Taste Test: Charlie Kane

Taste Test: Charlie Kane

13 December, 2011 | 3.38AM

• Written by: Dan Cole
• Filed under: Music News: bleach feast, charlie kane, taste test

Since his first release on Bleach Feast Records, Charlie Kane has been gathering attention within the murky scene between nu-skool breaks, electro house and good old-fashioned rave music.

With his new remix out on Meat Katie’s Lot49, we caught up with the young whipper-snapper to find out more.

What was the first record you remember having as a child?

For as long as I can remember, my parents have always had a lot of records in various genres and styles, so listening to and playing different records has been a big part of my life for a good while now. The first album I ever remember buying was The Slim Shady LP by Eminem, witch still remains one of my favorites to this day.

Which style or genre of music was your first great love?

Reggae, hip-hop and UK grime were the sounds that first started inspiring me, so as you can imagine, when I discovered (UK) dubstep—what with it being a mix of everything I was into at the time—it was a real game-changer. From there I kept on finding new styles and have fallen in love with many along the way. I do, however, really believe that we should be looking past genres, and so much of what’s really innovative in music right now is about stepping across those boundaries and creating real fusions.

What was the first electronic-music event that you ever attended, and what did you think at the time?

London’s Fabric—at age 14. Blew my mind.

How did you end up getting a release on Lot49?

Being one of my favorite electronic dance music labels, I had been sending them demos for a while. So when I was asked if would like to do a remix for them, I jumped at the opportunity. I’d just like to take a second to really thank them for having faith in me, and I’m seriously buzzing. It’s a wicked release and I’ve always had such respect for Meat Katie, Dylan Rhymes and everything the label represents, so to be on the label remixing Meat Katie is pretty damn epic.

There’s a lot nu-skool breaks sounds in your music; was this a big influence for you?

I have always been a big fan of the nu-skool breaks sound, but when I produce I try to take influences from across the board and put my own twist on them.

What labels would you love to be associated with?

LOT 49 and U&A Recordings are the labels I most wanted to be a part of, along with Funkatech, Black Butter and Broken Robot. As far as I’m concerned, those labels and the producers releasing on them are at the top of the game at the moment. I’m sure I’m forgetting some other class labels and producers - but those five are where I’m at currently.

What was the last record (or MP3) you bought?

Porter Robinson – “100% In The Bitch” (Owsla).

What format do you DJ with – vinyl, CD, Traktor/Serato, Ableton, etc…?

At the moment I use Traktor - but the plan is to have a live set ready for next year.

What’s the last gig/party you attended where you weren’t also performing?

A friend’s birthday party a few weeks back. 

Name your three favorite tracks at the moment:

That’s quite a difficult question—there are so many!

NEUS – “Wasted” [Zimbalam]

Black Spark – “Give It Up Now” [Surfer Rosa]

Cold Blank & Neon Stereo – “Fire” (unreleased)

Cold Blank, Neon Stereo: Fire - Original Mix (Lofi Preview) by Cold Blank

Which track (by another musician) do you wish that you had made?

Hedflux – “Non Stop” [Breakin Even]

Favorite piece of gear:

Got to be my monitors - KRK VXT 6.

Preferred headphones:

Tough one - my headphones are pretty ropey, but I’d love to get the KRK KNS 8400.

Favorite city/country/club to perform in?

Marseille - it’s just down the road from where I live, and there’s always an electric atmosphere.

Which actor would you want to play you in the biopic of your life?

Erm, not something I’ve given all that much thought to, to be honest. I think I’d prefer someone unknown than a star—always love the realism of an actor that ties straight into a role without the baggage of a load of other films.

Strangest thing you’ve ever eaten while on tour:

My headphones adaptor.

Strangest thing a fan has ever given you:

A note offering me to come and live with the guy who left it on top of the mixer. It specified that he was a good cook and not at all weird. Despite how tempting the offer sounded, I roached the note shortly afterwards. Luckily it was on pretty solid card.

Weirdest rumor you’ve ever heard about yourself:

That I’m really a girl called Charlotte.

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