“Sounds like Stadium-sized house”
Mixmag, June 2011
“Great, great set ! ”
The world’s biggest DJ - Tiesto - proves Mixmag right, congratulating Kryder after playing Privilege, Ibiza, August 2011
Rumours of Kryder bubbled up from the clubland underground in the spring months of 2011. There was talk of top hats and sci-fi visors; of dark magic and massive tunes; of a dwarf in a Mexican wrestling mask and a producer genius with silver hair. As the summer took hold the sun seemed to draw Kryder out into the open and he finally announced himself as a live act in the August of that year – as a guest of Tiesto, playing to an 8000 strong crowd in the main room at Privilege in Ibiza - the world’s largest nightclub.
The fact that Kryder’s live career kicked off on the biggest clubland stage on this planet goes some way to explaining the scale and ambition of this project. It’s all such a long way its genesis, deep within the UK clubland: the very moment Kryder cued up one of his own tracks in a dark, basement club… the very moment the beat kicked in, hands went up in the air and the next DJ on – a certain Judge Jules – witnessed the damage done and demanded to know what the track was. Kryder passed it to him and Jules proceeded to put it straight back into the C-DJ and hit play… and then once more, to end his set… and then on his Radio 1 show, six weeks in a row. Making it his “Tried and Tested”, Jules said on air that it’s “the best example I’ve heard of really getting the balance right: great chords, huge atmosphere and groovy undertone” and he continues to be a massive fan – for instance inviting Kryder to join him in the studio at Radio 1 on October 7th. That track was called, simply, K2. As soon as it was played on Radio 1, punters across the nation scrambled to find out Kryder’s identity. Debates surfaced on blogs and dance forums.
Labels joined the hunt to track him down….
The person who successfully caught up with Kryder - perhaps not surprisingly considering his profile - was none other than Tiesto. He signed K2 to his Musical Freedom label and successfully promo’d the track during the Miami Winter Music Conference, receiving massive support from the likes of Swedish House Mafia as one of the key WMC tracks, and from Pete Tong, who played the track on his Miami Radio 1 show. That meant – in the same week – K2 had been signed by the world’s biggest DJ, and then played on the year’s key Radio 1 show. Quickly ascending to 12 in the Buzz Chart, DMC said of the track: “this club monster is so banging it hurts” with Mixmag (giving the track 5/5) adding of this “epic Miami monster anthem” that they “expect it to stick around throughout the Ibiza season”. Again, Mixmag were right on the money - as the hype built up, Calvin Harris played K2 during his Essential Mix on Radio 1 and it also featured in the Ibiza Essential Mix, giving further kudos to the cut. It was finally released in June 2011, with Tiesto consistently incorporating it into his sets during his North American tour at that time. It went on to become a Top 10 dance hit worldwide, with Beatport placing it Number 2 in their summer’s biggest Ibiza bombs.
Behind the visor, Kryder (still as mysterious as he is anonymous) has become a leading producer to look out for in 2011, complete with his dwarf sidekick - the classically-trained Dokta Kaotika - and a circus freakshow entourage. “We’re producing music that stands up in any club,” says Kryder himself and that is backed up across the industry: Andi Durrant played Kryder on his networked Capital Radio show, with Kryder featured as a Weekend Player and support has come from Kiss Radio, Juice, Radio City, Global and across European and American stations.
In terms of DJs, Kissy Sellout continues to play Kryder music both on-air and on tour and other support has come from the likes of Calvin Harris, Laidback Luke, Avicii, Zane Lowe, Erick Morillo, Hardwell and Groove Armada. Eddie Halliwell has become such a fan that he asked Kryder to warm up for him at his Ibiza Rocks show. He also made Kryder his One 2 Watch in his latest Beatport Interview. And if all that wasn’t enough, Eddie also invited Kryder to join him on his Fire It Up tour, travelling across the UK this autumn.
So, the look is super kooky but how does Kryder sound? Kryder has a deep, underground edge: progressive house overlaid with trance chords and atmosphere; his tracks like dark, magical postcards sent out across the world.
Pulling 20-hour days, the man Mixmag identified as a “Manchester promoter turned mysterious big-room boomer” is currently locked in his studio remixing for the world’s biggest dance majors such as Warner Bros, EMI and Musical Freedom, working with globally known popstars, deftly skating that crossover from dance to pop worlds. Remixes have covered artists including Tinchy Stryder and Australian band Pnau, with the Kryder remix of their Solid Ground track receiving serious support on Radio 1.
Kryder will soon be back on the road to support this musical output, signing to agency PFA to handle the live side of the outfit - sure to bring a sense of carnival back to clubland. Aside from the Fire It Up tour, Mixmag continue to give props to Kryder, billing him as a “hot UK producer” in their September magazine and inviting him to guest at their recent Manchester party. Other key gigs include Marquee in Las Vegas; Kelly’s in Portrush, Ireland; Digital in Newcastle (UK); Gatecrasher in Birmingham (UK); and The Arches (Glasgow, Scotland). Keep up to date with what a newspaper termed these "midnight vigilantes hovering over the city" at www.kryder.co.uk.
Because 2011 is shaping up to be a massive year for these sonic superheroes….
