Kaz James’ summer is heating up, with a new single now out on Nic Fanciulli’s Saved Records (available on Beatport and Spotify), as well as recently making his debut on Dennis Ferrer’s Objektivity – the only artist to be releasing on the label this summer.
Known for his driving, emotive productions Kaz James has further releases scheduled for the summer on Glasgow Underground and Circus Recordings.
Earlier this year, Kaz supported Guy Gerber for his 5 million dollars RUMORS Coachella after party and has returned to Scorpios, Mykonos for his fourth year as Sunday resident. It’s a really exciting time for Kaz, so we found it fitting to have a chat with him to dig into all the hard work behind this explosive summer, as well as to premiere his new single out on Saved.
Hey Kaz, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. How has life been treating you recently?
Thanks for having me! It’s been amazing so far. I’m based out of Mykonos this summer, so I’m living the island life.
You’re soon set to release your new single ‘Twisted’. Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the song?
I made the record in LA with my good friend Nick Morgan. We were basically messing around in the studio and then out of nowhere ended up with that cool bass riff that you hear in the breakdown. From there we then built the record around that riff, and added the vocal.
What sets ‘Twisted’ apart from the rest of your catalogue? How would you describe this song to individuals previously not familiar with your music?
I don’t think its miles apart from my last single “Animal”, it’s a very similar vein. I feel the vocals give the record a bit of a rock n’ roll feel which you can hear across a lot the records I have made over the years. However I feel that ‘Twisted’ is a turning point track in my production career. It’s really where I want my sound to sit as an artist.
‘Twisted’ follows in the wake of your recent success with ‘Animal’ which was heavily supported by Danny Howard and Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1. Do you feel any pressure or anxiety to ensure the new single is received in a similar way?
It’s good to feel anxiety and pressure. It means that you care. When you put a track out there all you can do is hope for the best and sometimes if you have a great record and a bit of luck you can get the response you were looking for.
The song will be released Nic Fanciulli’s acclaimed Saved label. What was it about Nic Fanciulli that made you think his label would be the best home for its release? Can we have some insight into the nature and genesis of your relationship with him?
Nic and myself have been friends for years. He’s actually one of the first guys I met on the circuit. He has been releasing amazing records for years on Saved. When we made the record I just had this feeling that Nic would be really into it and that fans of the label would appreciate the record too.
‘Twisted’ marks Nick Morgan’s first ever release. What was it about him and his sound that led you to seek him out for a collaboration?
Well he has beautiful eyes and wears cute specs that just ooze collaboration lol. No, in all seriousness, we met through a mutual friend James Doman in the studio in LA and I stayed with him for a few weeks over the winter. We just started messing around in the studio and came up with ‘Twisted’. So I never really head hunted him, it was completely organic.
As you’re Australian-born and Nick is from Canada, how did your differing roots inform any exchange or musical insight during your time in the studio together?
I think that our Commonwealth flare had a major part in making this record…. if you’re talking about drinking tea! To be honest, we actually talked a lot about music that we were into when we were growing up and we seemed to really be into similar stuff, “back in the day” lol.
Are there any other emerging and rising artists you would be open to working on a collaborative release with? If so, who?
I’m always down for working with everyone, no matter what style. You can always keep learning! No one specific as of right now, so we’ll see.
Is there a particular song you have that you look forward to most when playing your show?
It really changes every week. I kind of base my sets around the last record I’m going to play and just build towards that record through out my set.
You have a weekly DJ residency at Scorpios Mykonos and you’re also set to play two eagerly-awaited dates of Guy Gerber’s party series in Mykonos. How do you go about keeping your sets fresh for the audience?
It’s just a lot of homework and continually searching for new records all the time. We get so many of the same people coming to the venue every week that I have to keep it as fresh as possible.
What else can your fans look forward to for the rest of the year?
I’ve got quite a lot of tunes coming, which I’m hoping everyone will be into.
Kaz James’ “Twisted” is out now on Saved Records and available exclusively on Beatport
