Last year one of the worlds’ most well known EDM labels, Ultra Music, announced a Will Sparks remix competition which saw entries from across the globe. A then 18-year old Australian local, Julian Cassella AKA Ridvan, entered the competition – and he went on to beat an international field of producers to take out the top prize of getting his remix released on Ultra Music. What’s even more surprising is the fact that he turned Will Sparks’s original EDM and Bounce-flavoured original into a surprising beats-based version, a move which caught the attention of Ultra Music and also showed that there was more to Ridvan than meet the eye.
Over the last year, Ridvan’s curiosity towards all styles of music has slowly been growing bigger and bigger: “It really is easy to become so embedded within a scene that you can fail to see those willing to experiment and push the boundaries.” This realization has led to Ridvan taking some time off from the studio to soak it all in: “I really have discovered so much cool music outside of Melbourne-Bounce that I love, and this time away has really rejuvenated me.”
And after 6 months away from the production scene he is finally back with the fruits of his labour in the form of a beautiful EDM-inspired vocal gem, ‘For You’, which features Rachel Costanza on vocals (another 19-year old whose mature-sounding vocals belies her young age): “I’m really proud of this track as this is me discovering who I really am and what inspires me.” On the collaboration with Costanza: ”The vocalist is an up-and-comer and she sent me the vocal online, and I made the whole thing without ever meeting her!”
And is Ridvan wary of alienating his current fanbase who is expecting another banger? Well, not really – and here Ridvan shows again that for him the musical glass is always half-full instead of half-empty: “I know there will be a lot of people who are only interested in my bounce productions, but in doing this track I hope to find those who are open to new music and show my followers the many possibilities music has to offer.”