A computer with a mixer, an electric piano, a standing microphone and a red electric guitar on the wall: Vincent Rost alias VNCE doesn’t need more to produce beats in his room. From here, the 20-year-old works with artists from the USA and Canada, and then the songs go around the world.
Vincent was born with music from the cradle: “I have a very musical family.” As soon as he was around three years old, his grandfather began teaching him to play the piano – without any notes. So he learned early on to get melodies from his head to the keys and to compose pieces himself. At the age of 14, he then took part in a DJ workshop run by the local Youngest Culture initiative, where his talent was discovered.
Vincent Rost has gradually set up his studio in Zorneding himself. From there his music goes around the world under the artist name VNCE.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
His uncle, also a DJ and music producer, showed him the basics of the trade, everything else he taught himself with the help of YouTube videos. Little by little he got the appropriate technology and built a small studio in his room. At first he mainly worked with friends – for example with the rapper Alexander Ambarzumjan alias Amba, whom he knew from school. He later even sold some of his beats to international customers.
The turning point came in spring 2020: online he met Henry Oyekanmi, a Nigerian-American singer from Oakland who performs under the stage name ØHENRY. The two exchanged ideas and quickly became friends, and a few months later their first single, Never Let Go, was released. Many more contacts arose through Henry; In the meantime, VNCE has released four singles with different artists that have been heard by more than a million people on different platforms.
Vincent is open-minded and quite self-confident, at the same time he seems a bit excited in places – it is his first interview. The student is enthusiastic about the global connections that arise through music alone. With real-time transmission, it is now possible to work with people from Oakland, Los Angeles or Ontario from Zorneding as if you were sitting in the same room. However, cooperation across time zones also brings challenges. “I always have to have my cell phone on when I’m in bed,” he admits with a laugh. Sometimes he was woken up by a video call from his partner on the other side of the globe who was sitting in the studio and wanted to work on a project together at four in the morning.
Thanks to the internet, the 20-year-old also works with musicians from other continents.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
The songs shine with their clear sound and appear highly professionally produced, although they are very different in their style. If you ask him, VNCE places itself between RnB and Hip-Hop; as a music producer, however, he is much less bound by genre boundaries than bands and solo acts, for example. Rather, he would create a beat first and then select other artists for it. “So I always look for people who fit my current mood.” If his debut Never Let Go is carried by a soulful RnB rhythm, his latest song Young Star reflects the feeling of departure after graduating from high school.
All of his songs have only one thing in common: Like many producers, Vincent always plays a certain soundtrack at the beginning, which in a way serves as a stamp or signature. While looking for the right day, he noticed that others often work with children’s voices. “I just asked my little cousin,” he remembers with a smile. After around a dozen voice messages from the four-year-olds and a little editing in the studio, the sound snippet was finished, which to this day introduces each of his songs: “VNCE is on the track.”
The up-and-coming talent is particularly grateful to local initiatives such as Youngest Culture, which have encouraged and supported him from the start: “If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have gotten around to producing music.” Even as a teenager he was able to play for the Electro Open Festival in Zorneding and thus gain his first experience as a DJ.
In the long term, however, he sees his future in the USA. The American artists with whom he works are very cordial and appreciate the German reliability. Only because of his level of English is he raised for fun, says Vincent. Sometimes he has difficulties deciphering the strong dialects and colloquial expressions of his interlocutors.
For the time being, however, VNCE will remain with the district: The 20-year-old is studying economics in Munich. For a long time, he had struggled with whether he should start studying or instead concentrate fully on his dream. In the end, he decided to register – not least because of his parents’ work to convince them. In addition, Vincent still spends every free second working on beats: “At the moment there is really only study and music in my life.”
The young producer has big plans for the coming months. A new song with ØHENRY will be released in December, followed by several house songs for dance nights in the club in spring. Vincent even gives a small audio sample: pulsating beats and rhythmic basses, very different from his previous songs. Nevertheless, the new electro songs also clearly bear his artistic signature.
The debut album will be released at the beginning of summer, a selection of around fifteen titles with international artists – including rapper 24kGoldn, who has already achieved platinum several times in the USA.
Vincent names the celebrity DJ Khaled as a role model. It is not uncommon for producers to be overshadowed by the stars they work with, even though the initiative and most of the work lies with them. The American DJ, on the other hand, managed to establish itself as a successful brand. The ambitious starter from Zorneding also sets himself this goal: “As a music producer, I always want my name to come first.”
At the moment, however, he is at a crossroads: He has already received initial offers from music labels that want to sign him. As an independent producer, he has so far had to manage everything himself – the contact with other artists, the contracts, the marketing. The signature with a big label, where all this is done by a professional team, is therefore certainly an opportunity and could serve as a stepping stone. On the other hand, this also means a long-term commitment and a certain loss of artistic freedom. The decision remains open, according to VNCE.
For now he wants to focus on his studies and also try to make a name as a producer. He looks very proud of what he has achieved so far, but also sets himself ambitious goals for the future. “There is still a long way to go,” emphasizes Vincent with a smile.