If your into bass music of any kind, Buku needs no introduction. The Pittsburgh based producer is fresh off of 2 bass anthems; “We Go” & “Comic Boy”, as well as a Stanley Cup championship for his Pittsburgh Penguins (who he is a die-hard fan of), Buku seems to be doing alright now-a-days. We got a chance to talk to Buku about the meaning of his name, inspirations, what he's eating and more in an exclusive interview. Buku also shared a nice little mix with us for ya'll to check out while reading the interview. Check them out below and follow the man on socials!
MIX
INTERVIEW
What got you into electronic dance music, specifically bass music?
I had an interest in electronic music starting back in high school. In those days, I was mostly listening to more downtempo type stuff like Boards of Canada. I got turned onto dance music around 2009, during the “UKF era.” It was also around the time Deadmau5 became huge. I was absolutely obsessed with the energy and sound design behind these tracks. Having already experimented with making electronic music, I sat down and figured out how to make the infamous “wobble,” and that was that!
Who are some of your major musical influences?
I tend to listen to a lot of stuff from the more mellow, weirder world of electronic music. Some major influences would include Boards of Canada, Moderat/Modeselektor, Bonobo. I have no idea whether or not these artists make appearances in music, but it's what I like! Also I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Kendrick. I'm still infinitely impressed with DAMN.
Where did the name Buku come from?
It's actually the name of a Big Krizz Kalikotune. I loved the tune and the title, and it just kinda stuck.
What would be 1 piece of advice giving someone trying to get their music heard?
Don't get discouraged by the lack of attention your music will receive at first. It's incredibly difficult to make people give a shit about your music. You just need to keep your head down and grind out tunes. With constant work comes consistency and quality, and people will undoubtedly start noticing. Creating music is exciting- just remember to not get ahead of yourself. It's a classic rookie mistake to put out music that isn't ready, and yes I AM GUILTY of this as well. Food for thought, friends.
Your new song ‘Comic Boy' has an amazing background to the name. Has ‘Comic Boy' heard his song yet, and does seeing something like that keep your motivation at an all time high?
Yes Josh has heard the tune! Him, his friends, and his teacher were all so stoked. The teacher had such nice things to say- he mentioned that it was his proudest moment of teaching yet. It's hard to describe how fulfilled I felt during all of this. It feels SO good to make some real difference in peoples' lives outside of raves and parties.
What artists are you listening to right now?
I've been on a kick of listening to more bands than anything. I've been absolutely loving sleepmakeswaves and Fink lately.
What does the summer have in store for Buku? Any new music? Collabs? Shows?
I'm always playing shows! I have a bunch of festival and club dates coming up, which I'll be announcing very soon. I also have plans to continue releasing some more of these tracks I'm sitting on (including the ID in this mix).
What are some things you like to do besides making music?
I absolutely love cooking from scratch and trying new recipes. I think I've become pretty proficient, and it's one of my favorite things to do when I'm home. I've also just started playing hockey (again) on a beer league team. I certainly forgot how difficult the game was lol.
Favorite Home Cooked Meal?
Not my favorite healthy home cooked meal- but I have a bit of a specialty towards homemade pizza. I've had many trials and tribulations with doughs, sauces, and cooking methods. It's always fun to cook for company, and it's gotten pretty delicious, if I do say so myself.
Favorite Junk Food?
I'm not sure if this is my absolute favorite junk food, but it's what I'm currently craving- vanilla soft serve in a cone, dipped in that cherry hardening coat stuff. My godddddddddd.
Follow Buku
soundcloud.com/buku
www.facebook.com/bukubass
twitter.com/bukudatdude
www.instagram.com/bukudatdude/
bukudatdude.com/
