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Dirtybird’s debut release from Kidd Mike continues to explore the dark and moody side of techno and house music. Thriving off a hypnotic vocal and rolling bass lines, ‘Boom Beat Heart Box harnesses the experimental nature ingrained in each Dirtybird release with its seductive low-end production. A father himself, Kidd Mike’s Dirtybird debut is a fitting hit on Claude VonStroke’s ‘Your Dad Plays Great Music’ Tour getting regular spins at each show across the US.
Regarding the track, Kidd Mike said, “I wanted to produce a record that would have dance floors chanting along as they’re hypnotized by this vocal while they bounce away to the rolling bassline that carries the groove.”
South African-born Kidd Mike started producing his upfront flavor of tech-house in 2009, when he first moved to the UK, immediately engrossed by the edgy sound of the underground house scene. With a few releases on some smaller labels based in Ibiza and Hungry under the alias Stealth Labs, he gave up production in 2013 to focus on being a dad. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Mike made the decision to pour himself back into his one passion, crafting a sound that is designed to make you smile and move.
Kidd Mike invites fans to join him on the dancefloor and stream ‘Boom Beat Heart Box
Can you tell us a bit about your experience? Where are you from and how did you get into music?
· I come from South Africa where the 90’s was all about big Warehouse raves, but instead of hardstyle bangers. I fell in love with the sound coming out of the Chicago house scene from artists like, Felix Da House Cat, DJ Sneak, Franky Knuckles and others. In 1997, Daft Punk dropped their album, Homework and that changed everything for me. I realized house music can sound a lot edgier and a lot grittier and I became obsessed with how they were able to get those sounds. I bought my first copy of CUBASE and the rest was history.
How is your sound evolving? What artists and genres do you enjoy mixing right now?
· I am a massive fan of the DIRTYBIRD family and have been for years. So Claude Von Stroke and the producers on the label have influenced my music in a big way. Box of Cats, This Ain’t Bristol are also labels that I can’t get enough of. I enjoy edgy house, Tech-house and Techno that makes you want to have a great time! Weather at a festival, in a club or around the BBQ with a beer and mates.
How do you feel your music influences or impacts its listeners?
· So if you’ve heard my current release on DIRTYBIRD “Boom Beat Heart Box”, you would hear that I want my music to leave a positive impression. The fact that this is one of my first releases in over a decade the team at DIRTYBIRD Records has picked it up, I hope will inspire other producers that sit for hundreds of hours making beats to continue doing so. Keep being creative, keep learning and keep pushing the envelope.
What projects are you working on right now? What can you tell us about your last job?
· I am busy producing, I love it, I can’t stop. I am busy finalizing a release on House of Hustle for September. But I am making more music that I would like to deliver through DIRTYBIRD.
· My Job… Well not quite as exciting as music production or playing out a festival, but I am good at it, and I love it. I am in telecoms for a corporate based in central London.
Has that sound changed much in recent years? What is your musical criteria in your latest work?
· Groove. Groove and Good vibes! I always aim for a clean production. I don't like leaving anything on the table. I like getting tight into my sounds and tweaking them until I squeeze them to, what I feel is, their best quality. I find the envelope of the norm and try to push it as far as I can, but that it still makes sense to the listener.
We all know that the digital revolution has affected sales, but do you think it has affected creativity?
· ABSOLUTELY YES! In the most positive way possible. Music is like water nowadays. It’s just a stream you open and it’s there - at your fingertips. So to stand out artists have to be always forward thinking, evolving and always pushing their creativity.
Can you tell us about your present and future projects?
· Like I said earlier, a few new releases are already in the pipeline. But I feel at home with the team at DIRTYBIRD and I want to produce music that they, as a label, will be proud to put out.
·I’ve been chatting to HOLT88 about a collaboration on a track together (his 2020 release “Brack Down” Blew my mind when I first played it.) So I am excited for that!
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