We’ve had lots of DJ-oriented How I Play interviews, but today we’ve got a special treat – Keys N Krates explain their full live band setup, featuring a drum kit, Ableton Live, Serato, and a whole lot of collaborative practice between the three band members. Put it all together and you get awesome live trap music performances, a truly unique experience for the genre of music that is usually full of traditional DJing.
In the Keys N Krates band, there are three distinct players, each of whom have a unique role that they take on.
- Adam Tune is the drummer, rocking a set of Roland electronic drums, playing in time with the triggered samples on the other two setups.
- David Matisse rocks an Akai MPK61 with custom laid out samples across the keyboard for each individual song, all triggering in Ableton Live. It’s a very non-traditional setup, but it works well for what he needs to do.
- Jr. Flo is the most “DJ” oriented of the entire band – with a set of turntables running Serato control vinyl. He scratches samples and manipulates them with effects on an Akai MPD26. He also has a guitar reverb pedal (watch more on using guitar pedals in DJ sets here) which allows him to apply some solid reverb to samples when needed.
More Keys N Krates Tunes
We love sharing new music from the DJs and producers who we get to interview, so here’s a taste of what the guys from KnK are putting out right now:
Dig this How I Play video? Check out more really awesome ones in the links below, or request someone for us to seek out in a future interview!
Special thanks to 1015 Folsom for the header photo and allowing us to shoot at soundcheck.
The one thing I couldn’t figure out from the video is what Audio interface David Matisse is using, or how he gets the audio out from his laptop. The Akai MPK61 is a midi controller, so where’s his sound come from?
[…] and remixing them together. It’s a collaborative process that seems unparalleled (although Keys N Krates live setup and performance style has some similarities) in the dance music […]
[…] songs and remixing them together. It’s a collaborative process that seems unparalleled (although Keys N Krates live setup and performance style has some similarities) in the dance music […]
[…] and remixing them together. It’s a collaborative process that seems unparalleled (although Keys N Krates live setup and performance style has some similarities) in the dance music […]
[…] sick to see how they handle it in their live set up. (Which is completely insane…Check out their Interview with DJ Tech Tools). The amount of work that goes into performing each of their songs live is […]
So good!
This is the future of DJing. I use traktor, maschine, and a mininova, but they’re totally right about synth layering. I started out 100% analog with a bunch of amps, synares, etc., to layer over tracks, but analog just doesn’t have the flexibility you need for live performance.
dope…
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For those of you youngin’s who aren’t familiar with Jr Flo, check this video out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBDNk79CIXw
Particularly the part at 1:24 is probably my all time favorite piece of a battle routine. Sorry I couldn’t find a better quality version.
Where do they store the streaker? Haha
Really awesome video!! Always wondered how it worked up there for them,
They are not real djs because they dont play vinyl! joking lol, Key and Krates always deliver a fire show. EDC 2015 they brought the fire!
My buddies and I came across them ad edclv 15 and we loved every minute of their set. It’s amazing how these guy have to work together and coordinate their sets! I have so much love for knk.
Keys n Krates are so good! I fell in love with them when they released their Every Night EP, and then even more when I found out how they perform.
awesome video 😀
just love the how I play series