So Kissy, you’re from Colchester, originally, nice! However your forthcoming album on your label San City High is all about your childhood in Essex, talk us through the album…
“It’s a collection of songs I’ve written to celebrate the passing of our adolescence and some instrumentals about the memories I couldn’t really find the words to describe – such as the closing title track ‘Youth’ which the most complicated production I’ve ever created. Listening to it from start to finish is like a post-modern odyssey into my childhood memories and personality. ‘Through The Leaves’ is a song I wrote to open the album with me playing the cello as Danimal Kingdom sings directly to the listener about what is coming in the next 40 minutes – then you’ll hear the first of many kick-ass synth solos and it carries on upping the ante from there really!”
A very varied choice of music you grew up listening to, Nirvana, Felix Da Housekat, Aphrodite we know about… but who were the big musical icons that got you into dance music – bands and DJs.
“Well you’ve mentioned some big hitters for me already but discovering DJ Hype, The Freestylers and DJ Slipmatt’s early mix CDs was a big reason for me saving up my pocket money for my first turntables. On the way to school I was always listening to my mum’s John Martyn and Jefferson Airplane albums on my walkman as well as albums like ‘Siamese Dream’ by Smashing Pumpkins and ‘Daydream Nation’ by Sonic Youth, but one day I heard ‘Transmission’ by Joy Division and it sounded like all those tracks, the fast guitars, fast hooks and distortion, slammed in over a compressed beat – I guess I found that really inspiring as it seemed you might be able to drop in tracks like that in amongst my drum’n’bass and speed garage records I brought from the second hand bin at the record store. Needless to say really but taking risks like that in my DJ sets wouldn’t get me any paid gigs until I was in my twenties!!”
Artists you have worked with include The Human League, Mark Ronson, Sugababes, Gwen Stefani, Groove Armada, Shiny Toy Guns, Calvin Harris, Chromeo, Hadouken!, The Noisettes, Datarock, Acoustic Ladyland, Remi Nicole, Arthur Baker, Dragonette, GoodBooks, Operator Please, The Black Ghosts, Franz And Shape, Bolt Action Five, Chungking, The Dykeenies and All Saints…which artists have you enjoyed working with the most, who has been most fun to work with and what has been the best release/production you think you have done?
Well I haven’t met all of artists I’ve remixed so that one’s a bit easier to answer! Mark Ronson is a really top chap and Tom and Andy from Groove Armada are lovely too so it was a pleasure doing tracks for them. I’ve been a big Chromeo fan since my first year at university, so remixing them was a bit of a dream come true – although I try and act all cool whenever I bump into them at parties haha! All the remixes I have done remind me of certain moments in my life so they’re all just as precious to me really but my remixes for The Noisettes, All Saints, Remi Nicole, Dragonette and Sugababes would probably be first in a playlist if I had to listen to them all on my ipod.”
Who was the best looking girl you snogged at your local roller skating rink?
“Can’t remember to be honest! Those were some crazy days ha ha!”
Judge Jules used to play a trumpet in his sets, you are famous for blaring an air horn during your DJ sets a couple of years ago. What was all that about?
“Quite simple really, I never DJ’d at any big clubs when I was younger but you could always hear horns going off in the crowd on my live drum’n’bass tapes so when I started getting booked for big clubs I just thought bringing horns and whistles with you was normal. The kids in the crowd tend to bring their own horns to my DJ sets now which is cool.”
Were you nervous the first time you presented your radio show?
“Just a bit.”
What is the best record ever made?
“‘Small Hours’ by John Martyn. It’s the most beautiful track I’ve ever heard and apparently it was recorded outside too which is inspirational.”
So Graphic Design was and probably still a big part of your life, POP Magazine and Saint Martins College Of Art And Design, major things to be part of, was it a hardship to choose between music and art?
“I see them as the same thing these days to be honest. I made my first few Kissy tracks purely so I could design the covers for them and put my San City High logo on top. Even when I imagine my self twenty years from now making experimental music I hope I’ll still be painting.”
What are the top 10 tunes in your box at the moment?
01. Kissy Sell Out – This Kiss (Jack Beats Remix)
02. Jape – Floating (D.I.M. Remix)
03. Varga Zsuzsa – Be Infected (Fine Cut Bodies Remix)
04. Si Begg – Better Living Through Distortion (Si Begg’s “Have I Gone Too Far?” Remix)
05. V V Brown – Leave (Style Of Eye Remix)
06. Rusko – Cockney Thug (Caspa Remix)
07. Hot Pink Delorean & Fantastadon – Party Favour
08. TC – Pornstar Feat. Hannah Collins
09. DJ Sneak & Herve – Droppin Kisses (Herve Mix)
10. Black Peter Group – Goody Two Shoes
What is the best club you’ve ever played at?
“It’s the vibe you get from the crowd that makes the night for me. I love playing out in Manchester, Lincoln, Southampton, Liverpool and Glasgow. Oversees playing the main room in Amnesia, Ibiza blew my mind a bit but DJing to 20,000 people at Field Day in Sydney Australia was ridiculous!”
“Thanks for the chat Dan!”
