Kreature talks reinvention, releases and remixes

Danny Raper's new label Kumasi launches next weekend, with parties in Leeds and London. Ahead of the launch weekend we hear from Kreature - the first artist to release on Kumasi.

Jayne Robinson

Date published: 30th Nov 2012

This is not your first incarnation is it; you’ve been making dance music before Kreature, right? What happened?
No it’s not, I've had other alias’ in the past, as with most people my taste in music has evolved and matured over the year’s and i think this has been evident in my production.

And why come back as Kreature, with this style of nu-disco? Where does it come from?
Kreature was a fresh start for me. I fell out of love with the music i was making before and it was only a matter of time before i started something new. I've never really been one fore genres and sub-genres, it’s all house to me. I just make and play the music I'm feeling at that time and hope everyone likes it too.

And are you enjoying things more this time round? Is it more fulfilling?
Definitely! I don’t think I'll be doing a new alias for a very long time now, I've never been happier. It’s safe to say that I'm in it for the long hall and I think that I have created something with much more room to progress and evolve.

When did you first come to dance music, and what was the final straw that led to packing it in during your electro days?
I started producing around five years ago and got my first real gig in 2008 off the back of my productions. I was lucky enough to tour for a few years but then the sound I was into got really stale for me and started to bring in the wrong crowds. I wasn’t even listening to the music I was playing, it just turned into a job... that’s when I knew it was time for change. I lost the love!

How much of an influence has Leeds been on you and your sound?
Leeds has most definitely been the biggest influence on me and my music - being around many like minded friends, DJs and producers, all bouncing off each other’s love for it. I’ve had so many great moments in this city, too many to mention. It’s one of the clubbing capitals of the UK in my opinion.

How did you hook up with Kumasi music? You’ve done the label’s first release… how was that?
I was asked by Danny to join Kumasi back in June. I was looking for an agent at the time and my good friend Matt Fear was already with Kumasi. Danny was doing a great job for Matt and it seemed like the right decision. Danny is really on the ball with everything that he does plus he has a lot of experience in the industry. When he asked me if I wanted to be the first release on the new label it was a no brain-er. We have a great family at Kumasi now and they have done allot for me over the past few months. I can't wait to see what the future brings.

You’ve done some big remixes too. Do you approach those differently than your own originals?
With my original tracks I already have an idea in mind when I sit down to make them. With remixes it’s a totally different story, I don’t like to listen to the original tracks too much, if not at all. I go through the parts and pick the ones I think I can use, then crack on. I think that’s why a lot of my remixes come out fairly different. I do enjoy a good remix though!

You’ve topped many Beatport charts recently – how does that make you feel? Is there more pressure next time you release to create something as loved as the last tune?
On top of the moon! There’s no better feeling than knowing people like your music enough to spend there hard earned cash on it. There’s always pressure, but it's a good thing for me… “pressure makes diamonds”.

Tell us about your shows? You use Traktor right? And edit on the fly? Explain that a little to us…
Yep, I've only recently turned to Traktor. There’s so many more possibilities with it. I started to DJ on vinyl when I was 15 and then moved to CDs. Now my setup consists of my laptop running Traktor, Kontrol X1, 2 CDJs or Technics and The new Kontrol F1 which I Love. It’s like having a stripped down Ableton to add things to your DJ sets. I don't think I will ever do a full “LIVE” set as I love the hands on feel of DJing and I never plan my sets, but this extra element brings something more to the table.

What else you got coming up/are you excited about?
I've got some wicked gigs coming up in the next few months, including the two Kumasi Parties in Leeds and London, a set in Copenhagen and a festival in Croatia. On the music front, My Kumasi EP drops on the 19th and my remix for Adam Banks drops just after that, which is gaining some big support. I’m giving the remixes a rest for a while and working on some more original music which will hopefully go on one of the larger labels… all exciting suff!