Today we’d like to introduce you to Vikiffes (Viktor Cich).
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
Growing up in Warsaw, Poland, my journey with music started at the early age of nine when I picked up the classical guitar. Funny enough, I kept asking my parents for piano lessons, but they felt the guitar would better fit me. I accepted my fate and started learning. I didn’t like it at first, but as time passed, I started enjoying it more and more. At twelve, I formed my first band with my drummer friend Olek. It began as jam sessions, which excited me and felt special — two live instruments communicating and finding the right rhythmic pocket seemed like magic. That continued until I moved to The British School of Warsaw, where I met Sam Thorpe, with whom we created our first band, “Animal Parade.” Our primary genre revolved around Indie rock inspired by artists like Catfish and the Bottlemen, Radiohead, Foals, and Tame Impala. We both got very close and made music together for around 2-3 years. During that time, we had a lot of different people come and go because we wanted to have a group of people who understood each other. The reality was that we were still just kids experimenting and lacked knowledge and experience. The band fell apart like most high school bands do, although I think that if we kept going, we could have made it.
After the band fell apart, I took matters into my own hands. I found a cracked version of a music production program called Logic Pro X and dove right in. I was terrible at first, and my early beats were far from impressive. But I was determined to improve. I spent hours watching YouTube tutorials on producing, mixing, and mastering. I would research everything, lock myself in my room, and just produce. I drew inspiration from producers like Nick Mira for his lightning-speed workflow, Diplo for his sound choices, and Timbaland for his unique drum patterns.
After finishing my International Baccalaureate program at The British School of Warsaw, I decided to continue learning about music at City University of London. My degree was called Music, Sound, and Technology, and it involved sound design, mixing, mastering, and recording — which helped me elevate my knowledge and skills to another level. This was also when I started collaborating with artists like Dylan Burke Hamilton, one of my best friends to this day (shoutout, Dylan!). London made me shift my focus to a genre called Trap (a sub-genre of hip-hop), which was at its peak at the time (2018). The genre stemmed from the so-called “SoundCloud Era” of rap, which helped discover artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Trippie Redd, and many more.
Dylan and I would meet almost every day after class to record songs together. I would usually make the beat on the spot, and then Dylan would write the lyrics and top-line over my instrumentals. We made an extraordinary duo — we always understood each other very well and would continue making songs together throughout my study in London. Dylan also introduced me to the rest of the crew, which involved very talented artists like Red Sinclair, Vice Monröe (formerly known as Donny Shah), who then introduced me to ALI3NHEAD, Alp From The South, and many more talented people. We would all make music together, and they honestly felt like family. I felt so many gifted people surrounded me, but at the time, none of us knew how to get our image out there. We didn’t understand promotion and how consistent you had to be for it to work. That being said, Vice Mönroe and ALI3NHEAD gained some traction, especially Vice, with whom I produced a track titled “Idxntkxw.”
After graduating from City University of London, I returned to Poland, where I became one of the co-founders of FlightCore Studios, now Poland’s leading recording studio. Alongside skilled rappers and recording and mixing engineers, we took the matter into our own hands and built our dream studio. It was a long and painful process because we were just a music group without real building experience. But we had a dream and made it come true with team effort.
One day, out of the blue, a good friend of mine, Sami, a recording, mixing, and mastering engineer at FlightCore, reached out to me asking for beats. I remember I was swamped and tired that day, but he wanted the files as soon as possible, so I tried to compile some of my latest music and send it to him. I didn’t overthink it, especially since he didn’t tell me who it would be for — he’s a good friend, so if he needs anything, I will get it for him. The next day, I received a call from an unknown number, and it turned out to be this well-renowned artist called “Tymek.” He says, “I recorded on one of your instrumentals; I’m thinking of doing an album with you. Send me more stuff.” I was like, bet, and I started producing more music in a similar vibe to what he had already recorded. The first track from our mini seven-track album was “Proste,” which means “Simple” in English. The lesson I learned from this experience was never to underestimate and always have your music conveniently on hand. On that day, I didn’t have my laptop with me, but fortunately, I kept track of my phone so I could send everything to Sami without an issue.
After the album with Tymek, I took a master’s degree in MMUS in Music Production at London College of Contemporary Music. At that time, I’d already started building respectable connections in Warsaw, so I would fly back frequently to visit my family and people at FlightCore.
On one rainy day, I was driving back home listening to music when a song by an artist called M0LLY autoplay from Spotify’s recommended songs. I immediately fell in love with his music and thought that he was extremely talented — he possesses something I have been looking for in an artist for a long time. I remember listening to his song “Co Jesli” for the first time, and it was repeated for one week straight. I decided to message him on Instagram and send some of my work, and he immediately felt it. Some bounce off each other’s energies, and we’re both precisely like that. We have very similar tastes, and I just know for a fact that he will come far. We eventually released two singles together: “Bad Trip,” “Krzyki Miasta,” and much more music coming soon.
I decided to move to New York City to build more musical connections — I am currently finishing my second Master’s degree at Berklee College of Music New York, which is the number one contemporary music school in the world. The sheer amount of talent in this school is extraordinary. A wide array of vocalists, instrumentalists, arrangers, music producers, you name it. The competition is thick. Someone who stood out to me as an artist is Jamiko Manguba (artist name ‘JMKO’), who is not only the best vocalist I have ever worked with but is also my dearest friend. He is extremely hard-working, skilled, and caring, which reminds me that no matter how experienced or famous we get as artists, we must always remain humble.
I just released a song called “Off The Ground” and will keep working on new music and experimenting with many different genres. We have a lot of upcoming releases in store, so stay tuned.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Overall, the journey of a musician is never easy. The industry is complex. Less experienced artists can often be taken advantage of. I had my fair share of experiences in which I wasn’t paid enough or, in some cases, wasn’t paid. To be a part of the music industry, you must have tough skin and be able to take any criticism, whether constructive or not.
Thanks for sharing that. So, tell us more about your work next.
I’m a sculptor of music. I can turn any musical idea into an entirely produced composition. I work with a wide array of genres, although I specialize in all kinds of electronic pop music, such as Trap and EmoRap. I’m mostly known for my album with Tymek titled “Zima 22.” My style is what sets me apart from other producers. Even though I produce music in many different genres, people who listen to me recognize my sound, whether it’s a Pop or a Rock track. The music I’m the most proud of is yet to be released. This project that I’m currently working on with another music producer, “C0PIK,” will damage the music world.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Surround yourself with people who you can learn from. Even though it may not always be the most comfortable solution, it is the best one. By doing so, I have become the person who makes another music producer work twice as much time.
Pricing:
- $200 – WAV Beat Lease
- $250 – WAV Beat Lease + Stems
- $350 – Unlimited Lease
- Exclusive – Contact Me
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vikiffes/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/viktor-cich-932970303
Image Credits
Julia Koper, Julian Cedillo
