Festivals

Booka Shade | Eddy Temple Morris | Freeland | Krafty Kuts | Orbital | Sneaky Sound System

Krafty Kuts
You’re returning to Get Loaded in the Park for the second time in a row this summer. How was it for you last year?
One of the best gigs of last year for me without a doubt. The weather was perfect, the location spot on, the vibe electric and with Dynamite MC hyping the crowd the stage was set for an awesome show and it was absolutely crazee! Listened to a live recording on Kiss FM the next evening and it sent shivers down my spine such a fantastic day all-round!

Are you looking forward to part two this summer?
Most definitely I have some tasty treats up my sleeve and some special tunes made exclusively for this event.

Which other acts on the bill are you gonna check out?
Orbital, Crookers, Roni Size, as many artists as I can fit to be honest. I am going to make a day of it, as loads of my friends are coming down, so just hoping the weather holds out. Feature continues

How do you prepare for a festival performance such as Get Loaded?
Well, to start with a great intro just to let everybody know that you are gonna tear the roof off!! Loads of classic festival tunes all specially edited, revamped and re-licked for the occasion and read the crowd to let them know you’re here to have a good time.

Is there any difference to how you would prepare for a club gig?
Absolutely: at a festival you always have a shorter set time and also you're maybe playing in the afternoon: this can determine what tunes you play. Also a club vibe is more intimate and is a totally different vibe. In a club you can build it up much more slowly and change direction and play more underground tunes or new and unreleased tracks. Festivals are usually much bigger audiences so generally I play tunes people can relate to, as I like to vibe with the crowd. So a few classics are a must and some clever remixes always work a treat.

What equipment do you use for your DJ sets these days?
This is my exact set-up: three Pioneer CDJ MK3’s CD players, a Technics turntable and a Pioneer DJM 800 mixer please!

How big is your vinyl collection? Would you ever consider selling it?
Strangely enough I am in the process of sorting out all the unwanted promos and LPs I don’t now play, but all the tunes I spent years searching for are too precious to let go. I have about 5,000 records but when I had my record store about eight years ago it was much bigger. I sold so many tunes just to keep the shop going as it was always so hard to make money selling music.

You’re about to drop a new album, ‘An Evening with Krafty Kuts’. This sees a return to your love of old school, hip hop and all-round party sounds. What’s the idea behind the album?
The new LP is going to be collection of what makes me tick and what inspires me, so it will have little of all the genres that I love. Hip hop is a big part of my life and funk also is a massive influence when I write music. Electro has been floating my boat for a long time since it originated back in the 80s with Afrika Bambaataa, Hashim, Egyptian Lover: the list is endless. The LP is definitely my best work to date and has some great songs with new Krafty flavours, that I am just putting the finishing touches on. I love writing funky music and watching people’s reaction when they listen to it, and the feedback I get back is a wonderful feeling. This is what makes writing an LP so much fun.

What’s your favourite tune off the album?
I have a feeling it could be a tune called 'Back to the Old Skool' (working title): this oozes summertime goodness. I love it: lashings of Krafty funk!

Do you prefer mixing up the genres or a straight up breaks set?
Mixing it up, dropping a in a few curve balls here and there. I am always looking to surprise and captivate my audiences, especially at the big festivals.

Which new artists are exciting you right now?
There are so many at the moment breaking through; it’s very exciting times for dance music, but for me, La Roux, Proxy (Russian), Adsorb, Zariff, Sporty O – the list is pretty big. These are a few tasters.

Tell us the story behind your alias ‘Krafty Kuts’...
A few years back I started a breakdance club with a group of friends and we had some decks just to play music and work our routines out. One day I had a spin and tried to do some scratching and actually found that I was much better at this than busting my balls and bones breakdancing, so I practised, got better and better. One day while cutting and scratching away someone said: 'Hey, that was a bit crafty!' I thought that would make a good DJ name as I was searching for one, but Krafty was just not enough. Then the cutting and scratching came into mind, 'Krafty Kuts' was born aged 17 and the rest is history!

You’ve won many awards, including the ‘Best DJ’ award at Breakspoll three years in a row. That’s a nice thing, right?
Yes. I am very proud of my achievements and I think it makes all the hard work and determination worthwhile. Most of all I can look back and say yes I did achieve something with my life. I believe we are all gifted individuals it takes time to find out what we are best at. Like they say practice makes perfect and if you have the desire and drive to become the best at your chosen subject you can achieve many amazing things in life little or small with great rewards.

How’s the Finger Lickin’ family?
Still keeping busy and active one great big family with many talented artists we have all had many great parties and times together... Memories for life!!!

Australia has always been a home from home for you. What are the big gigs you play out there?
Field Day New Year's Day in the middle of Sydney with (25,000 people), Big Day Out Tour (30,000-plus), Parklife Tour, Breakfest Perth Amphitheatre, Summer Field Day Brisbane. Australia has so many wonderful festivals it is insane!

Would you ever consider moving out there?
Most definitely without a doubt: the weather, food, beaches and lifestyle are much more my way of life. As much as I love Brighton, and all my family and friends are close, I have a wonderful opportunity in Australia to try something new and fresh and also have so many great friends and work options there. I would be crazy not to make a go of it, but it would be the hardest decision of my life.

What makes a good festival for you?
The weather, a beautiful sunny day and a good DJ! Location: nice field in the middle of nowhere and an eclectic mix of music with camping, a friendly vibe: that’s all we need. Oh, and helpful and friendly security as well.

The best things in life are…?
My two wonderful children and beautiful girlfriend Katie Lou!

Who has been your biggest influence musically?
It is impossible to name one person, but electro, hip hop and funk are the main reasons I tick musically. Fatboy Slim from when I first started, as he has made so many great dance tunes that I just love. But Kurt Baggaley and Jon Ide introduced me to electro music back in the day and that is where my whole love affair for music began.

What’s on your iPod right now?
Actually listening to my 'All Back to Mine' compilation as it helps me reflect on all my musical inspirations over my life… love it !

Twitter. Bothered?
Not really. I am on there to keep up with what is happening around me but it’s not as much fun as Facebook!

What’s the craftiest thing you’ve ever done?
Get a business flight all the way to Australia for both my lady and me for free! Very very Krafty indeed and bloody lovely as well!