Bdan Music: if you have fun, you're pretty much set for life.
by Cristina Aguilera Ochoa
Bdan is a musician.
: @bdanhq
: bdanmusic.com
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[interviewed on May 17, 2024]
Okay, today is Friday, May 17th. We are in Japan [walking], well, in Yokohama. And I'm interviewing you.
Is Yokohama not in Japan?
It is, but I wanted to specify.
Cool!
Yeah, because I wasn't being specific, so you could think: maybe they are in another place. But no.
No.
We're here.
It's Yokohama.
So, what's your name for this creative interview? About your creative process.
My name is Bdan. That's my name.
That's a great name. Did you choose it?
Actually, no. I stole that from a friend. My actual name is Berdan, but like, some online friend of mine, we were playing Minecraft, and he randomly called me Bdan, because he just took the E and R of my name, so it's Bidan, not Beadan.
That makes me feel a lot better, because there's a whole lot of times that I call you Bdan instead of Berdan.
Yeah, that's okay. I don't mind how you call me.
So, that's like your artistic name.
Yeah. Which I stole.
So, you've been making music since you were 8 years old.
How do you know that? What the fuck?
You told me that like 5 minutes ago.
Oh…
You have the attention span of a fish.
I think a fish has a better attention span than me.
So, tell me about you and music. Do you enjoy music?
Honestly, I fucking hate music. Honestly, I never listen to music. I pretend I listen to music a lot. I don't even make my own music. It's like all my cats. My cat sits on my computer and just makes my music for me. I say, yo, it's me.
I like that. So, you exploit your cat for money.
Yeah, it's like child labor. She's like 13 or 12. No, 13. Is she 14? That's a teen worker now, not a child worker. Holy shit. She's like illegal too.
A teen worker, you said?
Yeah, a teen worker.
Instead of child labor, it's like teen labor.
Okay, I see.
So, it's like half as illegal.
I see, I see. So, 8 years old. Why? Were you left alone in a room with a computer?
Honestly, yeah. That's actually exactly what happened. I was playing on my family computer a lot.
What did you play?
I played a lot of fucking Minecraft, bro.
No, but I just used FL Studio because my dad had it installed for some reason. So, I played with it. Yeah, that's how I started fucking making music. I just randomly found FL Studio on my family computer. I think it was like FL Studio 11 or 10.
You are now 20?
I'm 20 years old, yeah.
Okay, okay, okay. And when did it become sort of serious?
Around 2019.
Oh, so recently.
Yeah, pretty recently, like 5 years ago.
I started to do it way more than before. I took it way more seriously.
Why?
I honestly don't know. I just had a lot of fun doing it. By the way, I lied earlier. I actually really love music. If it wasn't clear. So, I just made music because it was a lot of fucking fun.
In 2020 or 2021, I bought Ableton Live. I switched from FL to Ableton Live because I don't know why. And honestly, it was the best decision of my life. It improved how I made music.
It's called Ableton Live?
Ableton Live.
Ableton. I call it Ableton.
Why do you call it Ableton?
Because I'm Mexican.
¿Dónde está la biblioteca?
Exacto.
Yeah.
Nice.
That's the story of how it got serious.
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Tell me about your creative process. Is that something you have thought about ever? Or is this question very astonishing to you right now?
Dude, honestly, like... I don't think. I'm serious. When I make music, I just don't fucking think. I just do something. I press buttons. Honestly, I will be... I'm gonna be completely honest. When I made… All my music I made, I don't remember how I made it, why I made it, or how my fucking creation process was.
Like, do you go blank?
Pretty much, yeah. Like, I don't have a reason why I do certain things. I just do it.
What spurs you to open the computer to make music before the music making process?
Can you repeat the question?
So, like... You don't really know what happens when you make music.
Yes.
But what happens before that makes you want to open the computer to make music?
I don't know. It's just whenever the time feels right, you know?
So you're very, like, intuitive, maybe.
Yeah, pretty much.
Maybe that's how you work with sounds, too. Like, with intuition. Like, feeling these sounds doesn't sound the way I want them to sound.
Yeah, like... Honestly, I just get happy when I make shit that I like. It doesn't need to be, like, stuff I don't like. I like a lot of things. My music tastes range in everything between classical music to like fucking black metal.
Let's talk influences.
Influences...
Honestly, I think my biggest influence is probably... Deadmau5. Portia Robinson. Pendulum. I fucking love that band. Pendulum, Hold Your Color is such an amazing song. And honestly, the album Hold Your Color is really good. I think that's, like, my three main influences. As of right now.
How about... What you mentioned about classical music and black metal. Do you just listen to everything that you can, when you can? Like, how is your approach to new music?
I don't know. I just listen to it, you know? So, I use Apple Music and there's, like, this radio feature. It just spits out the random shit to me and I just listen to it, and when I like it, I just put it into my playlist. I'm pretty sure Apple Music thinks I'm fucking weird.
