CAIVA burst onto the scene last year with their mix of hard-hitting folk, jazz and classical techno music at Take Me Higher on the Lobster Theremin. Now the artist from the outskirts of Munich continues with one of the singles of the year with a full body of work that explores high-speed sounds and experiences, and comes complete with two wicked remixes from Parisian producer Trudge and Julian Muller.
‘Vigour’ is an intergalactic, bass-driven jam that uses CAIVA’s folksy, ghostly vocals to haunting effect. A tale of two stories; most of the track is intended for the club, while the breakdown provides a pop-filled moment of contemplation. Emotional and powerful escapism. ‘Take Me Higher’ follows this depth of inspiration with a mix of euphoria and sadness with a high powered cut of trance-techno that is as devastating as it is beautiful.
Julian Muller is the first to do remixes when he takes over ‘Vigour’; a typically arcade-inspired journey through modern trance-techno sound and 90s high-speed aesthetic, before Trudge closes with an ethereal slice of typically textured beats within an eager soundscape.
We have had the pleasure of interviewing CAIVA and this has been the result.
Can you tell us a little about your experience? Where are you from / how did you get into music? Was it all internet based?
My name is Betty and come from (and live in) Munich, and I’m a dj, producer, guitarist, saxophonist and singer. I started with several instruments when I was little and I have a very musicial family so I was kind of born into that I guess. My main instrument is the guitar, I play a lot of fingerstyle music and stuff.
The last „instrument“ I tought myself was actually Ableton a few years ago and of course I used the internet for some masterclasses and stuff.
Who have been your main inspirations (both musical and in «life»)? And how have they affected your sound?
Next to different artists for different genres it was above all the artists who work across genres and who work with live-set-ups. I’ve been inspired by artists like Cosmo Sheldrake, who do so much of their own thing that you can hardly compare them to anyone else, I think that’s incredibly powerful! And it
motivated me to find my very own sound and not try to imitate someone else. I did a track selection for Tunr with my tracks and artists that influenced me and I talked a lot about how and why the affected my sound: https://tunrmusic.com/inspirational/CAIVA
How would you define your sound?
I try to mix techno and trance with many other genres and add my own vocals and instruments. For me my music is also very rich in contrast, it can get very soft and emotional, but also nasty and hard. When it comes to describing my sound I guess most people would emphasze the vocals I record. I love to
express myself with my voice and to use it for my tracks.
How has your sound evolved so far?
When I started with Ableton my first goal was to produce classic hard techno tracks and to just get the producing skills first. Then I I remember that I quickly got bored, I always want to play instruments and sing, so I started to record vocals and instruments, I bought different microphones and stuff. Now I’m
already mixing genres in my tracks, the last albums I made and which will be released in the summer already have breakbeat and ambient tracks on it. Next I want to do an acoustic and experimental album, and also some techno without vocals. I think my sound will change all the time. And for me that’s a good
thing!
What can you tell us about each song that makes up your latest work? What is hidden behind?
Yes, my first release on Lobster Theremin, the second track „Vigour“ has just been released. For this EP I wanted to create a vibe and mood that is really hard and fragile at the same time. Hidden behin both tracks is the same theme: Fatigue. Being tired of everything, and two different ways of dealing with
it. And then there are of course the two absolutely great remixes in which Julian and Trudge show my approaches in a whole new light. They will be released in march. Funnily enough, the order was reversed from the release order. First I finished Vigour, after that I created Take Me Higher as a kind of answer to Vigour, a counterpart.
How are you living the current situation because of COVID? Has your work affected you a lot? Do you think there is hope? I feel like the underground scene will continue to persist.
I only really started producing at the beginning of Covid, so I can’t say much about how it would have been for me before that. But as far as my creativity is concerned, it’s a difficult subject. For one thing, I’m a person who’s out and about a lot and is very social. Maybe sometimes it’s good if it’s a little less
than usual, then I have time for my music. On the other hand, like many artists I also draw my creativity from social events, and I don’t feel well if none of that happens. I notice, however, that great new projects and collaborations between artists, labels, collectives etc. have emerged from the past few
months and years, and they give hope.
What projects are you working on right now?
I work a lot for the upcoming releases on Live From Earth Klub and Nali, the music is ready but there’s much more stuff to manage now. With Live From Earth Klub we are planning to produce a music video for one of the tracks. And together with Raise we are planning the first international gigs for the coming
weeks and months. Hopefully I have time to make new music soon, I have so many new ideas in my mind!
