimes when you live in Switzerland. Even if its not one hundred percent real, I prefer to be in a very positive environment. It tricks your mind, like when you’re not happy but you’re whistling, it tricks your mind and it tells your mind that you’re happy even if you’re not.
The Knockturnal: A lot of your fans are in Europe, the Middle East, and Russia. How do you plan on taking on America?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: When I talk with different people living in America and I explain my concept they say, you know people would go crazy for that in America. There is a story telling behind that [the Kadebostany concept], there is the feeling that this could be something very interesting for an American audience. I think we will definitely do a tour, maybe next year hopefully.
The Knockturnal: Your 2019 tour is coming to an end. What should we look forward to?
Guillaume de Kadebostany: Now it’s the end of the Monumental Era. We will stop the tour in a few days, then I’ll go back to Switzerland, and I will set up a new show. I will have a new album that will be ready next year. I will release an EP in February. I have a lot of new songs coming and its going to be a lot of collaborations with different singers, male and female singers, so I’m really excited about that. It’s going to be fresh and new. Hopefully you will still recognize Kadebostany, but it’s going to be a bit different. This time I was involved a little bit more into the lyrics creation. This is kind of new to me, I’m collaborating with different artists, I made the subject a bit more personal, and I’m really excited about that.
Photo Credits: Benoit Jeannet