Do you feel judged by your Apple Music?
Yes. Because the thing is, I have like one main playlist where I put all my music in. And every time I wanna listen to music, I just hit shuffle. It ranges from, like super depressing fucking lyric heavy metal, heavy shit to sunshine, lollipops and rainbows everywhere, and then it goes back to, like really depressing orchestral music, and then Sonic the Hedgehog OST.
Have you heard Charizard why u eatin all my pancakes?
No.
I think you might enjoy that.
I will put that into my list of listening stuff.
What would you recommend to yourself before you started making music? Like, what would you tell yourself before starting this journey?
Don't use FL Studio. I feel like if I didn't use FL Studio to begin with and use Ableton Live or, like, Logic Pro or, like, even Cubase, I would have been much better by now. I think FL Studio, to some extent, kind of held me back. Because, like, it's so clunky. I feel like my workflow wasn't that good on FL compared to, like, Ableton or Cubase and other DAWs.
I see. Do you have any other music app recommendations?
Okay, so I may not use Ableton Live. The thing with applications with, like, DAWs is, like, you should use the ones you feel most right with. Like, some people, like, prefer Ableton Live over FL Studio. Some people prefer Cubase over FL Studio. Some people use Logic Pro. Some people use FL.
So kind of like, the worst music is the one you didn't make?
Okay, so all DAWs have, like, a really generous trial period. Most of them are, like, 60 to 90 days where you can, like, use them, like, to the fullest extent. Like, as if you bought the full version for, like, 60 to 90 days. I would try, like, out multiple DAWs when you're, like, just starting out and just, like, stick with the one that feels right to you. That's what I would do to, like, starting music production.
What is your ultimate goal?
To be happy.
What is your ultimate career music goal?
Okay, so... I feel like I want to, in the future, help people get into music easier. Because I feel like music is, like… A lot of people kind of gatekeep the creation of music. When I look at it online, you need to be “this good” to hang out with them and, fucking… I don't know, like people just don't tell each other how they make their music. Which kind of sucks, because music is all about community. And stuff like that. Yeah, I want to come to a point where I can help people that are just starting out. To get comfortable with music. You feel me?
I feel so embarrassed whenever I say that I want to make music.
Don't be.
I feel like I'm not, like, worthy of it.
Everyone is worthy of making music. Because, like art… The thing about art is, everyone is unique in their own way. If you make art and your goal is to make shit you want to make, you're perfectly capable to, you know? It takes a while to achieve a level of production quality, but that's everyone who's learning, you know? But if you have fun, you're pretty much set for life.
I love that. That's very quotable.
Thank you.
Do you have any go-tos when you have creative block?
Honestly, I just sit down and try to write piano melodies. Because I feel like that's super relaxing. And piano melodies... I'm pretty sure that, like, only two songs out there of mine that don't have piano. And writing piano melodies is a really, really, really fucking good starting point. It's like, you get the chords down, you get the melodies down. That's like two main things you pretty much get down, you know?
Do you know how to play any instruments?
I know how to play the piano. I can kind of play a fucking bass. But I can't play it fast. I can play it really slowly. And one note... I can't do, like, some crazy fucking bass lines. The craziest bass line is like…(makes baseline sounds) So, I don't know if that really counts as being able to play. But I can operate. Kind of. Almost. Yeah.
I've been learning bass, too.
Hell yeah. I need to learn, too.
Vending machine. I smell weed. That's so strange in Japan.
Music! Where?
Where, where? I'll find it. Right?
What the fuck So beautiful. What is it? Be quiet. Be completely quiet. I just want to film that. Do you see him?
(fun musical interlude)
That was very nice. That was beautiful.
Should we clap? I think that would be very obnoxious. Yeah, it was like... Look at how beautiful this park is. It is so nice. It's like so peaceful in here. It's like such a big fucking city. But it's like so peaceful and I love it. I like big cities but also peaceful cities And that's kind of like... Hard to achieve. Yeah, and that's Yokohama. It's chill here, dude. Is that a vegetable and fruits sculpture?
Yeah, it's beautiful.
When I first came to Japan, I came here a few times. And like I would sit on the shore and just like do nothingAnd like sometimes I just pull out my laptop and work.
That's nice.
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Okay, so the thing about my life is sometimes I just randomly drop the wildest shit and then instantly say, No, I'm lying. Because I think that's kind of funny because you see people being impressed, like shocked, but then I'm like, oh yeah, no, I lied.
I see, I see.
A fucking mosquito bit me, bro.
Is that true?
Yes. No, that's true. That's actually true It's fucking itchy. Dude, I need mosquito repellent. Am I not ugly enough to be repellent for mosquitoes?
Context, Bedan is actually really pretty. He's not ugly at all.
