Norway-born and based brothers Daniel and Markus Slettebakken, better known as Kream, have dedicated their lives to finding the emotion with electronic music.
They gained recognition in the scene for their unique blend of melodic tech-house and their ability to seamlessly combine elements from different genres.
The Slettebakken brother’s music often features captivating melodies, infectious rhythms, and collaborations with renowned vocalists.
They first garnered attention with their remixes of popular tracks, including a remix of The Weeknd’s “The Hills,” which received widespread acclaim.
The Slettebakken brothers have since released a number of original tracks and remixes, showcasing their distinct sound and musical style.
Recently we got to sit down with Daniel and Markus and dive into how they found their love for music and what made them decide to tie it all together and become a duo, check out what they had to say here:
EDM Maniac: So guys, before music, what did you guys focus on? Any other passions or dreams?
KREAM: Yeah, we were pretty heavily into competitive jet skiing, like stand-up jet skis, we competed in word series all over the world, our favorite was in Arizona one year.
EDM Maniac: Do you ride anymore at all?
KREAM: Not the stand-up jet skis, just the sit-down ones for fun and leisure.
EDM Maniac: So when did you guys make the connection with electronic music?
KREAM: Trance music. Tiësto was a big influence. That is what we fell in love with in the beginning, and we just started out with that.
EDM Maniac: How old were you?
KREAM:Around 13 I would say.
EDM Maniac: When was the first time you both picked up a computer?
KREAM: So Daniel was the first one to actually start. He’s five years older than me so he started first and then he just started to show what he made on his laptop and I was super impressed.
I was like, “Wow, he’s making music on a computer. That’s insane.” We were hooked after that.
EDM Maniac: Your music often combines elements of different genres. Can you tell us about the approach to genre-bending and how you incorporate different styles in each track?
KREAM: I think our vibe is very progressive. We wanted to bring that into the tech house world. We also like to remix tracks with big pop vocal artists in them like the Weeknd. That sound really is the sound we are going for.
EDM Maniac: What do you look for in a vocalist?
KREAM: Anytime you’re listening to a song it’s got to hit some kind of special nerve. That is the main goal whether it is a remix or an original track.
EDM Maniac: Like hit a different emotion?
KREAM: Yeah, something that gives you goosebumps. It’s hard to tell, but you gotta feel it. It’s gotta feel real in some way.
EDM Maniac: You guys do a wonderful job of creating the emotional aspect within your music. So we already talked a little bit about the energy you are going for but can you tell us more about the sound you are going for?
KREAM: We would definitely go with melodic tech-house. Something that brings emotion but also is a total bop. There is a sense of emotion in it but you can still dance and groove the night away.
EDM Maniac: Going for a euphoric vibe people can get lost in. You guys hit that sound right on the head every time.
KREAM: Have you heard of the Liquid Labs?
EDM Maniac: Oh yeah they are absolutely amazing.
KREAM:Thank you! Yeah, if you’ve heard one of our Liquid Labs, then you know what kind of vibe we want to show our audience. It’s very euphoric.
We try to mix vocals from pop music and mix it with more underground stuff. It makes it accessible to a bigger audience. They’re not used to that underground stuff.
EDM Maniac: How would you guys go about securing the locations to do the Liquid Labs?
KREAM: A lot of googling. Haha, It is not easy.
EDM Maniac: The hard work has paid off, it looks like!
KREAM: For sure, we had a lot of help from the Norwegian government which is amazing. They shut down whole areas for us to make it happen.
EDM Maniac: That is epic! How cool is it to get the government to help you execute such a beautiful plan. Well guys, we have one more question for you, we have to ask, if you have one piece of advice to give to people who want to get into producing music what would you say?
KREAM: Just be patient, and really do what you want and make the music you want. It won’t come overnight, but if you focus on it and keep being consistent, you will see a beautiful outcome.
EDM Maniac: That is so true and a great way to put it. Thank you guys, so much for talking with us today. It was a pleasure and hopefully, we can catch up soon!
KREAM: No problem at all thank you guys, it has been fun! Cheers!
