THE breakthrough artist of 2014. The wait is over. A new superstar is in the building
Interview by Dan Prince
Kyrre welcome to DMCWORLD…where in the world are you today?
“Hey Dan and thank you DMCWORLD! I am currently in Miami with my buddy Thomas Jack who joined me on my Endless Summer Tour. I have a break from performing at the moment so I’m making the most of being able to relax and enjoy the Miami vibes.”
Your tour rolls into Europe in a few weeks time…we are bracing ourselves!! I’ll be heading down to the London date at the superb Laundry venue…how does it feel to be taking on the UK in a few weeks?
“Oh it feels great! I am so excited to perform in the UK. I know that the British people are always up for a good time…and so am I. I am sure it will be a lot of fun!”
October 1st was quite a major day in your life. You hit 100 millions plays on SoundCloud…WOW!!! I trust you celebrated…?
“Haha yes! It was brilliant news. Soundcloud has played a major part in my career so far – enabling me to get my music out there to a large amount of listeners. I was doing a gig in Boulder – and that was a great way to celebrate. The energy there was absolutely insane!”
You headlined Las Vegas last week down at Brooklyn Bowl. To celebrate you threw a little competition where one winner and their friends received a free party with yourself in one of the cars of the largest Ferris Wheel in the world topping out over 500 feet. What happened man?
“Yes! I thought it was something a little different, and a fun idea. It was really cool actually. I played a set for the winner and their friends. The view was amazing. They seemed to have a great time. I mean, let’s be real, doing anything in Vegas is awesome!”
What are the 5 box tunes in your box this weekend?
- 1)Ben Sollee – ‘Letting Go’ (Thomas Jack Remix)
- 2)Londonbeat – ‘I’ve Been Thinking About You’ (Dilemmachine Remix)
- 3)Christina Perri – ‘Burning Gold’ (Autograf Remix)
- 4)Jabberwocky – ‘POLA’ (The Geek x VRV Remix)
- 5)Angus & Julia Stone – ‘Grizzly Bear’ (Synapson Remix)
A bitter sweet moment this month was you replacing the poorly Avicii at Tommorworld. What was your favourite moment of the event?
“It was a mind-blowing experience. A whole sea of people from all over the world, looking up at me, singing the songs back to me. That had to be the highlight for me.”
Okay let’s rewind for a moment. You hail from the rainy northern Norweigan city of Bergen where you took ten years of piano lessons before focusing on your compositions. What was the moment when you heard a form of electronic music and realized that it was actually similar to your own melodies?
“It’s no secret that Avicii was the reason I became determined to create my own electronic beats. His song “Seek Bromance” just blew me away. His melodies were so simple, yet so effective. I suddenly realized that I could be doing it too. He inspired me to get Logic Studio and a MIDI keyboard and create my own material.”
One of our favourite moments of Kygo 2014 was you jamming on the same piano that ‘Thriller’ was recorded on. Dude, you weren’t even born then! Which leads me to the question…who were the artists you were listening to growing up?
“Haha, no I wasn’t born then, but I am a huge MJ fan…his music will live on forever. Growing up, I was influenced a lot by what my parents were listening to. Perhaps that’s why I remix a range of songs from classics, to modern day music.”
Talking about your early days of listening to dance music you once said…” Suddenly, everything was about who had the most badass drop and I got really tired of that.” So what did you do next?
“Well, as I mentioned, Avicii’s style really inspired me to create simple, uplifting and lighthearted music. I thought that music was becoming quite repetitive – and I saw that there was definitely space for a lot more “melodic house”, so I just went for it!”
One of the big breaks of your career was when the guys at Ultra used your entry into the LE7ELS ‘Miami 82’ remix contest in the official promotional video. Quite a moment huh?
“Yes! It’s such a fun video with such a positive and happy vibe…and I think the songs ties it together perfectly.”
How did the whole learning to DJ process go? Was it easy?
“I think the producing part was relatively easy for me because I had the musical foundations. I spent a lot of time working on my remixes and getting the hang of the production software. I am still getting used to the DJing aspect of things, as it is all pretty new to me. I only touched a DJ controller for the first time last year, but I am definitely improving with all the performing I have been doing.”
A recent quote from a certain superstar DJ…“I believe true DJing is actually an art, but it’s a dying art, as everyone is pushing the sync button…it’s a real shame when you see a ‘DJ’ plug his laptop in and call this DJing. Music will always evolve but sometimes not in the best way.” What are your thoughts on that?
“The way I look at it is as a DJ, you are sharing your music with your fans. It gives you a chance to connect with the people who listen to your tunes in an interactive and special way. I can see where this quote is coming from – but at the same time, if people are enjoying your sets and you’re doing your best; I think there’s nothing wrong with it. The key here is that music is always evolving, and things will never remain the same. You’ve just got to go with it!”
What did your family think of your choice of career?
“They have been very supportive of me. They saw how much time, effort, and dedication I put into producing and backed me from then on!”
Back in August you asked your fans for some suggestions of who to collaborate with. Who was the most popular suggestion and who were some of the names that REALLY surprised you?
“A lot of people said I should work with Ellie Goulding. I think her voice is stunning and we could make a really lovely song together. I didn’t hear many surprising ones. People actually suggested artists that I would really like to work with myself.”
What has been your DJ gig of 2014?
“It has to be my TomorrowWorld mainstage set! Was the craziest experience of my whole life. Findings Festival was pretty mad as well; I get goosebumps every time I watch the videos!
A producer you would love to spend some studio time with?
“Hmmmm. Daft Punk!? One can dream right!”
Dance music has changed beyond all recognition in recent years due to the States finally cottoning on. What effect on your new music – if any – has this had?
“I don’t think it has had much effect on my music! I do what I do, and people seem to like it. I wouldn’t change my style for the sake of a trend.”
Not many people know this, but Bastian Salbart is really good at…
“The funky chicken!”
What is the record that…
…you wish you would have made?
“Levels'”
…always gets you dancing?
“Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.”
Tell us about your studio set up?
“It’s fairly basic! I always have my laptop with Logic Studio and my MIDI keyboard. In my home studio, I also have my piano that I’ve had since I was a kid.”
Who is the first person you play your new music to?
“I play my songs for my mother. She’s my biggest fan, but also my biggest critic!”
And finally…what is coming out next from you studio wise…?
“Well I am working on originals for my first album…but I will definitely continue to create remixes of songs that I love and think my fans would like too.”
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KYGO performs at The Laundry in London on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th December 2014. Tickets for these events have sold out. www.facebook.com/creampresents
Kygo link : https://www.facebook.com/kygoofficial
