Interview With Singapore-Based EDM Duo Rave Republic

CONCERTY.COM: What drew you to electronic music initially?

RAVE REPUBLIC: We have both always been very pationate about music. Matt has played the piano since age 6. I spent many years listening to radio when I was younger and fell in love with dance music when it started to become mainstream.

C: When did you realize that you could be making enough from your music to leave behind your “regular” jobs? Was it a hard decision to make?

RR: Once I started becoming a resident DJ in nightclubs in Singapore at age 18. At that time I was studying plus DJing. Things really started to take off once we ranked in the DJ Mag Top 100 and could consistently demand a good fee to play shows. It was always an easy decision to pursue our dreams!

C: How did an Australian and a Swiss DJ end up forming an EDM duo in Singapore?

RR: Matt moved to Singapore age 14 with his family as his dad got a job transfer. Stas moved to Singapore at age 23 with his job. Both of us were DJing solo in the same clubs. One night we decided to go back to back and had amazing chemistry. Shortly after that Rave Republic was born.

C: Has your commercial success given you more freedom to experiment with the art of electronic music?

RR: For sure! We are known to release a lot of different genres. It’s always amazing to try something different and seeing how the crowd reacts.

C: In 2019, you became the first artist in Asia to accept payments in cryptocurrency on the payment platform Wadz. What led you to make that decision? Have you been following the crypto space for a long time?

RR: The current system forces performers to pay exorbitant commissions to banks just for the opportunity to perform overseas. We thought crypto was the perfect solution to avoid those fees. Yes, we’ve both been active in the space since 2017.

C: Which do you enjoy more? Being in “the lab”, creating new music or performing in front of a live audience?

RR: We both started off as DJs so for us, nothing can beat performing in front of a live audience!

C: Are the featured vocalists on your tracks involved in the songwriting process? Or do you present them with a finished product?

RR: It depends on the song and who we are working with. But yes, usually the featured vocalists are very involved with the song writing process. We always enjoy working with people – it’s very inspiring.

C: Which one of your songs would you say best defines your style?

RR: "Rave Is Our Religion". Energetic and explosive – gets the crowd going every time!

C: In your opinion, technologies related to music like Spotify, Apple Music and even Concerty have which kind of impact on the career of artists and bands nowadays?

RR: All these platforms have massive impacts for artists and bands. Spotify or Apple Music, for example, allows musicians to release music to the whole world and get paid royalties whilst doing it. Concerty for example is a great way for fans to follow their favourite artists and catch them on tour in different cities nad countries.

C: What can the fans of Rave Republic expect for the upcoming years?

RR: Lots of new music, collaborations and lots more shows all around the world!
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DJ Mathias Schell/Rave Republic:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathias.schell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raverepublicofficial
Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/MathiasSchell
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Mathias_Schell