If you can establish a culture, then everything else will fall in place. That couldn’t be more true for Mikhael Bashkinov and his thriving EDM label Coconut Network Records. Establishing a culture of being a place for fresh talent to be creative and make noise in Boston, MA and beyond. This 14 year old CEO was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us. Below is the interview.
Who is Mikhael Bashkinov?
Mikhael Bashkinov is a dedicated, caring person who has a huge vision and is working hard to make it come true.
What inspired you to get into the Music business?
Hahah good question, I actually was inspired by Martin Garrix. At one point I saw his label, STMPD RCRDS, and I noticed how he was empowering new talent, which inspired me to do something similar, so I decided to start a label and I really fell in love with the whole business! I have tried producing too however, but when I started a label, there wasn’t a lot of time left to produce music.
What’s your vision for Coconut Network Records?
My vision is to keep helping new EDM talent get discovered and known, and hopefully inspire them to start a new label, in which Coconut Network tailors as a sub-label, and in the future I plan to start a vast network of labels that will help shape the future of EDM, and really help talented producers to make it to the top!
What do you enjoy the most about having a music company ? What do you find challenging about having a music company?
I enjoy interacting with upcoming artists that will succeed and grow. It is fascinating to hear all the plans they have for their futures, and how they plan to achieve them. Though, in this day and age, the music industry is very competitive and labels are trying to race to the top and be the “best”.
What advice would you give someone trying to get into the music business?
I would say “just go for it”. In reality when I started, I had no plans goals for my label in mind. I started having really low quality releases that very few could enjoy, but I eventually worked my way up to having some well known names being released on my own labels. At first I wanted to give up because I noticed nobody was listening and interacting with the releases. But as the releases improved, I saw that slowly people started coming and more people really started enjoying the music. Once I saw that people were loving the releases, that gave me the kick I needed to continue, and you will also get a chance to experience that if you keep trying. As of now, I would still consider my label small, but my community is unmatchable and it’s something that will really grow if I keep putting in effort and engagement!
What can people expect next from Coconut Network Records?
People can expect a lot more releases, and a wide variety of EDM. Truthfully I am gaining experience and knowledge from managing this label, and I plan to open a whole new label in the future using all of the knowledge I gained running this one. I am so happy to see myself succeeding with this label, and I am so happy that I’ve been given the opportunity to showcase great new music by great artists! The plan is to eventually open up a final label, and make Coconut Network a sub-label that will continue to help new EDM talent succeed and really excel!
Stay up to date with Coconut Network Records and follow them on Social Media. Stay Global my Friends!
