Photography // Dabin by @adrianvillagomez.
Words by Pankhuri Bhutani.
Hailing from Toronto, Dabin is a JUNO nominated music producer and instrumentalist and currently one of the biggest artists in the industry. Starting to create electronic music in 2011, Dabin has come a far way on the path to success. Collaborating with some of the high names in the industry some of them including- Seven Lions, Said The Sky and also remixes for Illenium and Gramatik.
Having created some iconic tracks, Dabin recently surprised his fans as he dropped the acoustic version for his phenomenal sophomore album “Wild Youth” that he released in 2019. At just the age of 28, Dabin has so far garnered hundreds of millions of streams on his music, thanks to the immense talent filled inside of him!
We caught up with Dabin regarding the process behind the acoustic EP, what the fans can expect from his upcoming projects and his music journey overall!
Hello Dabin. Thank you for joining us on Peachy! For the people yet to be introduced to your music, kindly tell us something about yourself!
I’m a Korean/Canadian music producer from Toronto that loves to write melodic bass music!
You recently released the acoustic version of your EP “Wild Youth”. Congratulations on that! How was the creative process like with the EP?
Thank you! It was an idea that I wanted to see come to life for some time. I was busy working on my Into the Wild tour for the better part of January to March, but when the coronavirus lockdown happened, it gave me so much more time to work on music so it felt fitting to finish this acoustic EP.
Did you face any sort of challenges during the production stage of the EP? If so, how did you overcome them?
Not really. I had a background in writing acoustic music so it was really fun to see this through and bring those influences back into the music I make now. I guess the biggest struggle was trying to contact all the vocalists in time, but scheduling conflicts made it so that only half of the album could be done which is why we did it as an EP.
You have attracted almost a million monthly Spotify listeners through your music. How does it feel to know your music has such a vast influence?
I’m blessed to have such an active and dedicated fan base. I’m so grateful for their support and it means the world to me that my music could have even the smallest impact on their lives.
Having been in this industry for almost ten years now, what according to you is the biggest piece of advice that you took away during this journey?
Creativity is so hard to come by, you have to take it wherever you can get it. And it won’t always come from just sitting in a studio. Live life, go out, and do things. Just because you’re a musician doesn’t mean you don’t have a life full of experiences to live. Some of my favorite ideas derive from experiences outside of the studio.
Considering the global pandemic currently happening, is there anything that you’re doing to stay creative during times like these?
I’m lucky to live close to friends such as Said the Sky and ILLENIUM. We’ve all been helpful in motivating each other and it’s always nice to get into the studio with them and just mess around with ideas. It’s been super helpful creatively to be surrounded by like-minded producers.
You have worked with some phenomenal and extremely talented artists like Dylan Matthew, ILLENIUM, SLANDER and many more. How was the experience like working with them?
Can’t say enough good things about all of them. More than anything, those guys are friends and family to me. They are super involved in the process and care greatly about their craft, so creatively we vibe well with each other.
Is there anything that the fans can expect from your forthcoming projects/collaborations?
I can’t say too much right now, but the new music I’ve been working on right now definitely has a lot of acoustic / indie rock elements to it and I’m excited to be bringing the sound that inspired me to create music years ago, to the music I am creating now.
Lastly, is there anything you wish to convey to your fans and supporters from around the world?
I know this year has been a hard one for everyone but I hope you are all hanging in there! Don’t be pressured into thinking that this should be the most creative time of your life. Keep taking care of yourself and we will all get through this together. To my fans, thank you so much for your constant support. You guys have shown up in full force this year and I am eternally grateful. I can’t wait until we are all reunited at shows and festivals when it’s safe!
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