[DK15 Interview + MP3] Jeremy Glenn – Able To Fall

JEREMY GLENN is a Toronto-based DJ, producer, songwriter, singer and most importantly, a friend. I’ve known him since I worked at Embrace and he was managed by Embrace’s sister artist management agency, 2+2 Management. Both of us have since moved on from those situations but we remained friends so much so that, not only did Jeremy contribute the beautiful, amazing track, “Able to Fall” to the Quinceañera: Marvelous Ish album, but he also DJ’d the raucous release party for the album (which also doubled as a birthday celebration for moi) back in September alongside DJ MelBoogie, DJ Famous Lee and DJ Seven 30.

Both of us have been mad busy of late but we managed to trade some questions & answers via email a little while back and what follows is the end result.

DK: You’ve been in the music game for a while. Can you talk a little bit about your come-up?
JG: I’ve always been a musical kid. Music’s been my passion and solace forever but I’d never contemplated making it a career decision before discovering DJing and production. I started DJing hip-hop in high-school because I couldn’t get the “underground” tracks I’d hear on college radio shows like CKLN’s PowerMove show or WBLK out of Buffalo. As a kid in the suburbs, this kept me connected to a culture that I felt very separate from.

I got more into club culture and DJing as I went through University, playing and learning from mentors
like DJ AndyCapp. Learning about production was a natural progression. After you DJ for a while, you become interested in the how and want to put your own stamp on things. So I went through an engineering and production course of The Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology, where I subsequently taught for a few years after graduating.

During that time I began to hone my production, arrangement and songwriting skills. Singing on my tracks was something I had to get used to. I felt I had decent ability and had sung forever but I think lots of artists are overly critical about putting themselves out there so it wasn’t until moving back to Toronto in 2009-10 that I moved into performance and releasing tracks officially… and was able to get my first official release on Future Classic.

Not everyone can juggle all these different disciplines, DJing, producing, songwriting and singing, and do them all at an equally high level but somehow you manage it. How?
I really think it’s that Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours concept at play. I’d been singing since I was young, was always dedicating time to making mix-tapes from [MuchMusic] Rap City videos and analyzing samples and production even before I knew what the technical terms were. I started DJing in high school and would practice whenever possible. So even before I was playing proper gigs, I’d already been putting the time in. I think that’s key for anybody.

You’ve actually taken a bit of step back from music in the last couple years though. What was the reason for that?
There are a few factors at play but basically I was trying to determine my place in music if that makes any sense. Couple that with having a son, which has been amazing, but takes a lot of time and energy and forces you to look at what’s necessary, even if unpleasant. Those factors put a lot of doubt into whether I wanted to continue making music. As evidenced by “Able to Fall,” I’ve still been working in the background, but much of that time has been spent considering the next direction in music.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of our interview with Jeremy Glenn on the DIFFERENT KITCHEN Facebook page.

Follow Jeremy Glenn online – Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // Web // Soundcloud

LISTEN to the Quinceañera: Marvelous Ish album featuring Jeremy Glenn’s “Able to Fall” HERE. Learn more about Quinceañera: Marvelous Ish HERE.

Other DK15 interviews:
– OSIYM
– Yellow Shoots
– Jordan Kahn

[DK15 Interview + MP3] Jordan Kahn – Feng Shui / Voices in my Head

Local Toronto, up-and-coming rapper, JORDAN KAHN is one of a handful of new, young artists whose music has caught our ear at the Kitchen in recent times that was invited to be a part of the DK15, QUINCEAÑERA: MARVELOUS ISH anniversary compilation album project. He was gracious enough to say yes and share the track “Feng Shui” for the album.

That has by no means been the end of his grind though. He’s been on a tear releasing several singles and a full length album, titled Instructions since Quinceañera dropped in September and apparently has no plans to stop any time soon although we did manage to get him to slow down long enough to answer a few of our questions. Read on to learn a little background and history behind this new, young spitta out The 6ix and what he has planned next!

DK: You were born and raised in Scarborough, right?
JK: Ya, growing up in Scarborough influenced my music a lot. It’s a place where there are so many different types of people and cultures. I’d have friends that listened to rap, rock, drum and bass, all types of music so I was exposed to a little bit of everything and I think that shows in my music.

