Hello: Rave Republic

DJ Name: Rave Republic
How long have you been DJing for? Individually about seven years, together approximately two years
What/who do you sound like: EDM is in our blood. From a production standpoint, our sound has progressed towards an Alesso/Avicii sound – electronic music with pop vocalists

Based out of Asia’s sparkling city of Singapore, dream team duo Rave Republic is tearing up the region with their massive EDM anthems, big room antics and all-star achievements. Starting off in good fun, they’ve unexpectedly built for themselves a small empire that grows bigger with every country they master and conquer. Massive fan bases in EDM hotspots like Manila, Taipei and Tokyo have helped develop the Rave Republic brand into one sought after among a bottle popping and big spending crowd – a difficult finish for any artist in the world.

Now that they’ve got most of Asia under their belt, Mat and Stas are looking beyond its borders and towards the West and after having played at some the region’s most prolific events, like Ultra Music Festival, Illumi Run in Guangzhou and It’s The Ship, they’re in exactly the right position and time to take the brand they’ve created worldwide. They look at artists like Porter Robinson to guide them, inspired in how they feel he took a gamble with his sound and is now versed in many, but also Diplo because of the long road he took in sticking to his guns and developing a unique sound.

Their recently released single 'Shoot For The Moon' hit number one on the iTunes electronic music chart upon release and this combined with rave reviews of Rave Republic piqued our interest and led us to this duo. They’ve graciously answered 20 questions to help us get to know them better and they’ve got a lot to say about how they feel producing is paramount over DJing to the best advice they’ve gotten from sharing stages with artists like Dada Life and Sander Van Doorn.

What’s the best thing about Singapore?

The food. There’s so much diversity and by global standards it’s still reasonably cheap. The airport is also the best in the world!

What’s the worst thing about Singapore?

You need to be rich to own a car. Cars carry high taxes, which prohibits most people from ever owning one. On the plus side, this means traffic is rarely bad unlike in cities like Jakarta or Bangkok.

Take us out on a night in Singapore, from dinner, drinks, party to after party?

We do like to eat like locals do at ‘hawker’ centers. If we’re with company, we might head to grab some sushi or a gastrobar. Despite what many think, we don’t really drink unless it’s in the club (need to protect our liver). We will get to the club, play a couple of hours then almost always stay back and party with our friends unless we have an early morning flight to a gig the next day.

What kind of jobs do you do when you’re not being Rave Republic?

Stas used to be a brand manager at P&G, a Fortune 500 company. He left this job last July to focus on music. Mat recently finished his MBA and is now also working on music full time.

As a duo, do you feel you fall into different roles? Who does what?

Yes, Stas is the hotter one so attracts everyone to come to our events [Mat: Stas wrote that and it’s a blatant lie]. Stas’ business background has him chasing more gigs and working on our marketing/branding. Mat is classically trained as a musician so his production skills are on point.

You obviously spend a lot of time together. What’s the secret to making a duo work?

We have even lived together and will do so until the end of this month when Mat moves bases to Bangkok. I think a strong friendship/bromance, knowing what you’re best at and focusing on those strengths, shared interests and a strong drive to succeed is the secret to success. We don’t get into petty arguments and we have the same vision/end-goal in mind.

EDM clubs tend to fall victim to homogeneity. What do you guys do to prevent the endless loop from becoming stale?

Clubbing in general has become victim to a cookie cutter approach. Many clubs aren’t differentiated from each other and people go out of habit rather than because they’re truly excited to see an act. We put on a big show complete with visuals and crazy on stage antics; create memories so that people can’t wait for the next Rave Republic show, wherever it may be.

You’re dying. What’s your last meal?

The antidote to the poison that is killing us. Failing that, sushi. Think we could eat sushi every day and not get bored; one of the many reasons we love coming to Japan every three months.

You guys have seemingly mastered and conquered Asia and have said world domination is in the cards. How do you plan to do that?

Stepping into production and having our songs signed to Warner Music was the first step. It’s difficult to get a world following unless you make your own music that people listen to. We’re doing our second tour of Australia next month, while we are still hustling and networking to try and arrange heading to the States and Europe.

Clubs vs. festivals?

Definitely festivals – there’s something mesmerising about DJing for thousands of people, especially when combined with our visual show, and amazing production values at most festivals (e.g. we had fireworks going off everywhere during our set recently in Clark, Philippines).

What one beauty product can you not live without?

For Stas, his hair straightener. He has very frizzy hair, and in Singapore’s humidity it’s a must-have.

For Mat, concealer. Let’s not elaborate any further…

From Dada Life to Sander Van Doorn, you’ve shared the stage with many of the world’s top DJs. What’s the best piece of advice or knowledge that you’ve gotten from your experiences with these artists?

“Pick up the phone and hustle” - said by Headhunterz tour manager. No one should underestimate the importance of networking. In this business it’s not just about talent, but also about who you know.

Recently you’ve been putting more time in at the studio. How much value do you place on producing in terms of blowing up an artist’s career?

Producing is absolutely vital – at the end of the day all DJs are similar…until they start producing. You need to create your sound, which then becomes part of your brand. It used to be that the best DJs were known for how well they can mix; it’s now based more on how well you produce. People will come to an event of a fantastic producer who can barely DJ; while the opposite isn’t always true.

What one track would your friends say best defines you as a DJ?

We think we’re still looking for the track that will really define us. We’re currently working on an EP with Warner Music, hopefully out in this half of the year that has a few tracks, which are closer to the sound we want to be associated with.

What’s the best rave you’ve ever been to?

Stas went to Tomorrowland on a whim, securing tickets literally at the last second. That was a memorable experience: the crowd was nuts; everyone was friendly and the acts were amazing.

What’s the most enchanting city you’ve visited in Asia and why?

Tokyo is our overall favourite – the food, the people (including the very hot girls), as well as the cultural/historical sights make it our little utopia. In South-East Asia, we absolutely love Ho Chi Minh City. Also for the food and the high energy around you as you walk the streets. As you can tell food is a big part of our lives.

What’s something that people might not know about you?

Rave Republic was formed as a result of Stas’ messy breakup. In an effort to cope, he started going out clubbing weekdays when Mat was playing at a club. We decided to jam (so he could be the centre of attention) and our chemistry on the decks was undeniable.

How do you see Asia’s music scene progressing in the next five years?

Asia is becoming more open format. Generally it is still a bit behind trends from overseas, particularly the United States, but it’s definitely catching up. We’re seen a renewed interest in genres like hip-hop in Asia.

What’s your dream of happiness?

DJing a huge festival with a rider of amazing sushi. To be honest we’re both overwhelmingly happy with life and where we are in our careers. We love travelling, we love experiencing new food, meeting new people – life is pretty perfect right now.

I wish I didn’t have to…

Take early morning flights whilst hungover