LAMP Weekly Mix #80 feat. Kings of the North
LAMP Weekly Mix #80 feat. Kings of the North
We were introduced to Kings of the North earlier this year when they hit us up to do a Guest Mix via Jacky and the awesome people at Silence Agency! One listen to their Hemisphere series or their recent THUMP mix and you'll understand our excitement in having the opportunity to feature them on our #weeklymix series.
Hemispheres: Nº 02The duo demonstrate an exceptional ability to blend all manner of tracks into something unique and guide the listener through existential journeys full of dynamic energy. Their one sheet reveals an impressive list of acts they've been able to support from James Murphy to Amtrac demonstrating a wealth and diversity of performance experience that clearly resonates in their mixes. MR PUZL was fortunate to get the opportunity to ask them a few questions and get their perspective on how the underground scene is developing in Toronto and London.MR PUZL: Tell us a little bit about your mix and the tracks you chose.Kings of the North: This mix was crafted with ready-‐for-‐the-‐weekend vibes in mind, that moment on a Friday where you’re ready to clock-‐out for some well-‐deserved time with friends. This is your weekend soundtrack, for daytime hangs or well into the night to keep the party moving and grooving. The tracks chosen are thumpers from some really great labels we’ve been into lately, especially some KOTN faves like Dirty Bird and This Ain’t Bristol.Techno has been at the forefront of our mixes lately, but we’ve also had a soft spot for tech house and bass house with a garage flare that sinks into your bones. Each track in this mix is meant to stand on its own and give you an experience. Together they take you on this journey through an enchanted forest with a white sand beach on the other side.MP: If Kristian Nairn showed up at your gig and asked to jump on the decks. What would you do?KOTN: Hey why not. Only if he spins in character and we get cameo appearances in GOT.MP: What is it like producing and collaborating long distance? What tools and methods do you use to make that work?KOTN: So far it’s been a great experience, artistically. We’ve grown quite a bit in a musical sense and our collaborative spirit is at an all-‐time high. With Galen being in London, the exposure to different vibes and music has really inspired us. I’m (Alex) always blown away by some of the tunes he’s sending me and putting together, and pushes me to think outside the box and discover new stuff.MP: London has obviously had a storied history with House music. What are some highlights in Toronto's past with the genre that have given it its own identity?KOTN: In our perspective, Toronto has a very rich electronic music history and although this can be tied to the proximity it has to legendary dance cities Chicago and Detroit, many people that were immersed in Toronto's dance culture would say it grew independently from those scenes. Being a little too young to have been a part of the formative years we have been told about amazing parties at different spots such as We'ave where Caribou first started DJing while he was doing his Mathematics degree at the University of Toronto. Other notable Toronto artists to come up through parties at We'ave are Peaches, Kenny Glasgow of Art Department as well as Christian from Azari & iii. Fast forward a little bit and you have the introduction of the super-‐club Guvernment and all of its dark corners where progressive house really began to grow in popularity and would eventually host many superstars including, arguably Toronto's most famous DJ progeny, Deadmau5. There is no doubt a great past when it comes to dance music in Toronto and this is only solidified by the current crop of producers and DJs living abroad or still in the '6'.MP: How do you see the scenes in both cities evolving? Are there any similarities in style between them that you were not aware of before?KOTN: Toronto is interesting and pretty vast scene-‐wise to be honest. There’s quite a bit going on with more focus on mainstream genres but we’ve definitely noticed a shift where underground house music has been breaking through. We'd like give notable shout outs our friends at All Blak Records and Silence Agency, as well as My Side Project, and Rare Beef for bringing these deeper sounds to the Toronto music scene. Some very talented producers making wicked tunes. It’s a marathon really, not a sprint, and its nice to see a consistent movement emerging. As for London, well this city is incredibly advanced when it comes to Electronic music. There are countless venues throwing top-‐level parties on any given night and all this is doing is pushing DJ's further and harder to find that next, new sound. Without even touching on all the different yet still very popular