I don't think I'm pretty, but I appreciate it.
You a-pretty-ciate it? Great joke.
That's kind of funny though.
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What other types of media do you like to consume?
I'm gonna be real. I'm not too big into like watching movies because like the movies out there kind of suck at the moment. Like I ain't fucking looking at like Marvel shit. I think the last movie I watched was like Super Mario. Or Sonic 2. Because of me being like Bernadette. Like they were like... They weren't super cool. I'm gonna be real. They aren’t like cinematic masterpieces. I feel like the best movie I watched in the last few years was The Whale. I feel like that was so good. That was like the fat one who like started like going to creative mode and flying.
Creative mode and flying?
Like Minecraft creative mode.
Creative mode? I understood moan and it was like mode, right?
He's like creatively moaning. He has such a unique moan. The funniest thing was like... Okay, that's a spoiler for the movie. You watched it but like for other people listening. Spoiler now. It was like kind of like hilarious to see him jerk off to gay porn like right in the beginning.
Right, that was such a bold move to start the movie like that.
Like broooo. And like sitting there like I'm excited. Like instantly, what the fuck am I watching?
You start judging him obviously because he's morbidly fat and you're like no, do not judge him.You don't know his situation. And then on top of that he's gay. So like he's made to be judged by society.
The funnier thing was not that he was jerking off to gay porn. The funnier thing was him getting a heart attack and getting a visit at the same time while he's watching gay porn.
Yes. That's the worst situation.
I would actually, honestly, if that would happen to me, I would kill myself.
Well, he tried.
Yeah.
Okay. I don't judge. I don't blame him.
I judge him though. He's fat. I'm joking, I'm joking, I'm joking. I'm like... Okay, so a bit context about me. I'm kind of like, edgy.
Did he try to kill himself? Am I making this up?
Yeah, he did. With like eating.
Oh, yeah.
He got like super mad once and he tried to like eat himself to death.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Remember?
Yeah, like KFC, right? Something like that.
I think it was just burgers.
Or the pizzas. That pizza looked so delicious though.
He had like the best food in this area probably. I would be fat too, bro.
I felt like the movie was beautiful.
It's really nice. I really like it.
I was about to cry.
I cried so much.
I don't blame you. It was kind of sad. Especially like bro died in front of his daughter. And the daughter was like an asshole too, you know? Like daughter was only there for the money. Like fuck his daughter, bro.
I don't blame her either.
I kind of blame her.
She's young. She doesn't know much better.
I wonder like... I wanna like know the after story first. Cause like the daughter had to like get super depression. Like not depression, but like super depression.
Well, but if she got his message right.
She saw him die. And she knew how shitty she was. Until the very end, she realized that she was a shitty daughter.
But she wasn't shitty because she wanted to be shitty. She was shitty because she felt hurt.
That's fucked up though Fuck this bitch, dude. I hope she becomes fat. And gay.
Is that a curse? I hope she becomes fat and gay.
That's like the infinite curse. You're like... You hate your fat dad. And your dad dies in front of you.You get depressed. You get super fat. You become like an English teacher. And then your child sees how you die.
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Japan is impressive. I fucking love Japan, dude. It's, in my opinion, the most beautiful country. For me. The thing about countries... Every country is beautiful in its own way. In its own culture. In its own language. And even in bigger countries. Let's say USA. A lot of areas have their own culture. How they speak. How they are. And it's beautiful in its own way, you know? I don't think a country is shit. In its own. I think it's more ranked into how much a country fits you. As fucking gay as this sounds, I feel like Japan fits me really well. It's like one, I'm introverted as fuck, two, I really like how clean it is.
It's so clean.
I know, I'm a clean person. I like being clean. Like, I fucking hate Shibuya because Shibuya is like the dirtiest fucking place. But like, I mean, Yokohama, dude, like, it's so clean. I could eat off of the fucking floor.
Yeah, look at my shoes. I bought them in January.
What the fuck? Like, you can still see the soles and the... They're so clean.
I've been walking a lot here, too.
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Do you do any other creative things apart from music?
I do a lot of photography, mostly from like architecture, but you know, in a way of like, dude, I'm a real estate photographer. Not just like that, but more like artistic. Like, to show off different kinds of architecture, mostly from the outside, and more textural shit. Sometimes I do a bit of landscape. And maybe a tiny bit of cityscape. But mostly it's like textural architecture. Black and white, grainy as hell.
You studied a bit of architecture, right?
Yeah, of course, dude. I'm like, I'm like pro architect, bro. Like, no, I never touched even...
What was the career? You had a career and then you left it.
Mm-mm. Okay, so I went to college for computer science.
Oh, it was not architecture at all. Okay.
I dropped out of computer science because it was too easy. And then I went to college for media technology. I dropped out because I got too bored because, again, I knew everything. And now I completely dropped out. And like, I don't have any career, dude, bro.
