KLASSIK
First encouraged to pick up the saxophone by his late father, Robin Abston, he was mentored from an early age by local jazz saxophone legend Berkley Fudge.
Klassik is truly an old soul. His fusion of Hip-Hop and Jazz, amongst many other genres, pays homage to the many legends of generations past. His music is not based around braggadocio or glorification of the world’s ills, but rather portrays a positive, forward thinking person that is fueled by his inspiration to constantly create and innovate. His diverse influences, including Stevie Wonder, John Coltrane, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Steely Dan, have helped mold a blend of musical styles that comes out one hundred percent unique, fresh, and timeless.
Klassik was born and raised in the blue-collar Midwestern city of Milwaukee, WI. First encouraged to pick up the saxophone by his late father, Robin Abston, he was mentored from an early age by local jazz saxophone legend Berkley Fudge. By the time he was in high school, he was already touring Europe with a group of his peers and professional musicians. His introduction to the recording arts began during this time, as he began to experiment with creating instrumentals with the music production software program, Fruity Loops, on his home PC after school. This hobby transformed into a full blown obsession. After a year of studying English on a full-ride scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Klassik decided to drop out in order to pursue a career as a musician. He could
no longer foresee himself doing anything but music for the rest of his life.
Klassik's evolution to a professional musician culminated with the release of his first full length album in fall 2012 entitled In The Making. The album garnered national attention and charted on the College Music Journal’s Hip-Hop top 40 for 8 straight weeks following its release. Klassik worked extremely hard throughout 2012, releasing free singles such as “That Life”, and "Anything", to supplement In The Making, along with featuring and/or producing for several other Milwaukee artists’ projects. His hard work began to pay off, as he was named "Solo Artist of the Year" during the 2012 88.9 Radio Milwaukee Music Awards, as well as “Best Hip-Hop Artist” at the 2013 WAMI Awards. In December of 2013, Klassik released his second full-length YRP (Young Rising Phenoms), which spawned the infectious single and video “Boogie”, a reimagining of the classic Jackson’s record “Blame It On The Boogie”. Most recently, the third LP “Seasons”, released in the summer of 2015, elevated Klassik’s notoriety and creative merit utilizing a unique four EP rollout prior to the full length, each one seasonal themed and connected to the album. It garnered him another Radio Milwaukee Award, this time the “Critic’s Choice Award”, in 2015, and was featured on notable blogs and publications such as The Huffington Post and The Source; it is Klassik’s most celebrated work to date.
Klassik's new school take on old school styles help bring listeners to a beautiful place where they can forget about the indiscernible mass-manufactured productions of today, and embrace a musical experience that is as lively and melodious as the music of legends past. Vowing to make his biggest influence, his deceased father Robin, honored and proud, Klassik shows no signs of slowing down on his quest to create truly timeless and inspiring musical works.
