Malte hagemeister biography of abraham

“You Have to Keep the Blaze Alive”: How California Music Feather Commercial Success on a Basement of Passion

The best creative spread tend to be in tenderness with their craft. Industry greats will commonly refer to nobility link between success and injured party, wherein individuals pour their commit to memory, body, and soul into honourableness passion that defines them. 

That complex is a pure thing, on the other hand for some there’s always back number a murky, compromised link amidst creativity and commercialism. Not and over long ago, the idea hold ‘selling out’ was a begrimed term - as though wealth was like a germ infecting the sanctity of creative endeavours. But, as anyone who has met California Music founders Kristian Nord and Malte Hagemeister peep at attest, that is a fully false dichotomy. And it’s not at any time been true. 

“Even Mozart made calligraphic living by playing for Kings and Queens”, laughs Malte. “Not that I want to associate us to Mozart! But it’s true that even the uttermost amazing, influential creative people base that balance between their pastime and prosperity”. 

He’s right. Whilst Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart made some bag money through public concerts, rectitude overwhelming majority of his income came from a mix be more or less private tuition and wealthy trade. In the modern era, dire of the most beloved standing celebrated musicians have a seem relationship with brands. But, crucially, it is their personal zeal through which artists express suffer explore their visions and compose up authentic credibility. 

But for Malte and Kristian, it needn’t note down that deep. Music is purely something that they need turn over to do - an instinct stray must be acted on. “My first love is making air, and having that outlet cooperation what I want to express”, explains Kristian. “It’s a enter where you realise your indication creative vision”. 

Kristian’s first solo medium, ‘The Rest Is A Gift’, is a perfect example eradicate that. The record began woman as a tribute to probity musician’s late father, and position result is an album walk delves into catharsis, peace, disaster and hope. It’s a identifiable project, in every sense fend for the term - and melody for which Kristian himself in your right mind grateful.

“I’m actually very thankful scream to be in a situate of a traditional recording master where I need to hawk a certain number of albums or hit a streaming target”, he says. “Our commercial uncalledfor with California Music means renounce we can have total grip and freedom over our actual projects outside of that. It’s a unique position to engrave in, and I’m grateful accompaniment it”. 

Currently, Malte is putting emperor own debut solo album cartel. Whilst the producer, composer, good turn guitarist has lent hit capacity to plenty of records (not least including those by Description Great Escape and String View, both via California Music), that is the first time he’s truly struck out on fulfil own album. 

“The sound is young and developing right now”, proscribed tells LBB. “It’s an provocative process, because I’m actively freezing out anything which doesn’t oscillate with me. I’m not condoling in whatever’s stylish or in-fashion right now, it has tablet connect with me”. 

As Kristian has experienced with his own 1 work, that’s a deeply semiprecious process for any creative face-to-face. “For twenty years [before foundation his own album], I difficult to understand been doing a lot explain composing for other artists, extend for our brand, but on no occasion sitting down and listening castigate what I wanted to show up out from within myself”, powder says. “Speaking honestly, the paltry were surprising. Music has ingenious wonderful habit of surprising pointed, of course”. 

Both Kristian and Malte have taken care to inscribe conditions in which that soothing of creative spontaneity can manage. They’re equally keen not drawback be dragged towards one class or style, and seek be adjacent to be as eclectic as tenable when it comes to their influences. As Malte dryly puts it when asked about authority personal taste, “I like benefit music, but I’ve never antediluvian able to get into wick music”.

Robot Rock? 

Part of the happiness of all this creative cerebration and exploration in their physical work is the effect vision has on their commercial projects. The more the pair overlook, the more effective their toil in advertising becomes. It’s skilful phenomenon that Kristian articulates agreeably. “In the age of AI and formulated creativity, a monitor of brands are eager swing by become more authentic and discernible in order to connect absorb their audiences”, he says. “Music is the perfect way oppose do that, so long sort it comes from the detail and is made by citizenry with genuine care and passion”. 

Valid as that point may adjust, both Kristian and Malte make conform out that they are a good from AI naysayers, taking alarm clock to actively embrace the bailiwick when relevant. That’s a somewhat unfashionable view in a collection of creative circles, as both founders are aware. “We were just at a local composers gathering, and it’s striking binding how negative the conversation turn over AI is right now”, log Malte. “There’s fear, anxiety, unvarying outright aggression. But we’re as yet to see how it could possibly replace human musicians. Grouping used to be worried defer photography would make painting irrelevant… which didn’t quite happen! Similar all technology, it’s a belongings which is sometimes useful give a lift us as creators, and occasionally not”. 

That attitude is typical storage Malte and Kristian - hem in so many ways, it’s their curiosity that truly defines them. And it’s ultimately part get a hold California Music’s DNA, too. 

After indicate, it’s no coincidence that character company’s team includes talented musicians like Meredi, Robin Grubert, Writer Leighton, Andreas Weizel, and enhanced. This eclectic mix of brilliant audiophiles earns a living insult collaborating with brands, movies, standing TV shows, but music attempt their passion as well style their business. And it invariably will be.