Well, you have a music career that you're building yourself.
I'm almost homeless.
You're not homeless.You're homosexual. It's different.
What the fuck, bro? I didn't think about that. Thank you so much.
You also draw. You doodle in class so much.
I don't draw that well. I just draw, like, silly shit, like, amongi and, like, random people.
Yeah, you will draw the among us guy very small in different places.
Yeah, because I think it's funny and cute. I like fishing. It smells so good here.
It's like, it's so salty. I kind of like the smell of salt. That was like a whip sound.
That's nice.
Look at this airplane.
Where Where Where? Oh, I see it. Will you make me a playlist for when this interview comes out? Which is probably never, because I'm really lazy when I have to transcribe things.
Yes. If you tell me, yes.
Yay.
By the way... I'm not sending you my personal playlist, though, because it's kind of embarrassing.
No, don't send that. It must be very personal. No, make one for this interview.
Okay, okay, I will. It can be shorter and different, you know. You can put like things that are not you at all.
You can just put high school musical.
Imma fucking put music I really enjoy. Look at this ferris wheel.
It's so pretty and it has the time.
It has the time as if I didn't have my fucking phone to tell the time. I just bit my fucking lip and I want to scream and cry.
You should scream and cry and let it all out.
I want to scream and shout and let it all out.
That's what I was thinking about.
It's not cry. It took me so long to realize the name Will.I.Am literally means William.
I think I've seen that before and it always impresses me.
And the name Flo Rida is literally just Florida.
Oh, I did know that.
I did not. Both of them, I kind of broke my fucking brain.
Why do I always need to tie my shoes?
Tie your fucking shoes, bitch.
No, I won't. I'll just put it in here.
One thing about this. I'm really fucking edgy. I don't take anything serious.
I disagree.
You disagree that I don't take anything serious?
Yeah, I disagree.
Why do you disagree?
Well, you were kind of bummed when we were separated from class. And I think you kind of took that seriously.
Okay, that's true. But that's more like, fuck, man.
You also take serious when people are being stupid. And you're looking at them in public and you feel like ashamed for them.
Okay, that's true. No, I mean like stuff like politics, you know? Or like gay people. Okay, that's like weird to say. But I feel like taking stuff like politics, stuff like, l ook, I'm fucking edgy. I say faggot all the time. Hmm.
But I don't think that makes you not serious about politics. I think you care about your rights.
I care about that because in a way, some people are like, oh, you don't have the same opinion as me? I'm not going to talk to you anymore.
That shit, you know? And while I am like, someone can be like fucking far right that can still hang out.
But I do find that if someone is really far right, they will judge you more.
Yeah, that's true. So it's probably not going to be that easy to hang out with them. I don't know. I don't judge anyone. Like I’ll be like super judgmental and sometimes I will be like super rude. But I'm like that mostly to friends. I’m mean to friends, but like not be mean to strangers. It's like, I feel like if I have like the… fuck, why is that? I'm mad.
I'm actually really mad right now. I'm like fuming mad. I'm going to eat your phone.
Why is that fucking staircase closed? Okay. Fuck, why did I say that? Now I'm completely out of concept. I can, I can take part of the interview out.
I can send it to you and we can read it and you can cringe. I give you full editorial.
Uh, just like, I don't, I don't mind anything being said.
I'll change all of your words.
All of them. All of them. Every single one of them.
None of these words were in the Bible, by the way.
I may sound mean. I may sound super ungrateful at times. I may sound, uh, super toxic. And it's because I am. It's because I am. No, but like, I am honestly super accepting of like other people. I'm super grateful in general.
Does your music ever have lyrics?
Oh, yes. Yes.
Will it have like political lyrics ever?
I fucking hate Trump. I fucking hate Biden. I want them to kiss. I want them to fuck.
That's a great lyric. You should do that.
Honestly, no. Because like, I don't want my music to be defined by politics or religion or anything. I want the music to be like just chill.
How do you want to make people feel?
Honestly, like, I want people to feel happy. I want to have people feel content. And like, not worried about fucking bullshit, you know?
I see, I see.
I don't know. Like, anything positive, honestly. Like, as long as people are happy and don't harm other people.
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You look high in this picture.
People tell me that all the time.
I wish i was high 24-7 bro, I'm jealous.
Last words. Last words. What do you recommend to the people out there that want to make music?
Do what makes you feel happy. Don't force yourself into a box. And make the music you want to hear.
That's so nice. Thank you for coming to this interview.
I'm glad I was here. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
Yay! I'm so grateful you accepted this.
Actually I'm declining my acceptation.
Fuck. After I transcribed all of this. After several days.
No, I'm trolling. I'm trolling.
Okay.
That's so cute. They're holding it.
Is it a mymelody? Sanrio. Okay. Ciao. Bye-bye. That was great.
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