34. KID MACHINE EXCLUSIVE MINI MIX AND INTERVIEW

over the last few weeks, i've been speaking with kid machine about his current work, where he's headed and where he comes from. not only was i able to listen to his solid "Velours 77" EP, but he made an exclusive mini mix for me to share (at the bottom of this post). the mini mix takes you through a nice variation of tracks - house, electronica, funk. basically everything you're looking to do with the next half an hour of your time. kid machine also threw one of his remixes in there. be on the lookout for this guy!

the EP is an adventure through space and time. you can buy it online here for $4 (US). that's a big deal and totally worth it. i've included one of the tracks from his EP at the bottom of the post, check it out and then please support the artist!

here's our q & a-
slam: How long have you been making music and what got you started?

KM: I got my DJ break as a naive 19 year old on XMAS eve '99 (with a recovering broken leg, fuck it hurts carrying records boxes around like this) in Melbourne Australia. I played French filtered stuff and a bit of Trance. IT WAS '99! haha
I returned home to UK inspired by DJing I bought a PC and began to buy 100's of records from charity shops to sample the fuck out of. I became obsessive, and had my first vinyl EP out in 2001 on my own label Deluded Recordings. It was housey disco Filter stuff. You can still buy it online 'Maruko-NYC People' EP. Check it ;)
I was always in to Daft Punk, so they inspired me to produce. I left it for a while and became Kid Machine in 2007. Someone said I sounded like Kraftwerk, so the name Kid Machine derives from the track 'The Man Machine'.

slam: I ask all artists that I interview this question, and it's clearly a tough one- but I like hearing what they think: How would you describe your sound?

KM: Hmmmm. Well, Definitely Electronic. Definitely Nostalgic. Definitely Analog sounding. Definitely inspired... everything from Kraftwerk to Disco to Daft Punk to new wave to Italo to French Touch to House to Soundtrack scores . Definitely Dreamy. Definitely Spacey. Definitely Warm. Definitely Cool. Definitely ominous in places. Definitely always moving. Definitely Original. I hope.

slam: One of the reasons I'm into Velours 77 is because the three original tracks on the EP mix very nicely together - almost telling a story. When you listen to them in order, they take you for a ride. Was this intentional on your part and you can speak a little bit about the development of the EP?

KM: You're the only person who has 'got' this concept and mentioned it to me. I'm Impressed. It's a journey of influences and it just so happens it all happens in space. The track names give it a 'story' feeling, e.g 'Enter Exosphere' is like the start of the journey, 'Keepers of the Temple of the Sun' is maybe about having a laser sword fight battle with aliens as you travel unknown galaxy's, 'Velours 77' is a disco 77,000,000 miles away in deep space and is also the name of Kid Machine's Space craft.
The EP took about 6 months to develop. It was mainly written in the middle of cold,dark, clear starry nights over xmas / new year 2008. I was pretty obsessed with 'what was out there' at the time and I was given a book by my friend and label manager Mike TV from a Manchester band called Beats for Beginners. It was a 60's ex-library book explaining all about space, it had amazing words I could use for Title Tracks and illustrations and diagrams that inspired the music I was making. It only felt natural to steal and bastardise the imagery for the EP cover. I wrote about 9 or 10 tracks at the time, and decided to hold them back for an LP, so hopefully the EP is glimpse of light of what's to follow on the full album.

slam: I can hear a lot of similarities on your work to a lot of the stuff on Valerie (the Blog and the label). That smooth, french, 80s, electro, I'm in outerspace and it's great type of thing. I'm obviously a big fan of that stuff. Do you have any connections with them/ are you considering it?

KM: Wow, that's an amazing compliment. But, I discovered Valerie and it's artistes quite late on. My immediate reaction was, fuck, they sound like I do, but maybe better(?) I wish I lived in the same neighbourhood as these guys as kids. We'd have probably played around with DX7's, BMX's and Star Wars Figures. They are inspirational, but I can see where they have been influenced...most of the same places as I have. If they were to become interested in me becoming a 'friend of Valerie' then I would get my ass out to Nantes or wherever for a few beers and a studio session with them. The closest connection I have with Valerie is through Justin Faust, he remixed Velours '77, I THINK he has some connection with them anyway. I don't want people to think I emulate these guys, or even aspire to be like them. I just want to do my thing, and add a bit of Kid Machine to a typically claimed French sound.

slam: Your tracks seem like they would work well with some lyrics or vocal samples. Is that something you are considering for some of your future stuff?

KM: People seem to be split 50-50 on this with me. I personally used to think that my music was instrumental, but for the album and DEFINITELY the next EP, I'll have more vocal content. Vocals and song writing will come from Mike TV on next EP 'Pocket Universe', but I'd love to collab with someone like Doves, Interpol or more likely, a lesser known indie vocalist, I think that's where my sound will go next, more dark, indie influenced songs with my usual nostalgique synthy trimmings.

slam: You work with other artists to collaborate on other projects. Who are some of the artists you work with and what's different about the work you create when you work together?

KM: I have a collab track ready to go with Beats for Beginners. It's a clear split down the middle in terms of sounds. He has that kinda New Order thing going on, adding real bass, guitars and analogue synths, with some charity shop Yamaha toy keyboards plugged in to fx machines. Nothing has been released yet with any of the people I have collaborated with. Marc Remillard (an upcoming Canadian producer) and I have similar styles, but the track we did together takes a different spin when it comes to the final mix,he makes it more side-chained, pumping and French. Well French-Canadian.

slam: What's next for you? Any plans for an LP?

KM: I will get my head down and get busy with the next EP, so recording vocals to tracks that are already finished instrumentals. I aim to get an album out this year. I just listened to the tracks I worked on during 2009 that were meant for the LP, and decided not to put 'em out. So back to the drawing board.
I'm also waiting for the parts to a song called 'You Do Something' by label mates The 1,2,3,4's. I'll be having a go at a remix for that, but I guess it's all down to if they like it!
I'm just going to keep working, and If I'm successful, then cool, but if not, that's cool too. I never set out to become some kinda big name. I just enjoy making music that has all the influences from my first 30 years on planet earth.
This is only the VERY start of my music career and have been fortunate to meet a couple of great people in the music industry and great, fresh, talented people online with the likes of Myspace.

Kid Machine - Keepers Of The Temple Of The Sun

Kid Machine - Kid Machine Mini Mix Dec 2009
(bloggers feel free to repost, just let me know!)

34. KID MACHINE EXCLUSIVE MINI MIX AND INTERVIEW