INTERVIEW: Caster Talks Red Rocks Debut, Polish Roots, Creative Evolution + More

Caster has carved out a distinct space within the electronic music landscape, building a sound defined by heavy production, cinematic atmosphere, and a creative identity that feels entirely his own. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences while continuing to push the boundaries of his production, Caster has steadily developed a project that stands apart within the bass music world. Now, he joins us to reflect on his journey so far, the influences and experiences that have shaped his artistry, and what lies ahead as the project continues to evolve. With new music and exciting shows on the horizon, we’re excited to sit down with Caster and learn more about the artist behind the project.

For anyone discovering Caster for the first time, how would you describe your sound and the project as a whole?

Do you know the meme “Never Let Them Know Your Next Move?” – it’s kinda like that, but under this one big otherworldly, magical, theatrical, sometimes-gothic and stylish umbrella. And let’s sprinkle a bit of swag and attitude in there too…

But to give you a hopefully less vague answer – I oscillate across various genres of electronic dance music, particularly bass music, and a lot of my tracks derive influences from metal, rock and cinematic pieces.

I get inspired by various cultures, their unique rhythms, and the way they think about sound too.

I find it quite challenging to compare it to any other artists – while it’s inspired by other acts, it’s very much its own thing.

The visual aspect overall leans more towards a gothic, darker, mystical and fantasy look. I often get called “Targaryen” or a vampire. It always cracks me up, but I’m flattered.

Looking back at how you first got into producing, how has your approach to making music evolved as you’ve grown as an artist?

I think I’ve grown more intentional, methodical and deliberate in my music-making process. I started caring much more about what I want to express and “say” with each track. Or at least, that has become much more conscious to me.

One thing that’s been quite different for me lately is that I’ve started to really utilize every sound I have in my project file to the fullest before I start adding more elements. I started prioritizing stripping things down and focusing on what really makes the song what it is, instead of continuously adding more and more to mask whatever made me insecure about the track in the first place.

Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations, and how have they influenced the sound you’ve built with Caster?

I grew up on Linkin Park, The Prodigy, Hollywood Undead and numerous European trance hits (and whatever else was poppin’ in Poland at that time), and later on in my teenage years I was obsessed with Skrillex, Modestep, Kill The Noise and later on Seven Lions, KOAN Sound and Varien, so all of these influences will forever linger in my art for sure.

Linkin Park’s fusion of heaviness and vulnerability, The Prodigy’s punk attitude and swag, Skrillex’s innovation and diversity, Seven Lions’ intricate worldbuilding and fantasy-like atmosphere… These are all qualities I hold sacred and admire, and hope to contain in my music as best and authentically as I can.

Over the years, I have found myself going through numerous “phases,” obsessing over certain genres and styles for a while and then moving on to whatever else would fascinate me next. That’s what I really love about all this, the exploration only ends when your curiosity dies.

Caster embodies that curiosity of mine truly. My goal for this project since the very beginning has been to continue exploring my artistry and evolve my taste and palette constantly in a sonically cohesive manner. Keep it fun!

You’ve mentioned how important your Polish roots are to both your life and your music. How has that connection shaped you as an artist and the music you create?

As proud as I am of being Polish, growing up in Poland has been a bit tough for me, can’t lie, especially in the (relatively) small southern Polish city I’m originally from called Mysłowice. I love my country, our culture and the people so deeply, but all the things I was into when I was a kid weren’t quite understood over there.

Bass music is still in its baby steps, so I didn’t really have anyone who truly understood my music and my passion for it when I was starting out, and there weren’t really that many successful Polish bass music artists I could look up to and feel represented by at that time, aside from a small handful.

These days, there are some incredible acts emerging out of Poland in the bass music space that I’d love to see continue flourishing. ceptre, TESSERACTS and Ankou are some of my favourites, all incredibly talented.

Don’t mean to turn this into a sob story by any means – I’m beyond grateful for all of that experience, as it only made me stronger and gave me more resilience in pursuing what I do. When I was starting out with this whole music production thing, there were barely any resources online about how to make bass music, let alone in Polish, so that pushed me to learn English, so I could soak in more knowledge about music production.

That really came in clutch in the end – I don’t think I’d survive in the United States if I only spoke Polish. There’s always a silver lining.

If I could choose a different childhood and a different country of origin, I wouldn’t. I love Poland and miss it dearly.

Who’s someone you haven’t worked with yet that you’d love to collaborate with, and what draws you to their music?

I love collaborating specifically for that reason – you learn something about yourself and your art that you otherwise would never have if you only worked alone. Creating art with other people is such an intimate and sacred process.

Some of the artists I’d really love to work with in the future are Kerli, Silcrow, Kill The Noise, Buster Odeholm, Sevdaliza, Sleepnet and Former. All of them are beyond extraordinary in what they do and bring something truly unforgettable to the music scene, in my opinion.

Au5, Arkana, KARAN! and ceptre would be on that list too, but I’m already in the process of working on tunes with each of them and I’m really stoked about it.

I’d also love to work on more music with Nostalghia. I had the pleasure of co-producing a few tracks of theirs, and it’s been such a fun process. They are excellent.

With each new release, do you feel pressure to keep evolving your sound, or has that progression happened naturally as the project has grown?

Oh, it’s been very natural. I make whatever I’m into or feeling at the time, and then it either sits on my drive for 3 years or gets released next month.

You’ve mentioned having some exciting shows on the horizon. Which upcoming dates are you looking forward to the most, and what makes those shows particularly exciting for you?

Yeah, I’m beyond stoked for my next performance – I’m playing at Red Rocks with ILLENIUM and Tiffany Day on August 19. I’ve been preparing a lot of new music, fun edits and doubles for this one, and will be bringing some special guests during the set. It’s gonna be really fun.

Looking ahead, where do you hope to take Caster next, and are there any goals or milestones you’re especially focused on reaching?

Sonically, I want to keep evolving and staying inspired by whatever I’m into at the time, as I have since day 1 of the project. That process itself will continue presenting the path I need to follow further.

I’d love to dive deeper into the sync world – work on more music for video games, movies, clothing brands and other commercial spaces. Aside from the business side of things, it’s just always been very exciting to me.

I’d also love to continue playing more festivals and grandeur venues like Red Rocks. And when the budget allows, bring more performers to join me on the stage too and expand my team further.

INTERVIEW: Caster Talks Red Rocks Debut, Polish Roots, Creative Evolution + More