Exclusive Interview with GADE SYSTEM

After spending the first 8 years of his music production career making Breakcore under the name of Breakforce One, Stuttgart based producer Rene Kuschnick decided to tread new paths, changing his name to Gade System. Gade System releases are most of all defined by their unpredictability. Whether the more traditional Drum and Bass of his debut EP C-SEC, the 2000s techstep influenced Painful Reminder, or genre bending cuts like Abject Permanence or Renegade, Gade System does what he wants while still being unmistakably himself. Check out the exclusive Interview below:

1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?

GADE SYSTEM: There are a few moments that come to mind but i think the earliest and most important one that really set me off was when my dad decided to show me Obituary’s “Slowly we rot” album. I was of course way too young but it all fascinated me deeply. It sounded like I wasn’t meant to hear it. I think that love for an aesthetic sense of brutality has persisted throughout my life and definitely still shows in my music.

2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?

GADE SYSTEM: I started playing drums at i think 8 years old, but I don’t remember the specific reasons. I lost interest very quickly too, so i just got stuck at a very basic level for years and years as i refused to practice. I stopped eventually but i think that interest in the rhythmic elements rather than the melodic content is something that was formed then. The fact i got into production immediately by making Breakcore, a very complex genre when it comes to drums, proves that.

3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound? Also, what’s the story behind choosing the name ‘GADE SYSTEM’?

GADE SYSTEM: The earliest influences i think were pretty basic – Venetian Snares, FFF, just breakcore stuff that was around back in the days. For the Gade System stuff later on it was just more a process of soul searching and figuring out what kind of music would i be interested in making. I then caught a bunch of bass music sets at a festival, Billain, Seppa, Two Fingers and the likes and that’s when that clicked.

The name it self is just a play on my legal name and the whole cyber/sci-fi themeing that runs through the genre. I don’t want to say more than that ;)

4. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?

GADE SYSTEM: I think honestly what makes my music unique is that it just sort of unintentionally is. I think all my Gade System tracks are wildly different from both each other and most music out there which is mostly a result of some technical failings but also just my sense of structure and my need for heavy elements.

It’s less about generally evoking specific emotions for me and more just about wanting to something specific with each track.

The mission statement for the Teotek Remix was just making a heavy neurofunk track, but it ended up being a sort of Neuro/Darkstep/Jungle amalgamation that goes all over the place constantly.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as Drum and Bass?

GADE SYSTEM: As i said, i think originality for me specifically is a result of technical failings. A project usually starts with me hearing something, wanting to make something like it, failing, then instead making something different and unique by accident.

Because of that i am not even sure you can currently classify me as a Drum and Bass producer too, it’s all just a bit too out there i think.

6. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

GADE SYSTEM: I think both are really valuable, but since the grass is always greener on the other side and i don’t gig much, it’s currently more the live audience part.

7. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment you’re still seeking?

GADE SYSTEM: I think objectively it doesn’t, but subjectively i am not really trying to do much with it so the specks of success that i do get are not only a nice surprise, but more than enough for me to feel like it’s all worth it ;)

8. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, what’s the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?

GADE SYSTEM: As i said earlier, it usually starts with me wanting to do something similar to a thing i like. The most important thing for me is always just finding ways to break what I’m doing. If a sound or a drop makes me laugh maniacally it’ll be in the final song. Make everything as offensive as possible.

9. What’s been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?

GADE SYSTEM:

It’s writers block and always will be that, too.

10. On the flip side, what moment or achievement in your career so far has made you feel the proudest, and why? And let’s talk about your latest release and future plans.

GADE SYSTEM: Genuinely what’s really rewarding is just having peers who’s music i like say that they like my stuff. It happens quite often now and it makes me think im on the right track artistically.

As for the future – who knows! I never plan anymore because i know i can’t fully be sure.