Inspired by Hip Hop, 70s Funk and Jazz music, DkA skillfully merges all these influences, above the foundations of Deep House and dancefloor Tech. Following a string of releases on high profile labels like Mobilee, Hot Creations and Get Physical, along with a well respected live show performed across the world, he makes his debut on Constant Circles with a rounded and eclectic EP, showcasing his versatility and craftsmanship as a producer. To celebrate, we invited him for an interview and a guest slot on the radio show.

PREMIERE: DkA – Mi Sentimiento (Original Mix)

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You have been making and performing music for a long time now, when & how did you get into music? 

I started DJing at 13 years old and producing at 18 years old, now I’m 32. I don’t remember exactly how I started but I can say, I’ve been passionate about music since I was a little kid, and one day a friend bought 2 turntables and a mixer, and so I was always at my friends place, and it just went from there.

Did you start as a DJ, producer or live performer? Which do you think is the most important?

I started as DJ, then I thought “If there is some tracks, it’s possible to create it”, so I started to produce, and then after that I started to perform live. Both are equally important, I like to DJ but I like to play live as well.

You describe your influences as Hip-Hip, 70s Funk and Jazz. What is your all time favourite album, and why?

I don’t have an all time favourite album, I like a lot of different music, but my Funk and Jazz influence come from my musical formation as a drummer and saxophonist. Before DJing, I played in different Jazz, funk or classical bands. For the Hip hop I always listened to a lot of this music in the 90’s beside the techno and house.

You have released on some huge labels like Hot Creations and Mobilee, what has been your favourite DkA release so far?

It’s a good question, to be honest I cannot answer, each release I made are different and important to me.

How would you describe your sound? Do you think you fall into a particular genre?

The only thing I can say about it it’s I try to make music for the dance floor, sometimes I’m more into the house, sometimes I’m more into the techno. I do what I feel when I’m in my studio. But the most important thing for me is to create something straight for the dancefloor.

PREMIERE: Dka – The Swarm (Original Mix)

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What is your production process and what are your key pieces of studio kit?

I work a lot with ableton live and I sample a lot of different things, from African percussion to the noise of a bottle of soda (as an example), then I create a loop and when I’m happy with it, I add some melodies, a bass, and I jam with all of this. All of my tracks are recorded live, sometimes I record 5 or 6 versions before becoming happy about the result.

Do you produce your tracks with the intention of performing them live, or they adapted for your shows? What can people expect from your live performances?

Like I said, all my tracks are recorded live, like a jam session, so they are already ready to be played live. I don’t know what people expect from my live performance, to dance I guess!

Your track ‘Vortex’ forthcoming on Constant Circles is a huge dance floor track, did you have the dance floor in mind when you made it?

I always have the dance floor in my mind when I record a track, so yes.

What do you have coming up in terms of releases and gigs?

I just had a new release on Brüxsel Jardin and then my EP on Constant Circles. Plus I have a lot of music ready to be released, on Amselcom and Play Label Records for example.

About the gigs, I just came back from New York and Toulouse, next week I go to Hannover then I’m full until October with gigs like Extrema Outdoor, Labyrinth Open Croatia, Kater Blau, Paradise city, Dour festival, Wecandance and more.

How did you put together your guest mix for the radio show & what have you included – any exclusives or surprises?

I made a DJ set only with my tracks, a lot of them are not released yet and played for the first time, so they are exclusive for the radio show.