Exclusive Interview: Meet Cambodia’s Fast-Rising Electronic Producer SANDAP

SANDAP was born in the Land of Smiles, Cambodia. With his latest EP ‘Silent Start’, he wants to share his personal stories through enigmatic sounds. That being said, there’s a good mix of oriental music and contemporary occidental electronic beats in almost all his projects. From an early age, he became interested in creating music. Today his main goal is to spread good vibes through this art. Learn more about SANDAP below.

1 — What’s a song that made you fall in love with electronic music?

Around 2007 I discovered “D.A.N.C.E” from Justice, at this moment I really understood the power of music on a crowd. I danced so many times and shared so many goods moments with my friends during my childhood with this track, and I think that it’s the beginning of my passion. After that, all I wanted was just doing the same thing. Daft Punk was also a big part of my inspiration with the song “One More Time”. It was the perfect mix of emotions and musicality that I just love and live for.

2 — When and where did you learn to produce music? Are you also into DJing?

I started to learn piano and guitar when I was 5 years old, and it became really fast for my two best friends. In 2007, I got my first computer that owned Garageband. At this time I discovered the world of production and it was a big creative liberation. I was able to talk about my own intention and not just reproduce songs from other artists. My teacher was the internet and my classroom was my bedroom. I learned all the skills by my own experience and also by listening to others. It became a game for me and maybe two months after I tried to convince my parents to buy me Logic Pro.

I created many different aliases (MSG, AOKAS, PLUME) to release tracks cause I was a little bit shy and when you’re hidden, it is easier to live without the eyes of others and their judgments.

I do not consider myself as a DJ, I’m just a simple electronic producer.

3 — Can you educate us on the electronic music scene in Cambodia? How would you describe it?

Cambodia is an undeveloped country, most people just discovered the Black Eyed Peas recently, as you can see, we are a little bit late. There are very few Cambodian Producers, but we have many more DJs. I’m Cambodian and I represent Cambodia in my music but with occidental basses. Currently, the scene in Cambodia is slowly in development but I think that in a few years we are going to see talented Producers from this country.

4 — What do you love most about your recent EP ‘Silent Start’?

My favorite track is “Rina” cos this song is going to the narrative direction that I wanted. The other tracks are more like ambiance songs.

5 — Did it take you a long time to produce the whole record?

I released this EP working on other projects in parallel, I had to take 2 months to finish it.

I liked working on it because it was the first time that I made an entire project including several tracks belonging to me.

6 — Which artists have influenced this project?

The Cambodian music style is my first inspiration. Mandragora and PANG are also two artists that inspired me for this EP.

7 — The music video for “Rina” looks like a true cinematic experience. What did you want to portray with these visuals?

The music video of “Rina” is an introduction to all the universe that I will like to bring later, I talk about my origins (Cambodia), but also links that are dear to me. It is an happy and proud country that I present, a country that has suffered for many years and whose culture has been forgotten. I speak of my memories of childhoods, it is also the title of the last track that I released “Childhood Memories” available on youtube. My music is a message that says I do not forget my past and I’m really proud of it. This video clip has been shot with the idea of capturing a moment, it is a positive and light vision of a daily life that is the daily of many people in Cambodia.

8 — Are you currently working on new videos or new tracks?

I work on many new tracks, the next music video will be shot in Cambodia and it will talk about my first steps and my first days.

9 — Do you consider yourself an underground artist?

I do not consider myself as an underground artist but more like a narrator of my own life.

10 — Is there anything else we should know about you?

All you will have to learn about me will be told in my future track over time, this is why I create and share.

CONNECT WITH SANDAP NOW!

Spotify
Facebook
Instagram