In anticipation of the upcoming release "Daydream", we asked the Amsterdam duo, Casper Jansen and Benjamin Brommer to talk about his creative process and musical inspirations.
What inspired the name, Broj?
The name actually comes from something that the guys on the American TV show ‘Workaholics’ used to say. They would name someone a true ‘braj’ if he was a true ‘bro’. But since this was never written down or spelled out, we made our own adaption phonetically. Since we really enjoyed this show and the meaning behind the word, we settled on this pretty quick. Later we also noticed that the name had something mysterious and somewhat of an international appeal, which we liked. Friends around us still have difficulties pronouncing it correctly!
What do you enjoy most about music production and how do you start your creative process; drums or melodies?
Every new projects starts out with us jamming, one on the synthesizer and on a guitar/keys, with usually with a certain BPM in mind. Drums are naturally the foundation to this, but melodies are the crucial factor which gives direction and meaning. What ultimately matters for us is that a song has enough character to stand out. What we probably enjoy the most about music production, is the feeling we get during a jam when elements come together, when you just know you’re creating something special.
When did you realize “Daydream” was born and how long did it take you to finish the EP?
Over the years we’ve started and collected lots of unfinished songs. Some have always remained on our radar, others naturally faded away over time. Earlier this year, inspiration hit us, and that’s when we started working with the concept of a new EP. The jams that were most promising and that proved to be a good match with the concept and each other, ultimately formed the EP. Although the foundation of some of the songs was created years ago, the process of finishing and mixing took us about three months.
Which one of the four songs do you connect with the most and was there anything in particular that was giving you extra motivation during this process?
The exemplary artist cliché answer would of course be that we love all of our songs equally, which would make it impossible to choose a favorite. But actually we do have one which means the most to us on an emotional level. For us, ‘Daydream’ is a good example of a song where everything just came together perfectly. The feeling that the song captures is something so strong, we can’t really put it to words. Needless to say, we had to name the EP after this song.
Did you use any new production techniques or learned anything while writing Old Days, The Unknown, Daydream, and Maroodi that you think will carry on to your next project?
Well, updating and improving our studio equipment is an ongoing process for us. Last year this resulted in buying a new analog synthesizer, which sound has definitely left a mark on this EP. In addition, for the majority of these songs, we’ve more than ever focused on creating soundscapes, almost cinematic atmospheres with extreme attention to detail. We’ve learned a lot while implementing this into these songs, and we’ll be sure to use this way of working in future projects.
Do you have a mentor or someone that you trust that gives you feedback on your studio productions?
Not really, actually. We do enjoy discussing our tracks with others, and are always open to feedback. In some cases we let friends hear new material, but usually when it’s already pretty far up in the process. Since we are both perfectionists who can be pretty hard on themselves, we do the most of critiquing ourselves. Although this can frustrate at times, it has proven to be a good way for us to get the best out of ourselves and our music in the end.
Is there an artist you want to collaborate with that you have not yet had the opportunity to work with?
Good question. As we come to think of it, there are lots of artists we’d love to work with. We find our inspiration in so many different genres, that makes it difficult to pick just one. However, if there has been one artist that we’ve admired the most, it’s probably the British based duo Maribou State. The way that they carved a sound out of the organic and electronic is what has inspired us a lot over the years.
"Daydream" will be available exclusively on Beatport on September 25th, 2020.
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