How’d you end up making hip-hop music?
My uncles are musicians (singers, guitar players) and were definitely a big influence early on. I started playing guitar and recording music as a teenager after one of my uncles gave me and my brother an old four track recorder. I started writing raps and freestyling with friends around the same time. My older brother Justin was getting into electronic and hip-hop music production, and I’d rap and sing on a lot of the stuff he’d make.

Your brother, Justin is your main creative partner collaborator. What’s that like working with someone so closely related to you?
The entire new album was produced and recorded with Justin and I haven’t worked with other producers on the hip-hop project. Even though this is my solo project, behind the scenes the sound is really a collaboration with Justin and he makes most of the music. Sometimes I’ll start writing to a beat or piece of music he has made, sometimes I’ll write to something I play and send to him as a demo and we build it from there.

Can you tell him frankly if you’re not feeling a beat he’s doing or can he tell you if he thinks your rhymes are trash?
We can definitely tell each other when we don’t like something. There aren’t usually too many fights.

Does he work with other artists? Do you work with other producers? What’s the difference for the both of you when you do?
I think if I were to work with another producer, it would probably make sense for me and Justin to work with that other producer together since he is a big part of the sound and process.

So how long exactly have is you been working on music now?
The solo hip-hop project is something we started only about a year or two ago officially, but before that me and my brother were collaborating on a few music projects with many of the songs including me rapping and singing. We experimented with a lot of different sounds over the last 4 years and played some shows in Toronto for the electronic/rap projects. Those projects lead us to the sound we have on this new project. But it’s the first time I’ve decided to do a solo hip-hop project as Jordan Kahn.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of our conversation with Jordan on the Kitchen Facebook page.

Follow Jordan Kahn on social media – Website // Instagram // YouTube // Apple Music/Spotify

LISTEN to the Quinceañera: Marvelous Ish album featuring Jordan Kahn’s “Feng Shui” HERE. Learn more about Quinceañera: Marvelous Ish HERE.

Other DK15 interviews:
– OSIYM
– Yellow Shoots
– Jeremy Glenn

[MP3] DJ Nana – BIG Feat. Dennis Passley, eMDee & I.James.Jones / Lullaby Feat. Saukrates

Deejay Nana is a major friend of the site. He and I.James.Jones contributed a Fresh Kils-produced track, “P.S.A” to our DK11 compilation album under their group name, The Names Are Known back in 2014. Then last year he gave me the dope Afro/Hip-House track, “Lullaby” featuring fellow DK11 alum, the legendary Saukrates. Hopefully we’ll get to chat with him about the making of that latter track and his evolution as an artist, producer and DJ between the two DK compilation contributions. In the meantime though, here’s his plug for his latest single, “BIG” featuring the homies, Dennis Passley, eMDee and his Names compadre, I.James.Jones:

truth is i didn’t even realize that yesterday [March 9] was 22 years since we lost the Notorious B.I.G. as i had planned on dropping this one as soon as my engineer and i could settle on a mix we both liked. even still, here is yet another track i recorded in the living room of the apartment i shared with producer/rapper Rich Kidd, at some point between 2013 and 2015 (together eMDee, IJAMESJONES and i call ourselves ‘The Names Are Known‘ – this song appears on a EP i produced for the squad called ‘FLY BLAH BLAH’ … THE COLD is another song that appears on said EP which currently lives in the studio computer – only heard by a chosen few).

get BIG.

Credits:
Produced & Recorded by DJ Nana
Mixed by Ian ‘Project’ Theriault
Artwork by Erica Crossfield for Anchor Point Design

[Interview] Audego – Disconnected (from DK15) / Ode to Self

It’s been a while since we’ve been on the blog to regularly update it. An unexpected 3 month trip to LA for another one of our side pursuits derailed my ability to keep it up at all, never mind even continue the promotion of the amazing 15 track complilation album, Quinceañera: Marvelous Ish we’d just released to celebrate the 15th birthday of the site before we had to jet to the left coast.

No matter! We’re back and we’re gonna make sure everyone who missed listening to Quinceañera does so by hook or by crook. Too much good music to let it all slip through the cracks like that.

