Manchester EDM producer Kryder Begins Tour This Week
The 32-year-old behind hits like “Aphrodite” and “Pyrmd” on his beginnings, his music and his bad guy reputation
Kryder
Whether it’s Aoki throwing cake at his audience or Dada Life’s banana obsession, EDM producers are notorious for being over the top. For Manchester producer Kris Knight, who performs under the moniker Kryder, the infamy has been both good and bad. The producer, who regularly charts on Beatport, has his own podcast, Kryteria, and his own label, Sosumi, is still known above all for his entourage of strippers, stormtroopers and er, people of short stature. For all his success, Knight’s reputation remains a hot mess. Says the artist, “Everyone just thought that it was some strange act so when I’d get booked, people would be like, ”˜Oh where’s the dwarf?’ Which is funny because in actual fact, he’s a good friend of mine and he did come to a few shows.”
The 32-year-old producer, who started performing when he was 12, has come a long way since his first set of gigs at his local youth club. Says Knight, “I started really early so I had to have a parent chaperone me to the bars and clubs till I was 16, and I wasn’t allowed to drink.” Growing up, the producer’s exposure to music was limited to his friends’ tastes and their mixtapes. His relationship with dance music began in the early Nineties when British tech house producer Carl Cox and the rave music scene dominated underground music in the UK. “I haven’t got any qualifications, so if I wasn’t making music, I’d be making tea for the people who do,” he laughs. “I took a course in music production in college. Unfortunately, I was asked to leave. But the thing is, you don’t really need education for something like this – I’ve done it all myself in the end really.” Inspired by artists such as Swedish Eric Prydz, Swedish house producer Axwell and British producer Jon Rundell, Knight has drawn from a range of electronic genres including drum ”˜n bass to jungle when producing his own music. Says the artist, “I’m really selfish because I don’t look at pleasing anyone other than myself, that’s my only rule really. I don’t make or play hard music. It’s about dancing instead of jumping. Dance music is not all about the drop, so I’m trying to push groovy basslines, rolling your shoulders and shaking your hips.”
Knight, who first performed in India at Kitty Su in New Delhi last year, returns this weekend for a three-city tour of the country. Says the producer, “I thought the atmosphere was amazing, the people were really friendly and they really embraced what I was doing. It was such a good experience, I can’t wait to come back!” Promising a set that is “all about energy and groove,” Knight is planning to showcase a collection of new edits, remixes and unsigned tracks including his latest single, “Feels Like Summer.” The track, which is slated for an official release on September 5th, was premiered by Swedish house producer Steve Angello at this year’s edition of Tomorrowland festival in Belgium.
Kryder India Tour
August 28th ”“ Royalty, Mumbai
August 30th – Cafe Mambo, Goa
August 31st – Loft 38, Bengaluru
Listen to “Feels Like Summer” by Kryder & Still Young ft. Duane Harden:
