Rock Monsters Romania

DWMT La Conac, the only arts and music festival in southern Romania, organized by Diud in collaboration with Point, returns in September for its second edition with a line-up full of well-known artists, but also names for the future.

One of the rising names is Kadjavsi, the music project created by Nikita Dembinski.

The project initially combined experimental and ambient music but transitioned to pop in 2021 with the release of the single “Each Day.”

In 2022, Nikita released his debut album, “Second Sun,” featuring nine tracks. With this album, Kadjavsi solidified his shift toward pop music, taking on roles as producer, composer, and performer.

2024 has been another standout year for Kadjavsi, with a spot in the lineup of the EuropaVox Festival and performances at two major Romanian festivals, Electric Castle and Summer Well. Looking ahead, September promises to be just as exciting, with upcoming performances at the Mastering the Music Business Showcase and DWMT La Conac, both happening in the first week.

We spoke with Nikita to learn more about the project and what surprises he has in store for DWMT La Conac.

You’ve recently been involved in several projects, including Summer Well, Electric Castle, TNB, and Europavox back in April. How did these experiences differ for you as an artist, and how do you think they have influenced the direction of your music?

Well everything sort of comes down to the crowd in a live setting I guess. And sometimes I can connect with the people easily but sometimes I can get a bit shy in a more intimate setting like at TNB’s rooftop for example. But I like that. The vibes are always different and we try our best to stay consistent as a unit and enjoy ourselves. As to how these experiences influenced my music, I think it’s really important to stay truthful and not be influenced by anything exterior when making music. However, I’ve noticed that some of my songs really click with the crowd in a special way which is a nice way of connecting with them, so I would like to nurture that “relationship” and explore that same energy further in upcoming releases.

You’ll soon be performing at the DWMT la Conac for the second time. What drew you back to this festival, and how do you plan to surprise the audience this time around?

It’s a really nice setting there and a fresh break from the city. I really appreciate the team’s effort to make that festival possible, so it was a no-brainer for me to come back and play. Last time I played there I was teaming up with Tajnic Trio. We played a more jazzified version of my album “Second Sun”, but this time I’ll be there with my band so the music and our sound will be quite different in comparison, plus we have a few extra songs in our repertoire!

As a relatively new artist on the music scene, where do you find your inspiration, and what message do you want to convey through your music?

I find a lot of my inspiration in the music I listen to, which is divided in many different genres, and I’m always on the lookout for my next favorite band. I also draw inspiration from any type of photography since I’ve been doing it a lot in recent years. Which ultimately made me take inspiration from everyday life, given I’ve done a lot of street photography; there’s a lot to see there, a lot to take in, beautiful body language, interesting people, human interaction is the gift that keeps on giving. I’m also inspired by my dreams, by my fears, by love or the lack of it. Anything goes, everything is valid, it’s just a matter of what you choose to do with it. Which is also my “message” I guess.

Can you give us a few hints about the new projects you’re working on? Should we expect a new single or a new album to be released in the near future?

I’ve started working on my next album which will be called “Albatross”. It should be out next year, and I’m very excited for it.

How do you see your career evolving in the coming years? Do you have plans to experiment with new musical styles or to collaborate with other artists?

I don’t know how it’ll evolve and I tend to not think about that at the time. I’m concentrating on the next album at the moment so we’ll see how things go after the release, but all in all, I’d have more of the same! This year has been very kind to me so far and I’m pleased with how things are going. On my next album I do want to experiment with a few different styles than what I’ve done so far and yes, I do have a few artists in mind that I would love to collaborate and experiment new sounds with.

Interview by Ionela Pleșan
Text by Radu Mihai