Because it was International Women’s Day on Friday we’re gonna start with Audego, our favorite Australian duo fronted by the wonderful Carolyn in conjunction with her partner, Pasobionic. I had a chance to chat with her over email shortly before I left for LA and the following is the conversation that resulted:

You are one of less than a handful of artists who were on the DK11 compilation that are back with a track for DK15. “Gone” was the runaway success track from that album getting picked up by Pigeons + Planes and other tastemaker sites. What’s been going on with Audego since then?

We’ve been very slowly creating a new EP. Paso has been working with his other band, Curse ov Dialect and I was busy finishing my Masters, but we’re trying to focus on having the release ready by end of year. (ed note: 2018).

Most people would probably categorize Audego’s music as electronic and/or left-field but I know you guys considered yourselves more influenced by hip-hop and R&B music. Given the very noticeable shift in the sound of R&B and even pop music towards more alternative, underground and electronic sounds in the past few years, how has that affected what you guys do musically?

Maybe. I love how inventive pop music has become. We are both secretly pop music fans and I think it’s exciting how left field sounds are being embraced by the mainstream. It probably influences us subconsciously, but we try to just do our own thing and not really emulate what other people are doing.

Last time we talked you said that, emotionally, you can be pretty stunted and songwriting can be a sort of exorcism for you, that your music a sort of avenue for you to express things that have been too much for you to cope with. I know you’ve been through some tough things since then. How has the role music has played in your life or your relationship to it as an artist and the songwriting process evolved as a result?

I’m actually getting to a point where I don’t want to sing about my own experiences and I would like to get more into fictional lyrics. I’ve loved the cathartic aspect to song writing, but as I’m getting older I’m feeling less inclined to share my stories with strangers.

What is (the DK15 song submission,) “Disconnected” about? It felt like it was maybe a commentary about fake nature of the “connections” we have in this current social media era?

I wrote the lyrics after my father passed away. I was very stunted emotionally at that point. We had a very complex relationship and I was feeling very lost, which is what I tried to convey in the track. There’s no hook or chorus, just a series of moments cos I didn’t feel at the time I had any place to come back to. Sonically we were going for the dysfunctional tech vibe. Even the sample sounds a bit like the disconnected phone message we get in Australia, but much prettier.

So “Disconnected” is from a project titled Lowkey Lowlife planned for release in Dec. (ed note: the project has not yet been released) Can you talk about what you have in store for that at all?

We were initially building a concept EP around social media and surveillance, but I think it’s gone rogue at this point. We keep thinking it’s almost done, but then we keep writing new ones.

CLICK HERE to read the full interview on the DIFFERENT KITCHEN Facebook page.

[ALBUM PREMIERE] DIFFERENT KITCHEN presents QUINCEAÑERA: MARVELOUS ISH

Official press announcement:

Long-running, acclaimed Toronto music site, DIFFERENT KITCHEN officially announces the release of its new compilation album project, QUINCEAÑERA: MARVELOUS ISH to celebrate its 15th anniversary today (SEPTEMBER 7) .

QUINCEAÑERA, a 15-track multi-genre collection of all new and unreleased music (some on an exclusive basis), will be released as a promo-only album on the Soundcloud platform and will be co-premiered by Canada’s leading music destination, Exclaim! magazine.

Speaking about the Quinceañera project, DIFFERENT KITCHEN founder, IAN STEAMAN said, “After the success of our 11th anniversary compilation, THIS ONE GOES TO ELEVEN… it only made sense to do another one around this important milestone. But only if we could do it bigger and better and I think we’ve succeeded in doing that. We’ve got everything from hottest up-and-coming talent right from here in Canada to legendary veterans and artists who’ve been the best ever at their craft all together on one record. Great music can come from anywhere and that’s always been the mission of the blog from jump: to always celebrate and champion it, to the very best of our ability.”

But enough chit-chat: JUST HIT PLAY AND ENJOY!!!

Related:

Peep the interviews and singles…

– OSIYM – Blueprint [WORLD PREMIERE]

– Yellow Shoots – sirens [WORLD PREMIERE]

– Nate Husser – Duck Hunt [MP3 Premiere]

Hit the jump for album credits and praise for the Kitchen and DK capo, Ian….

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