5 Things We Learned From Kaytranada’s Red Bull Music Academy Lecture
"Swing recognize swing"
As promised, Kaytranada's Red Bull Music Academy lecture went live this morning. And while it proved to be fertile ground for sharing new and old sounds that either influenced the young producer or were of his own making, it also offered a rare candid glimpse into his process, character and influences. For an hour and change, Kay played tracks from his laptop, spoke on his breakout album 99.9% and proclaimed his love for Madlib and J Dilla. We gathered some of the more compelling tidbits from the conversation into a comprehensive guide for your next hour of learning and listening. Read through Kaytrnada's keys down below and pick up your copy of his new album on iTunes today.
1.Twitter is a great way to connect with your dream collaborator
Kaytranada's career is as much indebted to his own brilliance as that of his creative kin. And 142-character-or-less correspondences seem to have been his main outlet for getting in touch with the guest stars of 99.9%.
2. Afro-House and Justice were major influences on 99.9%
The producer's earliest years were characterized by a passion for straight EDM. It wasn't until he discovered modern African music and French electronic pioneers, Justice, that he learned how to be gritty with the glitches.
3. Mumble raps and DJing were the precursor to Kaytra’s beat-making brilliance
Gibberish bars and fake scratches laid the foundation for Kay's distinctive palette for beat-making. And 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" was one of the first templates for him to hone those adolescent proclivities.
4. He still uses Fruity Loops for drum programming
While some of you scrape your brains for the hottest drum programming techniques, Kay keeps it simple. A newfound love for the Maschine hasn't kept him from going back to tried and true methods of sequencing the knock.
5. Everything changed after his remix of Janet Jackson’s “If”
Before he was king of the cloud, Kay's almost insta-classic remix of Janet Jackson's 1993 smash put him on the map and got him in touch with everyone from Madonna to Jackson herself.
6. The Madlib/Dilla connection is too real
Kay's never been shy about his reverence for Stones Throw geniuses, Madlib and J Dilla. The lecture reveals just how deep that adoration goes.
7. Brazil had Kay in a fit
While on tour, the Montreal music maven visited an appointment-only record shop in Brazil, where he spent roughly 10 hours digging through the crates for new grooves and sample fodder.
8. House music isn’t for white folks only
One of the overarching missions of Kay's career has been to dismantle the white producer's monopoly on house music. Here he only confirms it.
9. Carribean Zouk and Haitian Kompa fed a young Kay
Haling from Haiti, much of his family's connection to traditional and modern sounds helped form the genre-destroyer we know him as today.
