Interview met Kal White

De Australische producer Kal White vangt de essentie van een futuristisch verleden op zijn album Paragon. Na vijftien jaar experimenteren met elektronische muziek, brengt hij met deze plaat een eerbetoon aan de iconische sound van de jaren '80. Van filmische invloeden uit Die Hard tot het technische vernuft van de Moog Sub 37: Kal vertelt in dit interview alles over zijn vier jaar durende zoektocht naar de ultieme synthwave-vibe en zijn plannen voor de toekomst.

Australian artist Kal White explores a "nostalgic future" on his latest album, Paragon. With over 15 years of experience in electronic music, White has crafted a cinematic Synthwave odyssey filled with retro beats and soaring melodies. In this interview, we dive into his creative process, his cinematic inspirations like Alien and Drive, and the balance between hardware and software that defines his unique sound.

Kal, can you please introduce yourself?

Hey, what's up. I'm Kal White, a multi-genre electronic music artist from Brisbane, Australia. I've been producing music for about 15 years now, once I had discovered EDM in high school, that was it for me. I've been chasing the electronic highs ever since! I'm currently exploring Synthwave, Trip hop, Organic house, Dark garage, Liquid dnb and some Future Bass but who knows where my electronic journey will take me next!

To start, for those who are just discovering your sound: How would you describe the world of Paragon in three words, and what drew you to the aesthetic of Synthwave in the first place?

Neon. Drenched. Odyssey. How could anyone hate the bright glowing tones of neon pinks and blues? To me Synthwave is something you see first, hear second and feel third. The striking visuals of Synthwave drew me in immediately. The soaring synths, retro beats and thumping basslines took me to a place of nostalgia, but for an imagined future. How is that possible? Nostalgic for a future that never happened? Synthwave is cool like that!

Paragon feels like a soundtrack to a movie that was never made. Which specific films or visuals did you have in mind while composing this album?

A couple of the album's tracks are subtle nods to certain films 😉 Sevastopol is named after the space station in Alien: Isolation (A popular video game from the Alien franchise) and Nakatomi is named after the building in the first Die Hard movie. It might seem cliche but you can't say anything about Synthwave without mentioning the film Drive. The concept of a nameless protagonist is something that I definitely carried over into the narrative of this album. Paragon. A hero without a name.

How do you strike the balance between the darker, melancholic sounds and the more energetic, "neon" moments on the tracks?

The album is quite melodic, very much closer to FM-84 than to Carpenter Brut. The melodies are the main focus of the album and so giving them room to breathe was really important to me. Obviously the drums do a lot of the heavy lifting to create those energetic moments, so allowing the tracks to build momentum and then ease off creates a sort of balance.

Many listeners are obsessed with that "warm" analog sound. Did you primarily use hardware synths, or are you a proponent of modern software that simulates the vintage vibe?

I had been working on this album for about 4 years. And started a music degree at Uni about 3 years ago. Thank god I did because I didn't have access to any analogue gear before then. Shout out to the Moog Sub 37! I sit right in the middle of the hardware vs software debate personally. The truth is if the OB-Xd vst didn't exist as a free download, this album wouldn't exist so also shout out to the best free plugin for retro music.

Which track on Paragon was the most challenging to finalize, and why?

Ehhh… there's at least 3 lmao.. I'll go with the title track ‘Paragon'. It was the last to be written and to be honest I'm still not 100% happy with it, but at some point you just have to put down the paint and call it. The track ‘Racing to you’ was originally called the title track ‘Paragon' but got demoted after I wrote that ripping main synth lead. Still one of the highlights for me when I listen back.

What’s next for Kal White? Are there any new projects, upcoming collaborations, or perhaps live shows on the horizon that fans can look forward to?

RetroReverbRecords have been really good to me and so keep an eye out cause there may be more on the horizon towards the end of May. If you've heard my entry ‘Unplugged’ on their Halloween compilation, you might have an idea of what you're in for! Other than that, I'm putting together some releases in the other genres I do, so follow on social media if you want to hear more from me! ❤️