We came across KTD on Soundcloud & have been very impressed with his sound & production style.
We asked him to give us an insight into himself & his productions.
Here is his exclusive Lazy Records interview!
Be sure to download a copy of his great EP “Your Mum Rang” – Link at the end of the article!
LR: Who are you & where do you come from?
I’m KTD (otherwise known as Keem). I’m from a small town called Shrewsbury, in the UK.
Nina Simone – Feelin Good (KTD Remix)
LR: Who would you consider your musical influences to be?
My influences are a pretty mixed bunch…but if I’m focusing on the main influences Chase & Status, Noisia, Pendulum, Chasing Shadows, Magnetic Man, Hadouken etc. In general I listen to lots of different styles of music…I guess that helps me to get some diverse sounding songs on the go.
LR: If you could work with one artist (past or present / alive or dead), who would it be (and why)?
The answer for the question could never be a definite one (there are far too many people I’d like to work with), but if I have to choose one its Hadouken. Their style Is very different, the last album they did was created with Noisia and it has a MASSIVE sound. So yeah for me it would be Hadouken….even if it was just a remix or something.
LR: What does your studio consist of?
My setup is real basic, I’m a fan of keeping things simple when technical equipment is concerned. I use a high performance PC (soon to be a MacBook Pro) rigged up to a 100 watt P.A system….its obviously not the conventional producers dream, but it works for me.
Planet Perfecto – Bullet in the Gun (KTD Remix)
LR: The production of your tracks is very high quality with good arrangements & harmonies. Have you had any formal music training or are you self-taught?
Thanks for the compliment! Before I started on computer production I had guitar lessons and taught myself to play drums and piano. This has helped me a lot with being able to think of melodies, and then recreate them exactly how I imagine them. I’ve also studied music performance and technology at college…..but if I was going to be truthful (and realistic), I would say youtube has been one of my best friends, as well as a great teacher. Going to lots of gigs helps as well…you can really discover what makes people tick when they listen to electronic music.
LR: Producers / DJs / Artists have it all easy, they sit around & make money for nothing, right? What’s the toughest part of being a producer?
Haha! I would never say it’s easy. For me the hardest part is being satisfied with the final result…..I usually make and structure a track within a matter of hours, but it takes weeks before I will actually put it up for download. I go a bit crazy listening back to it through different sound systems….its kind of like OCD, but towards music production.
KTD – Cavemen
LR: CD sales are declining, downloads & merchandising are on the way up. What is your plan of attack to move yourself forward?
Well I’ve only just got confirmation on my first label release (I can’t really say much about that right now), so I don’t think I’m at a stage where I’ve learnt enough to have a plan of action. I’m learning to DJ so that I can get more into practical promotion of my music, I guess that helps a bit. Live music is massive atm. If all else fails I’m sure some of my logos would make cool mousemats…..
LR: What can we expect from your new EP ‘Your Mum Rang’?
The EP is a few tracks to….well….show off what I can do. There are 5 original tracks and 2 bootlegs. They’re all quite different from each other, it’s like one big Dubstep and Drum n Bass mashup. I’ve put about 15 songs online one by one, so I thought it was time to produce something more solid.
Download the EP for FREE at the end of the post.
LR: You’ve decided to give it away for free, what’s with that?
I’ve been asked a few times why I put my tracks up for free download, so I’m glad I can explain. When I started producing it was like an experimental hobby, I just wanted to see if I could actually get the hang of it. My friend would listen to tracks and be like “you should put this stuff out there! Your tunes are BIG”. I put a track up and I got a few requests for more, since then it’s rapidly faded from being a hobby, to what and who I want to be. The EP for me is the final stage of where producing was my experimental hobby, after the EP there’s gonna be a few label releases. I’ll still try and throw in freebies every now and then though, I thinks it’s cool to give people something for being so loyal.
LR: Finally, where would you love to be in 3 years time?
I’d love to be doing live shows!! Like Pendulum and Chase & Status kinda shows! That would be mental. Maybe have an album or two under my belt, a nice studio in London wouldn’t hurt either!
Download a FREE copy of KTD’s EP “Your Mum Rang”. Type in your email address & a copy will instantly be in your inbox!
