Coachella is the pinnacle of festival culture for fans and artists alike. To play at such an event is an honor. This year, tastemaker Kyle Watson performed not one weekend but two in the Yuma tent, which boasts sets by the most relevant names within house and techno.



“The production is ridiculous,” he says of the tent. “The artists that you’re playing around…of course, it’s world-class.”



Over the last several years, Watson’s music has stood tall as a shining example of how one can push house music to its absolute limit. And after successful tours in The States, there was no doubt he could hold his own with the high-level talent Yuma is known for. When he got the call to play, he was elated, yet unsure how many people would be there for his early 2 pm Friday timeslot.



He says he tried to gauge how many people would attend based on pictures and video from previous years—it could be packed or bring as little as 150 festival goers. He B-lined to the stage before the festival opened and taking in its immense size, was worried how it would ever look full so early in the day. He returned ten minutes before he hit the decks while Chris Stussy played to around 4,000 people, making him believe it would be an “insane” performance. Even more attendees packed in while he spun, capping the tent at 6,000 people.



“I finished my set,” he tells Gray Area, “and my manager came up to me, and he was like, ‘Dude, they closed the doors. They had to close the doors!’ I was like, ‘This is ridiculous.’ I mean, I mean knew it was going to be good; I didn’t think I was going to be that good. It was incredible. What an experience, and to do it twice and have the same result was just mind-blowing.”



Watson was initially booked to play at the famous festival in 2020, but the rug was pulled out from underneath him, like many producers, due to COVID. He was finally able to grace the stage in 2022, allowing him to showcase his music to thousands of attendees, resulting in a massive bump in streams on his music. This, though, was a nerve-wracking experience for him.

“Before you go on, you’ve obviously got a little bit of nerves,” he says. “So it’s hard to take in the fact that this is happening. ... But [there was] one point in the middle of the set where I just took a pause. I just looked out at everyone. I was like, ‘Damn, I actually cannot believe that I’m playing a set right now at this festival and there’s this many people in front of me.’ That’s absolutely mind-blowing and an amazing opportunity. It’s such a big box to tick for me.”


Kyle Watson Makes His Coachella Debut and Caps Out the Yuma Tent

Artists evolve. Their music represents the different phases that they go through. They push new boundaries over time. This is the definition of true for Kyle Watson.



The sound designer started releasing music in 2007, when fidget house music was rising. The music at that time was wonky and weird in the best way, something audiophiles hadn’t heard. This was best championed by Chicago’s Potty Mouth Records, an inspiration for Watson’s early records.

His work pays homage to these groundbreaking sounds while keeping in step with today’s trends and tempos in house music, allowing him to create a fusion of electronic dance, deep house, and techno. And while he told Gray Area that fidget’s interestingly weird sounds, asymmetrical sampling, and ropey production were the catalyst for his work as a producer, when he listens to some of that early beats, he admits that they are “really not that good.” This is a common retort from artists whose first productions were just a sign of the time.



He had hit-or-miss records at the beginning of his profession, proving to be a difficult start to his currently illustrious career. He notes that music production has gotten easier with time, especially in dance music. The evolutions in production value allow current tunes to be more polished and neater, making him feel more comfortable incorporating those early influences. Indeed, his past inspirations and ability to boldly take on new techniques are why he’s such a deft purveyor of heavy house heaters.



“When you think about how [my] music got to where it is today, [my] starting point was the busyness and the weirdness and the wobbliness,” he says. “The interesting sort of different approach to drums as opposed to straight-up samples and the mangling of things and the feel and lo-fi of everything. I think those have stayed as central drivers for me and my production. Those are still elements that I try and keep [in my] music today.”



The Origin of Kyle Watson’s Wonderfully Weird Slant on House Music

With house music, there is a sense of euphoria, one that is distinct to each person. One that is difficult to describe. It only needs elated sounds beating through subwoofers. As long as it has you dancing, it needs no context. South African DJ and producer Kyle Watson’s newest label, No Context Records, reflects this feeling.




The imprint kicked off on March 30 with the house music tastemaker dropping “Kick Drums.” The track boasts bouncy basslines, powerful kicks, ominous synths, and a warped sample of Watson’s voice. No Context marks the second label by the artist, with his first being Box of Cats. However, where a collective of veteran artists curate the sidewinding sound of Box Of Cats, No Context is reflexive of Watson’s singular fusion of electronic dance, deep house, and techno.

“Starting a record label that’s a little bit more tailored to sort of my tastes as an artist is something that I’ve been meaning to do for a while,” he told Gray Area in a recent Artist Spotlight. He says his social media feeds have long been filled with fans and fellow DJs encouraging him to start his own label. “So I posted up a clip of ‘Kick Drums,’ which was the first release, I think it was back in back in October [of] last year. I was like, ‘Maybe I should find a home for this record.’ So many people came in and were like, ‘Just self-release it. Self-release it. Start a record label.’ That was almost the catalyst to get it kicked off the ground.”




The imprint is a family business run with his wife, Tash. Watson notes that he is “not very good at the organization side of things,” and he tends to be “very good at being a procrastinator.” However, his wife is “super efficient. She gets stuff done, [and] she keeps on top of everything.” The duo, he says, walk through the process of releasing records together, making it enjoyable for them to work as a team.




“We’re looking forward to where it’s going to go, what it’s going to grow into,” he says.




Working with his wife is a special experience as she’s witnessed the evolution of his musical path, even being the catalyst for his first release. Initially, he didn’t see making music as a career, but he played a track for his wife and her DJ brother, who had a connection with a record label. The imprint was impressed by the song and put out Watson’s first tune.




“She’s one of the reasons why I’m in this position today, to be honest,” he says.




Indeed, Watson’s career has since flourished, and his No Context imprint proves to show the progression of his profession—one that has led him to boast an impressive resume to date and allows him to release tracks that define his sound.



Kyle Watson and His Wife Launch No Context Records, A Label that Stays True to His Sound





Kyle Watson has captivated the dancefloor for the last decade with wonky, slippery, soulful, bass-forward house music. He’s expressed a unique ability to seamlessly blend playful party starters with dark, sometimes emotional, house music with slick sound design and rich soul-swallowing basslines.


Watson’s music goes beyond trend-setting, existing in a world of its own. It’s why artists like Chris Lake, Diplo, and Gorgon City turn to him when they want something that gives dancefloors those blissful WTF moments. It’s also contributed to the success of Box Of Cats, the label he co-founded with a cast of fellow fidget house castaways, Marc Spence, Wongo, Jeff Doubleu, Jak Z, and Tom EQ. Collectively, they’ve curated a catalog of wonderfully left-of-center music, tossing aside paint-by-numbers tech house in favor of weird and wonky beats from artists like The Sponges, Basura Boyz, and Sacha Robotti, who also ascribe to the idea that they should create their own lane.




In 2022 he wrapped a year of landmark gigs that included CRSSD and a Brooklyn Mirage debut with his My Machines tour. He reimagined the most compelling pieces of his 15-year catalog into a unique audio-visual experience. Beyond curating extended sets that solely featured his music, he also created the visuals—Watson’s former day job was in video and motion graphics.




Watson sees 2023 as a year of change and upward trajectory. In March, he dropped “Kick Drums.” The stuttering club heater is the first track for his newly-minted label, No Context. And in April, he checked an item off his DJ bucket list with his Coachella debut.

We chatted with Watson over a video call about the foundations of his groundbreaking sound, how his wife helped solidify his music career, and what he hopes to achieve with his new label.




Looking back at your catalog, I saw releases on old fidget house labels like Potty Mouth. You’ve had a prolific output of music the entire time you’ve been doing this. How long did it take you to land on this distinct sound that you have?




It’s crazy that you bring up Potty Mouth and that whole era because when I talk to people now, that doesn’t even come up. I started releasing music around 2007. And at the time, fidget house was coming up. People were making music that was so weird. [I thought] “I want to make music like this.”




That was where everything started for me. When you think about how the music got to where it is today, your starting point was the busyness and the weirdness, and the wobbliness. And the interesting approach to drums as opposed to straight-up samples. And the mangling of things, changing the feel and Lo-Fi of everything. I think those have stayed as central drivers for me and my production. Those are still elements that I try and keep in the music today.







I want to go back even further to talk about your dad, who was in the music industry and was the one that got you into production. What did your dad do in the music industry?







He did everything. He started out playing in a band when he was at school and went through university, and then he did a few musical projects—public performance stuff. And then, he started a record label, he started a publishing company, opened up recording studios. That was what he did for most of my life. So the introduction to music production software just came from him. He went to go and meet with one of his contacts [at a] music store, and he was like, “Hey, Kyle’s been playing piano for a while. Maybe, you’ve got something that he can mess around with.” And it was like a piece of software that was pre-made loops. I made records with that software for years. It just never got boring.










Your dad seems like he served as a mentor to you as well.




Yeah, he still is. His arc, being in the industry, starting in a band, and then going and opening up a successful recording studio and running a successful record label and everything. It’s kind of crazy because here I am. Starting out playing the piano, going into music production, two months ago starting a record label with my wife. You know, it’s a very similar kind of arc.







Since you mentioned the record label, you already have Box of Cats, which is this landmark, really fun, and groundbreaking label. What are you doing differently with No Context? Why did you decide to start something that’s a little bit more Kyle Watson?







That’s a good question. Box of Cats initially started as this crazy combination of six dudes’ musical tastes. We’re not finding the music that we all like [with] the influences from back in the day. We were talking about Potty Mouth. We all came from that era. So we decided to do a free record label that was never intended to [have] an income model. It just grew, picked up, people started really enjoying it. And that’s when we took it on to Beatport and started doing merch and stuff. But that was very much multiple people involved, multiple tastes.




Starting a record label that’s a little bit more tailored to my tastes as an artist is something that I’ve been meaning to do for a while. I posted up a clip of “Kick Drums” (which was the first release) back in October. I was like. “maybe I should find a home for this record.” And so many people came in and [said] self-release it. That was almost like the catalyst to get it kicked off the ground. It’s great because I run it with my wife. I’m not very good at the organizational side of things. I’m very good at being a procrastinator, and she is the opposite. She’s super efficient. She gets stuff done. She keeps on top of everything. So it’s quite nice that we’re a team in this venture.







You’re also at the point in your career where you can do this, and it can be effective. But also, you get to work with your wife, who I know has seen you through the entire evolution of your musical path.







She’s one of the reasons why I’m in this position today, to be honest. This is a very difficult career. For the people around you, it’s not easy when you’re touring, and you’re away, you’ve missed things, you’re not always available, in different time zones. It’s very taxing on people and on relationships in general.




In 2006, I met Tash, my wife, for the first time. I was just playing around with music at the time. I never had any end goal of being a DJ, or being a music producer. I knew I enjoyed writing music. I played her some of my music, and her brother was a DJ at the time in South Africa. He had a connection to two guys who had a record label there. And my first releases came from that. And it all just built up from there. So right from the beginning of my career, she’s been there. [She’s] core to everything.





So did she go with you to Coachella?




Of course, she did. No way she was gonna miss that.







Yuma has the most relevant people in house and techno. So how was it to not just play there but also play early and have a full tent?




We really walked in there not knowing if it was going to be amazing or if it was gonna be like, you know, 150 people. It was ridiculous. We went in the first weekend before the doors were open [and] we saw it completely empty, lights on and everything. And we were like, damn, this is a big room. You need a lot of people in a 2 pm set on a Friday to make this feel nice and beefy. Went into the room 10 minutes before my set started, and I think there were probably like 4000 people in there already. Chris Stussy was playing. I think within 15 minutes or so, they [were] closing the doors because they got all 6000 people in the tent, and they couldn’t get any more in. I mean, I knew it was gonna be good. I didn’t think I was gonna be that good. What an experience! And to do it twice and have the same result was just mind-blowing.







So, last year, you went on your My Machines Tour. The tour was a full circle moment for you because you brought together a 15-year library of music and something else that you do, which is motion animation. How did you get into that? And what was it like to bring those two things together for the tour?







I actually studied that at university. So I’ve got a degree in that. And up until July 2021, I had a job doing that. It really helps, for me, because I’m able to make my own show visuals. We had someone come on to design the actual elements. I turned the elements into those visuals that we played on the tour.




When I lived in South Africa, my home club that I played is called Truth. We did the first My Machines there. And it was really cool. You know, it was the town I’d grown up in and played in for ten years. So, a lot of the music people knew, even if it came out in 2010.




[In The States] It was different because I was bringing this to a country where [I] only started touring in 2018. Maybe a lot of people didn’t know the music before then. So it’s risky to dig into your catalog and play something from 2013. Without the context of it, it sounds really weird, right? So I ended up doing a bunch of edits and flips. It was really fun to play those shows and watch people react in ways I didn’t think they would, to tracks I thought they maybe wouldn’t have even known.




You were at kind of an advantage to do it after the pandemic too. Because you have a bunch of new ravers that just discovered dance music, who had never been anywhere before, so they’re all coming out. Crowds are just more willing for DJs to take risks and play those weird records.







I was having this discussion with someone just earlier this morning. I think you can get away with a lot more now: different tempos, different genres. If I look at some of the biggest acts that are playing now on my Instagram, they’ll be playing vocal tech house, and then all of a sudden, the next slide, they’re playing dubstep. And then flip through, like slide six, there’s a drum and bass track. And then in between, it’s like, all tech house. I think people are just going off for it all. So I think that that’s hyper-exciting. There’s nothing better than taking a risk in front of a crowd and everyone being up for that experience.

































[Interview] Kyle Watson on Making Music the Family Business, Coachella, and Crafting His Sound

Since his debut in 2007, DJ and producer Kyle Watson has been a force to be reckoned with in the global house music scene. With an ever-evolving sound and a commitment to staying true to his creative roots, Watson just captivated audiences at Coachella 2023 with a performance that showcased his unique blend of electronica, pop, funk, and more.





In a recent interview, Watson discussed the challenges and rewards of performing at a massive festival like Coachella, and how his approach to creating music has evolved over time. Recognizing that festivalgoers may not be familiar with his work, Watson is dedicated to crafting a set that keeps the energy up and appeals to a broader audience. Despite the grand scale of Coachella, he remains committed to improvising and adapting his performance based on the crowd's energy.



Watson's relentless experimentation has led to a shift in his creative process, moving away from established formulas and exploring new sources of inspiration. Tracks like 2020's "Major Games" and 2021's "Magic Carpet" exemplify this approach, as he plays with unconventional sounds and blends genres in unexpected ways. Watson believes this evolution has been essential to keeping his music fresh and engaging.



In the world of streaming and instant gratification, Watson acknowledges that the way people consume music has changed. While he has released one album, three EPs, and over 30 singles, he recognizes that singles are currently the focus for many listeners. However, he remains intrigued by the resurgence of albums among some producers and is curious to see how this trend will evolve in the post-COVID era.



For Watson, being invited to perform at a prestigious event like Coachella serves as a reassuring reminder that he is on the right path. As a creative, self-doubt can be a constant companion, but opportunities like this help remind him of the power and impact of his music. At the end of the day, Watson is happiest when he's making beats, and the chance to share his creations with the world is a priceless bonus.



With a dedication to innovation and a passion for connecting with his audience, and as he continues to push boundaries and redefine the DJ dance formula, Kyle Watson will continue to rise in the global house music scene.




Kyle Watson: Crafting a Unique Festival Experience Through Innovation and Adaptation

Identifying that extra special something which makes an artist great is often difficult. However, South African music producer and DJ Kyle Watson is letting the cat out of the bag regarding how he selects artists for his renowned Box of Cats imprint.




Kyle first came on the scene in the early 2010s. This period of his career was marked by experimentation, creating music very different from what we recognize as his sound today. “There was a lot of hit-and-miss during that period, which happens with all artists, but yes, around 2013 or 2014, something clicked, and I started to understand myself creatively,” he explains in an Artist Spotlight with Grey Area.



It was also around this time—and potentially influenced by finally finding his sound—that Kyle co-founded the Box of Cats imprint alongside Wongo, Jeff Doubleu, Jak Z, Tom EQ, and Marc Spence. All from the same 2009-2011 era of house music, they were united in their search for artists who diverged from the mainstream. “I think it may have been Tom that came up with the name,” says Kyle when chatting to EDM Maniac. “You know when you go “boots and cats and boots and cats,” *laughs* That’s how ‘Box of Cats’ came about.”

In a similarly organic way to its name, the label evolved naturally from a Facebook message group (not over a warm glass of milk and a bowl of dry biscuits as their bio suggests) and due to a multitude of factors, including COVID-19 restrictions, as of 2022 the collective still hadn’t met all in person. However, this lack of physical cohesion has done nothing to dull the label’s progress. “It’s grown into such a strong brand,” says Kyle. “It’s a great platform to push artists who are doing things a little differently but still have the potential to connect with a large audience.”




It seems their bio does get one thing right, however. Echoing Kyle’s words above, it states the label exists to support house music, but not just any old house music. “The idea was to create a magical record label that would serve as a home for the weirder offshoots of traditional house music – the cheeky, bass-heavy, rolling, glitchy, buzzy and wacky house music.”




This search for the weird and wonderful has meant that the label isn’t restrictive regarding genre. “All our releases have to have in common is that they push the envelope one way or another,” explains Kyle. “They don’t necessarily follow the formulas that the Top 10 are following. They’re a bit different, but each of them has some sort of secret sauce that makes it work really nicely on a dance floor. It’s really hard to quantify it, but yes, we specialize in things that are a little bit different.”

This ethos is evident across the board.


From releasing the ultra-funky house hit “Space Funk ’75” from The Sponges to the summer grooves of “Freakin Tight” by Sacha Robotti and LA-based JTJ, the cohesion on this label lies in the eclectic. The label has been adept at catching talent well before they blow up with further releases from the likes of  Westend, VNSSA, J. Worra, Lucati, and Dillon Nathaniel. 




In keeping with the feline theme, the label has also launched the Nine Lives Club, a subscription-based service that aims to battle artists’ poor streaming revenues by directing subscription profits to them.




While it might not be overly clear what it takes to be taken on by Box of Cats, with its artist-first ethos and meteoric rise in popularity, it’s a label any artist would want to be a part of.















Kyle Watson Reveals the Secret Sauce Behind his Label Box Of Cats

There’s no shortage of great South African house music DJs. From Black Coffee to Shimza, the southernmost country of the African continent overflows the sound of house, particularly when it comes to amapiano. But why, when so many countries have relegated their house heyday, is this the case?




According to legendary electronic music artist Oskido, this is due to its political roots. When liberation came for the country in 1994, township taverns swiveled from playing protest music to platforming house music from Chicago. Vocals were then layered on top of this, which spoke to the challenges of a new life for South Africans. It then spread across the country, becoming known as Kwaito, evolving as it moved to take on multiple forms, such as bass-heavy gqom in the seaside area of Durban.




Fast-forward 20 years, and the movement is still going strong. One artist to recently emerge: Kyle Watson. Now an industry trendsetter, he didn’t quite fit in when he was coming up. While he loved playing gigs in the South African house scene, his particular brand of tech-house was divergent from the deep house and Afrohouse that was, and still is, en vogue.




This was potentially due to his range of influences. From a young age, Watson took piano lessons and studied music at school. It wasn’t until his father came home with some music production software and he started messing around with 4/4 house loops that he became obsessed with the genre. However, this didn’t stop him from listening to other music. “I listened to a lot of music from the UK and the US, like metal, drum and bass, and electronica,” explains Kyle tells Grey Area. “All of those genres, I think, have contributed to my sound in some way.”




When it came to properly pinning down his sound, Kyle took inspiration from overseas producers, particularly those in the UK. From 2007-2012 Kyle experimented, creating a lot of music he would describe as “hit-and-miss.”




However, by 2013 Watson started to understand himself creatively, and in 2014 he made it onto the Seven Days of Dirtybird compilation with his solo single “The Clock.”




“It was a massive boost to my confidence,” he explains. “Especially as there was no previous relationship. I sent them a demo, and thankfully they liked it. It was an important moment in my career because it helped introduce my music to the US market.”




Since then, he’s moved from strength to strength, his 2018 album Into the Morning awarding him further acclaim while his dance-heavy releases like “Dominoes” on Gorgon City’s REALM Records and “Let’s Go Dancing” with Mindchatter securing his spot in house music’s hall of fame.




Even though he’s moved to the UK, there’s no doubt that Kyle will be looked at in history as part of the reason that South Africa’s house scene is so remarkable and so enduring.









How Kyle Watson Became Part of a Lineage of Incredible House Music Artists

Kyle Watson grew up in a musical family with lofty aspirations and abundant talent. While the Johannesburg-born South African DJ and producer has been making waves with his hypnotic basslines and infectious hooks for well over a decade, it was his 2018 debut album, Into The Morning, that catapulted his talent to the international stage. Since then, Watson has released a flurry of certified floor-fillers and taken his extensive catalog on the road garnering global clout within the house music scene.


His releases run deep and reside on a number of high-profile labels, including Dirtybird, Higher Ground, Ultra, and Spinnin’ Deep. Not only is Watson a highly talented musical threat, but he also has a background in motion graphic design, which elevates the captivating nature of his live show every time he steps on stage.


Most recently, Watson packed out Coachella’s legendary Yuma Tent to capacity for an electric performance that had been in the works since the festival’s 2020 iteration faced a pandemic cancelation. With a 2023 season littered with milestones, we decided to look back at his catalog to showcase five essential tunes that all house music fans should have in rotation.




1. Kyle Watson, MAY BBY - Magic Carpet

Tech house with a healthy dose of boisterous attitude; an undeniable gritty groove permeates the accessible vocals of “Magic Carpet.” Within the track’s opening cords, MAY BBY’s enchanting vocals echo the house war cry, “Feel the bass in my heart, like,” and within seconds, the crawling bassline grabs hold and never lets go. With over twelve million streams on Spotify, it’s safe to say “Magic Carpet” is essential for all dance music lovers who enjoy the vibes of dark-packed clubs.




2. Kyle Watson - Kick Drums

Not only is “Kick Drums” the debut release on Watson’s newly minted label—No Context—its driving bassline and simple vocal hook have catapulted the track into Beatport’s bass house top 10. The song embodies the new label’s vision that there is beauty in the seemingly disparate elements of music. Alone a simple kick drum is without weight, but combine it with the right ingredients, and magic is born. That coalescence is both “Kick Drums” and No Context Records.




3. Kyle Watson, Apple Gule - I Got You

Apple Gule’s haunting vocals wrap this track in pure silk. Progressive chords and a bouncing bassline elevate this accessible house track. It’s easy to see why the track is so irresistible and perfect for every listening occasion. Although it may be a divergence from Watson’s usual club-leaning productions, it is a testament to Watson’s diverse and endless talent as a producer.




4. Kyle Watson - The Reason

With a stuttering hook, a driving bassline, and a splash of playfulness— “The Reason,” is a certifiable banger ideally suited for the world of large-scale, big room tech house. Released in the fall of 2022 on Sink or Swim Records, the track instantly garnered support from the likes of Fisher and Chris Lake. Cracking the top 40 on Beatport’s main chart, this track’s discoverability has been immense since day one. If you’ve heard “The Reason,” it has been stuck in your head, and if you haven’t, you’re welcome.




5. Kyle Watson - Moments

Simply put, this song is beautiful. It may not be reminiscent of Watson’s current streak of tech house anthems, but that doesn’t mean it’s not essential. Warm, progressive, and effortlessly hopeful, “Moments” transports listeners away from their daily grind with ballad-leaning piano keys and low-end progressive scuzz. Although it has amassed hundreds of thousands of streams across various platforms, it truly deserves more. Do yourself a favor and listen to “Moments,” it will be a high point of your day, we promise.





5 Essential Kyle Watson Tracks

Kyle Watson has spent over a decade earning a reputation as one of the most innovative and eclectic artists in the house music community. With a unique sound that combines dark and light elements, his musical style has captivated fans from all corners of the globe. From intimate clubs in the heart of the USA to massive open-air festivals in Brazil, Watson's records have become an integral part of the international house music landscape.

Born and raised in South Africa, Watson developed an early interest in music that would shape the trajectory of his life. He spent years mastering his craft, refining a unique blend of house music that combines striking sound design, bass lines, and dynamic drums.

Watson has received recognition from industry titans like Diplo, Chris Lake, and Gorgon City, leading to opportunities that have allowed him to showcase his music across the globe. His tracks have been featured on prominent record labels including Ultra, Atlantic, Dirtybird, and This Ain't Bristol

Watson has topped local radio charts, sold out club shows worldwide, and remixed tracks for some of the most significant acts in dance music, such as Rudimental, Zhu, Oliver Heldens, Justin Martin, and Malaa. Yet, despite these accomplishments, he remains committed to pushing the boundaries of the genre, consistently releasing new music that engages and intrigues his ever-growing fan base. In 2023, Watson landed an official remix for Sage The Gemini and Iamsu, "Gas Pedal."

Kyle Watson @CRSSD Fest 2022 | @Beatport Live

► Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://btprt.dj/meo4kp
► Heard about Beatport Link? Check it out here: https://btprt.dj/sc07h6

Relive CRSSD Spring '22 with Kyle Watson

About CRSSD festival: 
CRSSD Festival is an electronic music festival in San Diego, California. One of The States' premier dance music events, the festival boasts a lineup that collects the best of the best across house, techno, EDM, and beyond.

A mid-sized festival, every year CRSSD expertly curates a bill that appeals to all levels dance music fans, putting headline-grabbing contemporary acts alongside influential legends.

Taking place in San Diego's Waterfront Park, the two day festival features not only some of the best sounds of any festival in the country, but one of the most scenic urban settings too. 

► Visit our official website: https://btprt.dj/kzna3t
► Read the latest editorial on Beatportal: https://www.beatportal.com/features/
► Watch our latest videos on YouTube: https://btprt.dj/27u53u

► Like us on Facebook: http://btprt.dj/yw6684
► Follow us on Instagram: https://btprt.dj/vwu619
► Follow us on Twitter: https://btprt.dj/p4bjaq

#CRSSD #KyleWatson #Beatport

Kyle Watson @crssd_festival 2022 | @beatport Live

In addition to his solo work, Watson is a co-owner of the indie label Box Of Cats, known for its diverse bass-focused house releases. Notable artists who have released music through Box Of Cats include Wongo, Marc Spence, J. Worra, and Steve Darko. This venture is providing a platform for emerging artists and contributing to the evolution of the genre. Today, Watson is recognized as a driving force in global house community.

South Africa

Kyle Watson

United States

Quantum Brooklyn

Following musical trends in dance music has, in recent years, gotten easy. The simple paint-by-numbers approach to production that allows artists to follow the zeitgeist has made the ubiquity of house music sounds a parody of itself. So, when an artist comes along that truly breaks the mold with something that sounds unique, it shakes the ground. Enter South African super producer 

Over the years, Watson has made a name for himself by producing a singular brand of house music. He's a trendsetter, and you know this because while many have tried to replicate his throbbing, low end basslines and off-kilter, funky vocals, no one does it as he does. He rotates in his own sphere. Although one could categorize his sound as tech house, Watson floats effortlessly between tech house, traditional house, and bass house.

After breaking out in the early 2010s with regular appearances on esteemed labels like Dirtybird, This Ain't Bristol, and Universal Music, Kyle went on to help found the highly influential label Box of Cats with Aussie mainstay Wongo. His 2018 album 

 was a defining moment for his career and catapulted him further into the spotlight. And he's only continued to stamp his footprint on house music with the release of dark and dirty dance floor bombs like "Magic Carpet Ride," "Dominoes" on Gorgon City's REALM Records, and "Let's Go Dancing" with Mindchatter.

Although most of your fans in America probably started learning about you starting in 2016, you've been putting out music since 2007. And you were doing so from your homeland of South Africa. Can you give us some insight into your experience growing up in Johannesburg?

In the early days of my career, we had a pretty healthy music scene in South Africa. The type of music that I and other local SA producers were making and playing got pretty popular, so the gigs were always a good time. The music I was making was still one of the more minor genres in the scene, though. The biggest market was and still is for Afro house, amapiano, and deep house, which is doing incredibly well there right now and blowing up globally.

Do you remember when you first discovered a passion for music?

Music was always in my life. From a young age, I took piano lessons and music as a subject at school. When my father brought home a copy of some very basic music production software, I was hooked.

What kind of electronic scene was in South Africa growing up, and did you discover those sounds locally or simply from listening to all kinds of music?

I listened to a lot of music from the UK and the US, like metal, drum and bass, and electronica. All of those genres, I think, have contributed to my sound in some way.

Do you think the scene has grown there since you started your career?

I think COVID really knocked the SA scene, at least within the genre of music I make and play. Unfortunately, a few of the clubs have closed down, and the market seems to have changed quite a bit. I live in the UK now, but looking from the outside, it seems that amapiano and Afro house are absolutely huge right now.

It's so easy for a fan to look at an artist and assume that once they broke out, their career was made. But often, we overlook the years of work that go into an artist's career before true recognition. It didn't feel like you hit on what we've come to expect from your sound until around 2013. For seven years, you were putting out music very different from your sound today. What was that time like in your career, and who were you listening to for inspiration?

I think from about 2007–2012, I was trying to figure out how to get my ideas down into the music that made sense. There was a lot of hit-and-miss during that period, which happens with all artists, but yes, around 2013 or 2014, something clicked, and I started to understand myself creatively. The music started to connect on a bigger scale. I feel over the last three years, or so, I've been more critical of myself and the direction I want my music to take.

2014 felt like the initial breakout; you made it onto the 

 compilation with your solo single, "The Clock." It is quintessential 

. Was there any relationship with the Dirtybird team, or were you sending demos blindly and got recognized? Did this feel to you like a breakthrough moment?

How a lifelong passion for electronic music and community building for Dirtybird Records head honcho Claude VonStroke helped establish Dirtybird as one of the preeminent brands in American electronic music.






In the early 2000s, long before he was Claude VonStroke, Barclay Crenshaw independently produced and directed the documentary Intellect: Techno House Progressive. Some regard Intellect as one of the most comprehensive films ever made about DJs and underground electronic music culture.



Intellect features a staggering amount of interviews from pioneering DJs and electronic music producers—Juan Atkins, Miguel Migs, Orbital, Paul Van Dyk, Deep Dish, Sandra Collins, Steve Lawler — the list goes on. Justin Martin, the first cornerstone producer on Dirtybird Records, also made much of the original music for Intellect rendering the catalyst for the foundation of Dirtybird Records.




“Derrick Carter and I were in New York on 9/11. I was completely broke. And I still had to finish my movie,” recalls VonStroke. Despite the tragic events, the desperate director did what had to save his fledgling documentary.




“I went and begged [Carter] to do his interview. He didn’t want to do it. No one wanted to do anything [after 9/11]!” said VonStroke, speaking to Gray Area at Dirtybird Campout. “But he came down out of his room at the W Hotel and did the best interview of the whole [documentary]. Last night, we were chatting about [Carter’s Intellect interview] for the first time since it happened,” reminisces VonStroke.




“Full circle. That’s 21 years later,” VonStroke says, a look of awe quickly spreading across his face.




Roots run deep at Dirtybird Campout.




CHICAGO HOUSE

“It’s so good!” barks DJ Sneak in response to a query from fellow DJ Mark Farina as two Chicago house legends join ringleader Derrick Carter in the Thursday night Bass Lodge booth.




Being onstage like that at Campout “is like cooking with your best friends in somebody’s kitchen that we know,” says Sneak.




“The funny part is that we don’t even speak about what we’re gonna play. We just show up and play. That’s always been our formula, we just freestyle. We’re so seasoned, we each have a style. When we come together — it’s magic.”




Deron Delgado, Dirtybird Records label manager, explains Campout’s booking of the three living Chicago house legends to open the festival.




“Sneak and Carter and Farina — we literally grew up listening to [them] before any of us were DJs,” says Delgado. “Personally, they’re three of my biggest influences growing up as a wee raver.”




Sneak says that “Derrick has always been our lead — I’m from Chicago too, Mark’s from Chicago. But Derrick has always been that lead and that light. He’s like the libra mama, you know? We follow his lead. His best is fucking incredible.”




“I’ve been in the business for 30 years. The last 15 years for me was really strange because the whole EDM thing switched demographics,” Sneak continues. “It wasn’t real talented DJs. It was talented performers, entertainers of some sort. But not DJs,” says Sneak.

Sneak might be right. The musical vapidity of EDM is likely not culturally sustainable. But it’s still a giant slice of the worldwide electronic music pie. But according to Sneak, a generational sea change might be at play.




“What’s happening now is there was two generations after EDM and now there’s this,” says Sneak. “They’re starting to be like, ‘we want authentic, we want underground. We want the real stuff — we want to know what it is that Derrick Carter and DJ Sneak and Mark Farina are known for.’”




As for his relationship with Dirtybird, Sneak says that “Claude’s around my age, we’re in the same circles. It’s great that there’s a new way, a new platform to expose these kids to real underground music.”







THE GANJA GARDEN

“I stopped smoking a couple of months ago and ironically booked the Ganja Garden,” Delgado, the label manager for Dirtybird Records, says before his Friday morning set at the Ganja Garden — the newest stage presented by Dirtybird in partnership with the People’s Remedy dispensary.




Explaining the thought process behind booking artists for Campout, Delgado says, “There’s the Birdhouse and the Bass Lodge. The Birdhouse is obviously the fun house, tech house stuff like that and then Bass Lodge where we can get totally weird and do whatever we want with it. We put out a lot of house and techno records but we’re all big fans of bass and drum and bass.”




The actual process behind the booking strategy?




“It’s a constant jigsaw puzzle,” concedes Delgado.




There’s also the ever-present question of how the label and events have created Dirtybird’s ongoing sound.




“We have our own sound, and I think that sound has a very big dynamic range,” analyzes Delgado. “Maybe when we first started 17 years ago it was more narrow but now the Dirtybird sound both at the label and at our events, is much wider.”




For VonStroke, the record label was created at lead partly as a rejection of the house music status quo.




“The record label was started because we didn’t really like what was going on in house [music] that much. It was cool, but… it’s actually the same stuff that’s getting popular right now,” says VonStroke. “This really glossy, vocal house that’s way too well produced. It doesn’t sound organic anymore. Like a pop producer is making it.”




VonStroke says he seeks something more from the electronic music he purveys to wide audiences.




“I wanted to add elements of hip hop and drum and bass and more gritty sounds into house. I mean, it totally worked [for Dirtybird]. But now, everyone’s cloned it five times over. So we’re always pushing the next thing.”




Pushed to articulate Dirtybird’s constantly evolving central sound, VonStroke responds with a chuckle. “We’re just doing everything that’s not bro house! Anything where you drink beer out of a shoe, we’re not releasing. And it’s kind of our fault that even happened. So — we’re sorry!”




What happens when everything is self-referential all the time? What has meaning then? Will Dirtybird swallow its tail feathers until it eventually blinks out of existence? Or does Dirtybird rise above the cultural fray to become an inter-generational dance music powerhouse? Only time will tell.




The future sound of Dirtybird for VonStroke?




“I don’t have any idea,” VonStroke says earnestly.







AN AUSTRIAN HOUSEHEAD IN AMERICA

Back on the scorching blacktop path near the entrance to the festival grounds, Regina walks sluggishly in the afternoon sun, her face obscured under a full-head tan-colored camping visor.




Originally from Austria but now located near Wilmington, North Carolina, she says there isn’t anything similar to Dirtybird Campout on the east coast where she lives.




“A different mindset,” she croaks in a heavy Viennese accent, voice already obliterated by 3:00 pm on day two.




Regina has strong feelings about house music and her conception of bass music.




“House music takes you on a journey to a new world. I dance with my eyes closed,” she reminiscences, her voice barely a whisper. “You want the people around you to create the energy.”




When asked about her thoughts about the different styles of bass music at Dirtybird Campout, she smirks in a quickly spiteful turn.




“I hate bass music!” she sputters.




It’s not a surprising opinion coming from a European house head like her. She’s immovable from her position that bass music cannot inspire the same feelings as house music.




Her perspective makes sense, though, when referring to Plump Record founder Kevin Knapp’s unique perspective on the physical and cultural divides between bass music in general and house and techno — a gap that spans both musical genres and the Atlantic Ocean.




“I’ve just spent nine years in Berlin. My partner and I just moved back [to America] in January,” says Knapp. “The scene in America and the scene in Europe are a bit more distant now than I think they were in the past. So I don’t know what Europe often considers ‘bass music’ is that influential for them right now from a cultural perspective.”




Perhaps this is where Dirtybird might be able to make its biggest cultural impact — by connecting artists, sounds, and aesthetics across genres and physical space itself.




PINK FUZZY GOLF CART

Back-back stage at the Birdhouse, Mary Droppinz winces in pain as she climbs into the passenger seat of the pink fuzzy upholstered luxury golf cart.




She’d just sprained her ankle in a personal training session before Campout began. Try to see if you can notice even a hint of that injury during her bouncy stage performance and other appearances in the various booths at Dirtybird Campout over the weekend.




Concerning the often disparate sounds that play at Campout, she says, “they totally coexist. I love house myself. I have a house side to me and I play that, but there’s also the bass side,” observes Droppinz.




“Dirtybird is a place where people that have really great tastes can come and just enjoy and frolic. That’s what’s cool — if you like bass and house the you just know there’s seasoned electronic listeners, and I like that”, says Droppinz.




“That’s what’s special about it here.”







A PERCOMANIAC AMONG DIRTYBIRDS

“I think my sound is pretty eclectic, a bit psychedelic, and probably a little disorienting at times,” says Dirtybird resident Lubelski. “My good friend [and Percomanics label mate] Wyatt Marshall loves to say that my sets are like getting beaten down by drums and synths.”




That’s a fair way to describe Lubelski’s unique, dynamically searching sound.




Regarding Dirtybird’s unique crowd, Lubelski says, “I think the Dirtybird crowd really loves their booty-shaking beats, but they are also very receptive to new sounds given the lineup that Claude has curated.”




And on the mixture of subgenres for the fan base at Campout and the friction between fans of different subgenres, Lubelski says at Campout, “there isn’t any sense of elitism or snobbery. All good vibes. It shows how Dirtybird places their priorities on fun, music, and community.”




Those who may wonder where Dirtybird’s future sound lies would be wise to pay attention to forward-thinking artists currently in Dirtybird’s orbit — artists like Lubelski, Droppinz, Nala, Ardalan, and Walker & Royce. These artists, who actively explore across genres and aren’t beholden to any hard and fast rule about electronic music, are those to pay attention to moving forward. They’ll set the future Dirtybird sound through their creative decisions in their upcoming releases — likely in unexpected ways.




Maybe that’s why VonStroke sounds so honest when he claims he has “no idea” where the sound of Dirtybird is going next.
























Dirtybird Residents on What Makes Campout Unique

During that period, it was a major goal for me to sign a record to Dirtybird, so when it happened in 2014, it was a massive boost to my confidence. There was no previous relationship. I sent them a demo, and thankfully they liked it. It was an important moment in my career because it helped introduce my music to the US market (where I now tour regularly).

Your sound is so unique, full of funky drum patterns and basslines. Are there any pieces of hardware or software plugins you find yourself going to often when producing?

I do have my trusted plugins that I use on almost every track, but I think the most interesting stuff comes from using obscure tools or plugins in different ways—or sampling something unusual and processing it heavily to create something new and fresh. Personally, Omnisphere is one of my favorites because it does an amazing job of blending samples with synths.

As house and tech house has become ever-popular, you've consistently stayed true to yourself and your sound. What do you think about the genre and artists branching out from other genres to try their hands at house music?

I think it's great that house is getting its turn in the spotlight because it introduces people to the genre who eventually filter down and find new subgenres. I do have to laugh when I see massive pop artists jump on the bandwagon, though. Sometimes they get it right, but sometimes it just doesn't work!

Kyle Watson - Dominoes ft Sam Phay

It's not often that artists in your sphere put out albums. But your 2018 album 

 felt like such a great expression of your music and was received well. Can you take us into the process of crafting an album? You worked with several vocalists. What is the process of linking up with them? Do you have a favorite song from it?

 was such a fun project for me because it was the first time it gave me a platform to showcase different genres without the tracks feeling out of place. I think that's the whole point of all albums, to show what you're capable of and take risks that you may not be comfortable taking with a single. Personally, "Lights On" or "Control Ya" are my favorites off that album because they're different, and both have their own vibe and energy.

We have to ask about Box of Cats. The label was founded in 2016 and has been on a tear since. When did you and the crew decide to start this project, and how did you meet the guys?

The funny thing is we haven't even met in person! It started out as an informal group conversation on Facebook Messenger a few years back when we decided starting a free label would be fun. I think it was 2016 or 2017, but it feels like yesterday. The label has been doing so well. It's grown into a strong brand and is a great platform to push artists who are doing things a little differently but still have the potential to connect with a large audience.

With so many artist-driven labels these days, what does Box of Cats do to stand out and stay fresh?

We have to make sure to try to sign and nurture artists who are in their own lane. There is a lot of generic music out there, so we try to make sure we keep away from that and push artists to do their own thing.

Are there any up-and-coming artists you'd like to shout out?

at the moment. They are putting out some really solid groovers, and I'm looking forward to seeing where their music goes as they grow.

Truth x Lies

Following musical trends in dance music has, in recent years, gotten easy. The simple paint-by-numbers approach to production that allows artists to follow the zeitgeist has made the ubiquity of house music sounds a parody of itself. So, when an artist comes along that truly breaks the mold with something that sounds unique, it shakes the ground. Enter South African super producer Kyle Watson.




Over the years, Watson has made a name for himself by producing a singular brand of house music. He's a trendsetter, and you know this because while many have tried to replicate his throbbing, low end basslines and off-kilter, funky vocals, no one does it as he does. He rotates in his own sphere. Although one could categorize his sound as tech house, Watson floats effortlessly between tech house, traditional house, and bass house.




After breaking out in the early 2010s with regular appearances on esteemed labels like Dirtybird, This Ain't Bristol, and Universal Music, Kyle went on to help found the highly influential label Box of Cats with Aussie mainstay Wongo. His 2018 album Into The Morning was a defining moment for his career and catapulted him further into the spotlight. And he's only continued to stamp his footprint on house music with the release of dark and dirty dance floor bombs like "Magic Carpet Ride," "Dominoes" on Gorgon City's REALM Records, and "Let's Go Dancing" with Mindchatter.









Although most of your fans in America probably started learning about you starting in 2016, you've been putting out music since 2007. And you were doing so from your homeland of South Africa. Can you give us some insight into your experience growing up in Johannesburg?




In the early days of my career, we had a pretty healthy music scene in South Africa. The type of music that I and other local SA producers were making and playing got pretty popular, so the gigs were always a good time. The music I was making was still one of the more minor genres in the scene, though. The biggest market was and still is for Afro house, amapiano, and deep house, which is doing incredibly well there right now and blowing up globally.




Do you remember when you first discovered a passion for music?




Music was always in my life. From a young age, I took piano lessons and music as a subject at school. When my father brought home a copy of some very basic music production software, I was hooked.




What kind of electronic scene was in South Africa growing up, and did you discover those sounds locally or simply from listening to all kinds of music?




I listened to a lot of music from the UK and the US, like metal, drum and bass, and electronica. All of those genres, I think, have contributed to my sound in some way.




Do you think the scene has grown there since you started your career?




I think COVID really knocked the SA scene, at least within the genre of music I make and play. Unfortunately, a few of the clubs have closed down, and the market seems to have changed quite a bit. I live in the UK now, but looking from the outside, it seems that amapiano and Afro house are absolutely huge right now.




It's so easy for a fan to look at an artist and assume that once they broke out, their career was made. But often, we overlook the years of work that go into an artist's career before true recognition. It didn't feel like you hit on what we've come to expect from your sound until around 2013. For seven years, you were putting out music very different from your sound today. What was that time like in your career, and who were you listening to for inspiration?




I think from about 2007–2012, I was trying to figure out how to get my ideas down into the music that made sense. There was a lot of hit-and-miss during that period, which happens with all artists, but yes, around 2013 or 2014, something clicked, and I started to understand myself creatively. The music started to connect on a bigger scale. I feel over the last three years, or so, I've been more critical of myself and the direction I want my music to take.




2014 felt like the initial breakout; you made it onto the Seven Days of Dirtybird compilation with your solo single, "The Clock." It is quintessential Dirtybird. Was there any relationship with the Dirtybird team, or were you sending demos blindly and got recognized? Did this feel to you like a breakthrough moment?




During that period, it was a major goal for me to sign a record to Dirtybird, so when it happened in 2014, it was a massive boost to my confidence. There was no previous relationship. I sent them a demo, and thankfully they liked it. It was an important moment in my career because it helped introduce my music to the US market (where I now tour regularly).









Your sound is so unique, full of funky drum patterns and basslines. Are there any pieces of hardware or software plugins you find yourself going to often when producing?




I do have my trusted plugins that I use on almost every track, but I think the most interesting stuff comes from using obscure tools or plugins in different ways—or sampling something unusual and processing it heavily to create something new and fresh. Personally, Omnisphere is one of my favorites because it does an amazing job of blending samples with synths.




As house and tech house has become ever-popular, you've consistently stayed true to yourself and your sound. What do you think about the genre and artists branching out from other genres to try their hands at house music?




I think it's great that house is getting its turn in the spotlight because it introduces people to the genre who eventually filter down and find new subgenres. I do have to laugh when I see massive pop artists jump on the bandwagon, though. Sometimes they get it right, but sometimes it just doesn't work!




It's not often that artists in your sphere put out albums. But your 2018 album Into the Morning felt like such a great expression of your music and was received well. Can you take us into the process of crafting an album? You worked with several vocalists. What is the process of linking up with them? Do you have a favorite song from it?




ITM was such a fun project for me because it was the first time it gave me a platform to showcase different genres without the tracks feeling out of place. I think that's the whole point of all albums, to show what you're capable of and take risks that you may not be comfortable taking with a single. Personally, "Lights On" or "Control Ya" are my favorites off that album because they're different, and both have their own vibe and energy.









We have to ask about Box of Cats. The label was founded in 2016 and has been on a tear since. When did you and the crew decide to start this project, and how did you meet the guys?




The funny thing is we haven't even met in person! It started out as an informal group conversation on Facebook Messenger a few years back when we decided starting a free label would be fun. I think it was 2016 or 2017, but it feels like yesterday. The label has been doing so well. It's grown into a strong brand and is a great platform to push artists who are doing things a little differently but still have the potential to connect with a large audience.




With so many artist-driven labels these days, what does Box of Cats do to stand out and stay fresh?




We have to make sure to try to sign and nurture artists who are in their own lane. There is a lot of generic music out there, so we try to make sure we keep away from that and push artists to do their own thing.




Are there any up-and-coming artists you'd like to shout out?




I've got my eyes on Truth x Lies at the moment. They are putting out some really solid groovers, and I'm looking forward to seeing where their music goes as they grow.




