Copenhagen in da house! Huge new EP from Denmark’s finest
Interview by Stephen Flynn
Danish producer KANT is a man who’s on to a good thing right now. He’s already turned out a host of great releases, most notably for the likes of Suara, WellDone! and Katermukke. His latest sees him switch his attention to Hive Audio, where he recently unleashed the sumptuous sounds of the Dyster EP, which comes backed with a brilliant remix from label heads Animal Trainer. We caught up with the main man recently to find out more…
You’re based in Copenhagen, Denmark, right? What are the best (and worst?) things about the city right now?
“Copenhagen is a very beautiful and intimate city. People over here are usually very relaxed and friendly. The city really though comes to shine in the summertime as we have a lot of great outdoor events going on. The worst part of the country is definitely the long cold winters and the ridiculous high income taxes.”
Where are your favorite places to play when at home? Is the Danish scene generally on the up do you think?
“It’s slowly beginning to move in the right direction when it comes to quality deep house bookings but it still isn’t comparable to other European cities like Berlin or London. The best clubs would be Culture Box, KB18 (especially the “Beat Me” parties and the “Distortion Festival”, which is a huge street festival in the summer time.”
Is it too obsessed with ‘superstar’ DJs?
“Not really as most of the people don’t really head to the clubs for a specific DJ. The whole “DJ culture” is not so much established over here yet.”
Are you a full-time musician now? How long have you been doing that for?
“I’ve been doing music since my teenage years but since over a year now I’ve been able to flip it into a full-time job.”
Was going full-time a risk for you in a way?
“It’s always a risk trying to live of a creative endeavor but at some point you have to chance it. Fortunately, I also have a great booking agency with Jackmode who’ve done a really great job so far and sent me around the globe in the past year.”
How long have you been producing? Who influenced you to start?
“I’ve been producing since I was 14/15 years old. It all started with cracked Fruity Loops software and making hip hop beats in the basement of my parents.”
How would you best describe your sound? Does what you make change a lot?
“I think that’s always a difficult question as I really like to switch styles and don’t really focus on one specific sound. At the moment I’m more into the deep and techy sounds with less vocal input than the productions before.”
You’re well known for your remixes. What’s been your favorite remix of yours so far?
“At the moment I really prefer the remake for Ten Wall’s “Walking With Elephants””
How do you stay motivated musically? What’s influencing you a lot these days?
“Tough question, as it changes from day to day. I think a big part comes from the experiences you gain while touring and exploring the new cultures and meeting new people.”
What equipment do you use to make most of your music?
“It’s strictly software (Ableton) at the moment, but I’m playing with the thought of investing in a few hardware components in the near future.”
So can you tell us about the EP? How did it end up on HIVE Audio?
“I’ve always appreciated the great output from Hive Audio and I have the same booking agent as the Animal Trainer boys who run Hive Audio. We’ve also met a few times while touring and they instantly liked the two tracks I’ve sent them. It was really great and easy to work with the guys and I’m also loving their remix they did for the EP.”
Do you feel then house and techno scenes are in a good place right now?
“Absolutely! There is so much good music out there at the moment.”
Finally, what would you change about the scene if you could?
“Not a thing.”
https://soundcloud.com/kantmusic
KANT’S Dyster EP is out now on Hive Audio
