"If I'm making beats or re-directing a song, it's about having something jump out and make me have one of those nice moments of enlightenment... That gut feeling you get when a song or a sample hits you."
We caught up with our Bay Area homie, King Most off the back of his latest release that is sure to cobra clutch all you 80's soul fans in boogie down ecstasy. Read on as we dissect this release and talk DJing, influences, re-direction and the Golden State scene.
Tell us about this release. Can we expect a similar vibe in the next four instalments of this series?
I rediscovered the song while at one of my favourite weekly parties called Sweater Funk. It's where a bunch of homies get together and play nothing but 80s soul vinyl. A winning combination of Anita's vocals over a loud system, the drinks I had prior, and recent break up led to the track you hear now.
The next four instalments are similar in vibe: signature 80's soul but definitely given a relevant slant for the dance floor. The third redirection also borders on "futuristic R&B" while #2 and #4 can be seen as sort of daytime disco numbers. Shout out to Jon Reyes for his synth magic and Different Fur Studios for the mastering and mixing.
This release is a great take on Anita Baker's 1986 record, Caught In A Rapture. How much of an influence has that era had on your style as a producer and DJ?
Without a doubt 80s music is definitely a large pool of inspiration for me. I'm a big fan of Nu Wave/Post Punk music and I'm always keeping my ears open for awesome drum machine samples I can use. Lastly, I'm obsessed with The Purple One AKA Prince.
It would be impossible for me not vibe out to certain 80s artists and movements because sonically and even artistically there's a definite lineage between that era and what is happening now in music.
You're also well known for your mashups or re-directions. What do you look for in a record before getting to work and producing a re-direction?
It really depends. If I'm making beats or re-directing a song it's about having something jump out and make me have one of those nice moments of enlightenment, that gut feeling you get when a song or a sample hits you. If it's not that, it is something a little more methodical as, "Oh, I have an accapella, let me see what it works with," or something utilitarian like making a track more DJ friendly for my sets.
Describe a King Most DJ set in 3 words.
No Requests Please.
You hold it down for the Bay Area, what does the San Francisco DJ & Music scene look like in 2014?
It's interesting for sure. Electronic music is really big in San Francisco and fortunately it's not just the weekend warrior Vegas style of dance music. Everything from deep house and techno to stuff you would hear on the sound system at a Low End Theory type of event. There's some great parties, venues, and artists who are keeping things very fresh and exciting too (way too many to name). Also, I can't forget the nearby cities of Oakland and San Jose. The former has had a recent upswing from an already great and beautiful legacy and the latter I feel has some very talented folks that might fall a little under people's radar i.e. The BVMO DJ Crew.