Back by Dope demand. The big man from Sunset Park in Brooklyn live and direct…
Interview by Dan Prince
Let’s kick off with Ibiza where you have been living this summer. Man, our cousins from over the pond are back on top dude…
Hey were just doing what we do. But I really think it’s do to part of the experience we have. We have been playing around the world for years, we know how to get the party jumping. Experience makes a good party, period.
Have you enjoyed the summer on the white isle?
Ibiza has been bitter sweet for many reasons. It’s great because I brought my family over and have them with me. It’s great because I’m closer to all the other countries I need to be in during this high season and it’s great because my core group of friends are here as well. I always get to catch up and regroup while spending time here…it gets me prepared for the following year. On the other hand it’s had its challenges. We have 23 month old TRIPLETS, Mia Riley & Carl. When we first got here the place wasn’t childproof. We had bumps and bruises galore. My Mia even had a black eye. It was insane. It took a few weeks but we all adjusted finally. The other challenge is that although the other countries are closer the flights are constantly delayed.
The triplets – a real life changer huh…?
Definitely a life changer and the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. It’s a blessing in disguise for sure. We literally hit terrible 2’s as soon as we landed in Ibiza. Getting here alone should of been a reality show for sure….now I have to laugh out loud, but what a mission. Mia, Riley and Carl have def changed my life forever. As hard as this road has been with Tracy and I trying to run the business as well as take care of them I wouldn’t change it for anything. An amazing life changer.
Blue Marlin has been cool and you smashed the MAW gig at Carl’s night again. You gonna miss Space?
We did MAW at Space the last few years, And I’ve done Glitterbox this year several times. That room is always cool, I’ve done that room on different nights and it always goes off. I’m def going to miss the vibe in there. Space is a Ibiza staple, I will miss it for sure. Sad to see it go after all these years.
The studio doors at Dopewax have been flying open all summer, what have you got for us release wise over the next few months?
Wow….Dopewax has been on fire….we have over 30 releases in the vault some ready to be released and some I’m still working on. The last two years have been about working with other producers and putting out fresh stuff. I’ve been in the studio here 2-3 times a week and I’ve gotten a lot of stuff done. I don’t want to give anything away just yet, but I have new stuff coming from the artists I’ve worked with in the past to new unknown talent. There’s a lot of collaborations coming as well….the goal is to put out quality house music in all genres….House, Soulful House, Tech House, Techno, etc…..All I can say is follow Dopewax and see for yourself.
You never used to do interviews, you used to let the music do the talking. And then things changed and you started to see things you didn’t like and wanted to voice an opinion. What kinda things?
My team said do interviews, I need to be heard….so I do interviews. I did want the music to do the talking, but know a days “THE MUSIC” is a needle in a haystack. There are some 25,000 records released a week these days. An impossible task for a DJ to wade through them but also it is now so much harder for a young kid to break through. There is no filter, everything is just out and there are no mentors anymore willing to help the new crew. No digging for records, no going to a record store now you have YouTube or online digging, which is dope but you have to know what your looking for. I don’t know what the answer is, but I know now that I have to speak up and try and pass on any information of value onto the this generation of producers & DJs. We need to keep this going and I do have stuff to say after all. It’s simple…
1.I don’t like when people pass off music they didn’t do on their own as their own, things like that.
2.Now…on the production side you have companies that put out drum kits or drum sounds where as back in the days you had to make your sounds or blend sounds to create your own….so now a lot of the records that come out sound the same because everyones using the same stuff and can easily try and recreate someone else’s work.
3. I have a big problem with the OG’s not embracing the younger generation they forget we were that age once and forget that we also did records that were in different keys, we were just doing what we felt….there is a big separation. Everyone wants to grab headphones, a laptop, and download some music and be a DJ, but it’s more than that they need to learn the fundamentals of playing, learn the history of music, learn how to read crowds, and so much more if you want to make it as a DJ. Someone needs to teach, theres a lot that goes into this career if you want to be successful.
“Vinyl has much more dimensions and creates a whole image of what the artist is about.” Discuss.
Well vinyl in its original form has many dimensions but the way people are pressing today they mostly just sound digital on a piece of wax because of the process. Most people are mastering off of digital files and you could tell straight a way. All the Kay-Dee Records I put out are mastered from tape the way it’s been done from the 60’s/70’s all the way up to 2000’s so that’s where you get depth in the recording, the true sound and voice of the record. You also have something to hold, look at, read liner notes credits etc. And sometimes a cover can speak to you with out you even listening to the music. Any other way to me is just digital vinyl.
Your biggest track of the summer?
The Growler – Pig N Dan still a big one. For me no mater who the crowd, they get it and get into it.
Throw some new artists at us who you are loving in 2016?
Leon Vynehall, Anderson Paak,Caribou and my new crew out in SA . We got a slew of new producers coming real soon on Dopewax
I love your whole philosophy when it comes to your job. A love of music. You read a crowd and know instantly how to make them dance. You like to educate. Every day in the studio is an adventure. You are still learning. What are your goals you still want to achieve in your wonderful musical life?
Next steps…..I would like to do Soundtracks. Record more albums…House, Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, Funk whatever, but to continue to tell stories through the music..through a whole album. And own my own pressing plant…me and a bunch of my friends are going through a big struggle trying to press records today, it takes too long to get stuff and it’s impossible to run a business that way when one record takes 3-4 months to come in.
The last time someone stopped you someplace and told you one of your records had changed their life?
This past weekend – MAW featuring India “To be in Love”.
And finally, let’s check into Kenny personal. The last GREAT film you saw?
Hmmm I haven’t been to the movies in a long time or even had time to watch TV. Between travel, Music and Triplets the rest of the time is catching up on sleep. But we are into Game of Thrones, Ray Donavan & Power.
The last piece of music you cried at?
Actually a few week back I did a mix for my mix show that’s on Rinse FM and I played a Latin record by Ray Barretto. And it reminded my of my uncle he past while I was away a few years ago and raced home but he had wanted to get cremated so I never got to say goodbye or see him. He and my dad schooled me on a lot my dad on the Latin side and my uncle Hector on the Funk & Soul, Latin side. (I’m actually tearing up now on a plane back to Ibiza).
What famous person would you want to play you in your life story?
Ha never ever thought of that. I have to get back on that one. Something to ponder over…
An album you could listen to forever…
Bob James – One
Thank you Kenny. The dancefloor loves ya…
Peace and thank you for the interview Dan.
Dan Prince is Music Editor at Ushuaïa’s IUMAG, Ibiza’s No. 1 music and lifestyle magazine where this interview first appeared in the September 2016 Issue…
www.theushuaiamagazine.com
