KAY TRA NA DA Montreal beat producer perked ears with his reworking of famous tracks, but now sets his sights beyond the remix.
With a sparse production style that synthesizes a mélange of funk, house, hip- hop, and electronica, Kaytranada has deftly tapped into the DNA of the groove. Nile Rodgers calls it “Deep Hidden Meaning.” Whatever it is, Kaytranada’s unique layering of syncopated drum rhythms and rump- shaking synth bass lines has hypnotized revelers on dance floors from Paris to Los Angeles.Yet, at one time, his biggest goal was simply occupying a slot in Canadian beat- scene collective Artbeat Montreal’s quarterly live showcase. With this goal in mind, he went from a novice eighth grader crafting beats on Virtual DJ to one of Canada’s most in-demand beatsmiths. While he’s been releasing original material in the form of beat tapes and EPs since 2010, recognition would come two years later when a slew of his SoundCloud remixes began echoing throughout the Internet.Following a tidal wave of posts,likes, tweets, and retweets of his reworks of Janet Jackson’s 1993 hit “If” and Teedra Moses’s 2004 single “Be Your Girl,” Kaytranada quickly became the vaunted prince of the international beat scene. Praise from the likes of beat-scene high priest Flying Lotus and offers to spin his brand-new funk at
various festivals and sold-out club dates in the U.S. came pouring in. Before long, London was calling. Last August, influential tastemaker and BBC Radio 1 host Benji B even invited him to sit in as a guest on his weekly radio show. The newfound attention has definitely yielded some preliminary rewards. In addition to producing tracks for buzzworthy Chicago MC Vic Mensa and the Mobb Deep reunion album, he’s also working on his new EP for XL Recordings. The EP’s focus? Traversing the curse of the remix. “I do the remixes for fun, but people think I’m just a remixer,” he says.“So the EP will have guest features and instrumentals.” Though Kaytranada has amassed an impressive following seemingly overnight, he’s well aware that he’s only just begun. And he’s more than willing to go the distance and jump every hurdle in his path. But at present, his only hurdle is trying to convince his manager, William Robillard Cole, of his latest purchase. “Yo, Kay! Are you buying all that?” asks Cole, looking disapprovingly at the pile of salvaged vinyl on the counter. Kaytranada grins and shrugs. “I might as well. It’s going to be a struggle, but I don’t care.” .
by Rico Washington photography by Martin Pariseau
“Damn! I said I wasn’t going to buy records!” Twenty-one-year-old wunderkind producer Kaytranada ponders the bins of New York City’s premier crate-digging spot A-1 Records with a mixture of excitement and hesitation. “I don’t have space in my bags,” he frets. But the gleam in his eyes says it’s obvious he’s not leaving without at least a few pieces of vinyl to satiate his digger’s appetite. On the heels of an international whirlwind tour over the past year, including three sets at this year’s SXSW festival, Haitian-born, Montreal-raised Kevin Celestin has been operating at breakneck speed. And after a late set at 88 Palace, an NYC dim sum dancerie, Kaytranada (formerly known as Kaytradamus) deserves at least a few dusty treats.
15
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting