Written by Ben Hargreaves​

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Kyle Watson has carved out a distinctive sound balancing raw basslines and sweeping melodies, which has garnered him a massive following across the world. Being one of the few electronic music artists that’s broken out of the local South African scene, Kyle has made waves across the US and South American market, from small club shows in the heart of the USA, an open-air festival in Brazil or at Ultra Music Festival South Africa, you’re likely to hear his music, as well as having featured on some of dance music’s hottest record labels -from Ultra and Atlantic to Dirtybird. 

 

In the lead up to a much anticipated tour of Australia and New Zealand, we sat down with South Africa’s preeminent electronic dance artist to discuss his creative process, collaborations, touring the world and also get a little taste of what we can expect in 2020!

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Come with me as we step Behind The Decks with Kyle Watson.

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We see that from an early age you were trained in classical piano. How did you make the move into the world of EDM?

My father was in the music business and bought me an early version of eJay. It only had pre-made loops in a 4/4 house format so that was the first music I ever experimented with. It stuck once I started getting club bookings.

 

We don’t come across too many international EDM artists from Africa. What was the music industry like in South Africa growing up? How has this shaped the flavour and style of your music?

Even though my father was involved in SA music while I was growing up, I didn’t really take as much from that as I probably could have. There was always music playing in the house while I was growing up, all different styles, so maybe subconsciously that affected my techniques when I started writing my own music. It definitely gave me an appreciation for a wide variety of music, which definitely helped me craft a unique sound as an artist.

 

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Today, Kyle starts of 2020 with his latest release ‘I Got You’, featuring compatriot Apple Gule, out now on Sweat It Out.

"I'm extremely excited to see this record come out! I've been playing it for a while in my sets and the reactions have been incredible from all the crowds I've played it for. It's always a blast working with Apple, and this time I think he really knocked it out the park." 

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We’ve had a listen to “I Got You” and love it. Was there an artist, or any other inspiration behind this track?

Thank you! The story behind the track is actually pretty cool. When I was writing my album in 2018 I collaborated with Apple on a track dedicated to my wife called ‘Song For The One’. It was just an intermission track for the album, very downtempo and chilled. I did a club remix of it a few months later though and it really worked amazingly, and a few months after that it was picked up for a re-release and turned into this version!

 

The vocals are an amazing touch, and really add to the style of the song. Will you continue working with vocal tracks going into the future?

Absolutely, I like to balance out the more instrumental clubby tracks I write with a proper vocal song every now and then. I think it’s important, people really relate to lyrics and building up a catalogue of vocal tracks is a good challenge and great at showing your diversity.

 

You have collaborated with Apple Gule, who is from a small country located inside of South Africa (Swaziland/eSwatini). It’s amazing to see two musicians from the area teaming up together and producing great music! How did you get in contact with each other, as we know that Swaziland is a tiny landlocked country and we don’t get much music from that region (I spent a month there backpacking)?

Haha, yes Swaziland is tiny! Apple actually lives in South Africa though and that’s how we linked up. I have worked with him in the past and we really connected on a creative level, that’s why I wanted to feature him on this record. I couldn’t think of a better vocalist suited for ‘I Got You’!

Do you have a process ready to go for when you create your music? Talk us through it.

I’ll almost always start a session with a ‘vibe’ I’m trying to portray, whether that’s chunky, groovy, heavy, lazy, etc. I almost always start with the drums, building a loop which will then dictate which sounds will fit into the track. I add a bassline, work on a small build up, and then leave the session for a day or two. When I come back to it with fresh ears, that’s when I start fleshing it all out into a full song.

 

You’ve played at the Ministry of Sound in London before, do you have plans to return and tour Europe? Are there any particular venues that you’ve always wanted to perform at? Why?

I played the baby box at Ministry way back in 2010, it was a small show but still a great opportunity. I definitely would like to do a few shows in Europe because there are a few countries specifically that have shown a lot of interest recently in my music.

 

What city or country has been your favourite to play at? What made it so special for you?

Playing at the right party in my hometown will always be special, but outside of South Africa my favourite places to play have been Denver & São Paulo. I just feel a strong connection to the audiences there, it feels like they really feel passionate about my music. 

 

Is there a particular artist you’d love to collaborate on a track with, or perhaps B2B? Why would you choose them?

I’ve always said it would be great to write a track with Justin Martin, I think we have similar vibes and could probably put something cool together if we sat down in the studio!

 

You’re touring Australia and New Zealand in February, coming through Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Auckland - What are you looking forward to most on the tour? Make sure to get yourself a good chicken parmi!

I’ll look out for the parmi! Obviously apart from the shows which I’m really excited to be doing, I’m gonna have a chance to spend a few days off in New Zealand which is a country I’ve always wanted to see. So that’ll be as much fun as the shows I reckon!

 

Following your Australia/NZ tour, what are your plans? Will you be hitting up the Europe/USA summer circuit, or be focusing on new music? What can we expect to see from you in 2020?

Once I get back from Aus/NZ I have a few shows at home before heading out to Coachella for the first time. I’m playing the Yuma tent there which is pretty special! I’ve also been confirmed for some other great US festivals and will be visiting South America again for a few shows. There’s also a lot of new music coming out which I’m super excited for everybody to hear.

 

We always finish with the same question so here we go. What is the craziest thing you have ever seen from Behind the Decks?

I played a show in Cape Town in 2018 in a quarry. It was outdoors and the wind was so strong it was blowing the palm trees almost sideways, dust was everywhere and the sound from the speakers was being blown all over the place. But the people kept raving, that was pretty mad!

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'I Got You feat. Apple Gule' is out now on Sweat It Out and we cannot get enough of this track. Be sure to click the album art below to get your copy and put it on repeat!

Kyle will be touring Australia/NZ in the upcoming weeks, if you are at any of the shows below, be sure to check him out!

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AUS/NZ Tour Dates:

7th February: Electric Circus, Adelaide AUS
8th February: Treat + Circus, Melbourne AUS
9th February: Pool Club, Sydney AUS
14th February: Impala, Auckland NZ
15th February: The Met, Brisbane AUS
16th February: Elsewhere, Gold Coast AUS