genres/scenes that exist in London like Garage, Breaks, Dub, Grime etc. you can on a weekly basis see the best DJ's in the world evolving their sound in what I think is undoubtedly the most important market for electronic music. Respectfully, Toronto just lacks the size to mimic or measure this depth. In the heart of Toronto there just simply isn't enough venues (with late licenses) to support and push scenes or certain sounds to break or tip. I (Galen) being in London but still being part of certain online music communities in Toronto can see that they aren't far behind at all as to where the interest lies and where underground music has been for the last year, which is of course, Techno. I am a huge fan of the bookings that the Electric Island parties have curated. MP: The visual accompaniment to your productions are awesome, and the overall KOTN brand is clearly well put together. Does the music usually dictate the graphic results or is it more of a happy medium?KOTN: Thank you. We’ve both always been interested in bringing a visual aspect to what we do with the music we love to showcase. The artwork is predominantly driven by the sound; they both go hand-‐in-‐hand… like peanut butter ‘n’ jelly! Artwork is important; it’s all about activating the senses, what you see and hear should work together to give you the full experience. MP: You have several different mixtapes running concurrently as well as your radio show. How do you go about selecting music for each one? Does each program have a basic underlying theme?KOTN: The fact that there are two of us makes it easier for sure. We’re always sending stuff back and forth, so there’s no shortage of tracks. The radio shows are more free-‐flowing, we tend to build those the day of. With our mixes, we do tend to go with an underlying theme. Our ‘Mondaze’ mixes are a little more of a relaxing and ethereal listen where as our new Hemispheres series focus on what each of us are personally playing at the moment.MP: KOTN has produced some cool remixes and edits. Do you anticipate some original releases in the near future?KOTN: We’re currently working on our first original and collaborating with a couple of great producers in Toronto and London. We’ll hopefully have something very soon, the concept is there and elements have been laid out, now we just have to finish it. We’re grateful to have been influenced by so many great artists and have been able to share these sounds through our mixtapes. It’s time to share the sound that we’ve been cultivating.MP: In your THUMP article you mention that "music posses transformative properties". How do you see that being applied in your live sets vs the mixes and radio shows you produce.KOTN: It’s about creating a subconscious experience that allows people to escape, and our goal is to deliver that promise. Music sparks emotion that can take you to another time or place where you've experienced that same feeling. Whether it’s a light bubbling vocal that takes your mind to the beach or a hard fill followed by a grimy bassline that puts you on the dancefloor with your eyes closed and booty shakin'. Our mixes definitely try to get these journeys of the mind to take place. If you happen to be on our dance floor though, we want you to stay right there with us, and maybe take a little trip as you lose your body somewhere in a beautiful break down.MP: Apart from the scheduled shows in both London and Toronto will you guys be traveling elsewhere to perform?KOTN: LA! Not officially, but we’d love to come hang and play some tunes there for sure. There are talks about planning some shows in Australia, and perhaps even a show or two in Shanghai, probably not until early 2016. So we’re stoked!MP: What else can we expect to see from KOTN as we head deeper into the second half of 2015?KOTN: Original tracks are our main goal, and of course, more dance provoking mixes and shows, hopefully together!
Tracklist
1. Loscil - Sturgeon Bank (Intro)2. Frederique & Rob Me - Down3. Format:B - Chunky4. Doorly - I Worked Hard For This5. James Blake - Limit to your Love (Billy Kenny & Mr. Rich Remix)6. Claude Von Stroke - Make A Cake (Original Mix)7. Shadow Child & Doorly - Climbin' (Piano Weapons) (Cut Snake Remix)8. Acaddemy - I've Been Waiting(Jason Burns Remix)9. Monday Morning - Be Cool (Original Mix)10. Wrong 'Uns - My Beat11. Green Velvet & Weiss - Forbidden Fruit (Original Mix)12. Worthy - I Get (Aaron Snapes Remix)13. Azari & III - Reckless (With Your Love) (Will Clarke Remix)14. Genghis Clan & Bot - Roff (Original Mix)15. Cuartero & wAFF - Break A Sweat (Patrick Topping Remix)16. Murk vs. Arthur Baker - Miami (Original Mix)17. Roisin Murphy - Evil Eyes (Catz 'n Dogz Remix)We highly recommend digging through some proper mixes on their Soundcloud if you want to get the full experience:Enjoy,LAMP