Kai Alce interview: “One thing about the UK is that they know the classics…”
Kai Alce on a country-crossing, genre-spanning life in music
Ahead of his London show over the August Bank Holiday Weekend – full details below – we chat with Atlanta’s deep house hero Kai Alce about geography, (house) history and much, much more….
Hi and thanks for your time…. First of all, can you tell us where you are right now, and what kind of day you’re having… Been anywhere already or going anywhere interesting later?
I just got back from playing with DJ Picat the Italian in Johannesburg, South Africa for the first time which was definitely a bucket list experience.
We’re very much looking forward to catching you in London over the Bank Holiday Weekend… Do you have fond memories of playing here and in the UK in general?
Hmm…my first time in the UK was with Rap Saunders probably for his Soulmates party. Another was an early Boiler Room which was just that…a real boiler! It was so HOT! and they only had Budweiser beer – boo which was disappointing but I barreled thru “like a legend” ha ha 🙂
How are the UK audiences compared to other places in the world? Anything you make a point of doing/playing when you’re here?
One thing about the UK is that they know the classics. The house classics…I remember dropping a Bas Noir classic at We Out Here Festival last year and the whole festival went up!
You’re quite a prolific artist – compared to some anyway.. Do you work 9-5 (what a way to earn a living) or are you a night owl, or is there no pattern to your hours?
Prolific! Ha and thanks. I’ve always thought I was slow compared to most. Music is my life. I was definitely a night owl, but I seem to get to bed earlier now.
Tell us about your most current releases and mixes…
There’s quite a lot out right now including “Underground & Black” by Kai Alcé ft.Ash Lauryn and my remixes of Ozim’s Mausiki Scales both on NDATL Muzik.
Then there’s my remixes of Mystic V’s “In Search For The Good” on Leman Records, remixes of ‘Found Love Within’ by Myles Bigelow, Sadé Awele on Deep Culture Records and remixes of Vick Lavender’s ‘Chicago Blue Line’ on Cataleya Music..
You are, as your Instagram account says: “Born in NY, Raised in the D & Now lives in the A!” Do you think these geographical shifts have helped you find your own style a bit more, rather than slotting into a certain scene.
Most definitely NY, Detroit & Chicago taught me, but ATL gave me the landscape to use what I learned and create my own lane.
We’ve been loving your fellow Atlanta resident Byron The Aquarius’ music, is there anyone else from the city we should be keeping an eye out for?
Stefan Ringer , Ben Hixon, June Jazzin, Sculptured Music, Soulfreakah and Ed Nine.
You’re usually put in the deep house bracket but you were in Detroit and played a key role in the formative years of what would become the techno scene – do you see a difference between the two and does it really matter?
It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s good to my standards. I see it, hear it and feel it the same.
You moved into fashion recently, making t-shirts and even your trademark sunglasses… Any other areas you’d like to move into, either fashion-wise or in other areas?
As eyewear was natural to me as I wear glasses I am content at the moment to just make my mark there, but who knows the Kai Alce lifestyle brand might be just over the horizon.
And what are you up to musically at the moment? What are you hearing that’s inspiring you? Any live/DJ/remix action we should know about and also anything coming up release-wise?
There’s always something cooking at NDATL and we have new releases coming from Just On ft Terrance Downs, a collaboration between myself, Hanna and Nico Lahs. I am also in the process of starting a new sublabel called NUTRIA Sounds which I hope to get off the ground before the end of the year, featuring releases from Shaka, Marcelo Cruz and newcomer Reagan Ruler.
Ben Willmott
Kai Alcé plays an exclusive show at the Househead LDN Daytime party alongside Rap Saunders, Craig Smith, Deli G, Nick Standen, Carlene and more on Saturday August 24th at Aures, 18 Leake St, Waterloo, SE1 7NN, running from 3pm until 1am.