Kemback is a talented House producer from Bristol UK, who has had releases on respected labels such as Futureboogie and Omena Records. Ever since we heard his track ‘Awaken’ we have been eager to connect with him.
We had a chance to chat with Kemback and ask him 10 questions on music production, his influences and the current state of House music. Here’s what he had to say:
Favourite DJ or Producer to watch/listen at the moment?
Has to be Floating Points, he’s on another level. His early releases on Eglo like Vacuum Boogie and the Shadows EP still sound great, but with his more recent stuff he’s managed to take his sound to a whole new level. He’s basically a jazz artist now. The word ‘genius’ is overused, but in his case it’s appropriate. I can’t wait to hear what he does next.
Biggest musical inspirations?
Buying records in my hometown of St Andrews from a little shop called Fence (now sadly closed) got me started on all kinds of music from off the beaten track. Hearing stuff on labels like Warp and Ninja really opened my ears to new possibilities. Then moving to Bristol and discovering the city’s incredible music scene was huge.
Thoughts and opinion on the current state/direction of the House genre?
I think House has maybe gotten a bit too big again. Most of the stuff that’s at the top of the current Beatport ‘House’ charts sounds more like EDM to me, and eventually the wider audience will turn away in search of something new. But under the surface there’s still loads of really great music being made, proper House music will never die.
What are your career aspirations? Where do you want to be in 10 years?
I don’t really plan stuff like that, as long as I’m making music then I’m happy. 10 years ago I’d just joined a band, spent most of my time playing the violin, and knew nothing about music production, so things can change a lot. As long as I keep discovering all the great music that’s out there and putting a little of it into my own stuff, I don’t really mind where that takes me.
Favourite childhood album?
Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue. I used to get absolutely lost in that album after a good ol’ blaze. Respect!
What inspired you to start making House music?
From going out raving and DJing, making tunes of my own was a logical next step.
What is the music culture like in your city? How does it compare to other cities you’ve been to?
Bristol is only a small city, but it punches well above its weight. Bands like Massive Attack and Reprazent give the place its heritage, but more recently the likes of Pinch and Peverelist played a huge role in the birth of Dubstep, and these days you have the likes of Kahn, Neek, and Bandulu absolutely smashing it in the Grime scene. I’ve spent time living in London, but the main difference in Bristol is that everyone knows everyone, and most folks usually look to help each other out where they can.
Can you speak to your aesthetics? The sound you make has a very distinct quality, how would you describe it?
I like chopping up samples, adding live synths and strings, and having lots of groove in my drums. Basically I love Jazz and Soul, and I tend to keep things pretty deep and mellow in my productions.
What kind of equipment do you use in your production? Favourite VST, synth, or plugins?
Right now I’m using Ableton Push, a little analogue summing mixer, and a Revox B77 Reel-To-Reel tape recorder. Inside the box, my current favourite is a little plugin called PSP MixSaturator to give elements in the mix some life. Special mention also goes to Diva, a soft-synth made by U-He. I use it in all my tracks, it’s the best attempt I’ve found at matching that real analogue sound. Oh and I play most of my strings live on the violin.
Favourite thing to eat for dinner?
Probably the hardest question. It really depends, but maybe Italian, and therefore maybe some sort of pasta. My recipe for pasta and tinned tomatoes is legendary.
Makes sure to follow Kemback on the following channels!
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kemback
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kemback