Another musical pioneer from the Motor City has been making his presence over the past 12 months. ROB CHADWICK speaks to 18-year-old Kyle Hall, the young producer who's got Detroit's finest singing his praises…
Detroit, the city that has given the world some of the most innovative music ever, is at it again. The birthplace of techno must have something in the water, because here in the 21st century, it's still producing musicians who have the pioneering spirit flowing through their veins. And the latest to emerge from the Motor City is 18-year-old Kyle Hall, a precocious young producer who's getting massive props from the likes of Omar-S and Theo Parrish.
Kyle's been involved in Detroit’s house scene since he was 11, breaking through at the age of 16, when he was picked up by Omar-S's FXHE label. Since then, Kyle has become something of a protege for Omar, with the deep house DJ delivering a recent Fabric radio mix which consisted solely of Kyle Hall productions. Now Kyle is one the most highly touted new producers on the Motor City scene, and his own label, Wild Oats, has been attracting all sorts of attention thanks to a genre-hopping mindset that takes in everything from house and hip hop, to jazz and electro. With releases on Hyperdub, Warp, and Hypercolour to his name, as well as productions for Alex Jones and Jamie Russell's new imprint Glass Table just around the corner, EQ caught up with Kyle to talk genres, Omar-S and Wild Oats…
You've been involved in music since you were 11. How did you get noticed within the Detroit scene and what were your early teens like?
My involvement in the music scene started by me meeting people in record shops, just organically getting to know people by talking to them. Then I'd make mix CDs all the time and pass them to people. I'd give them to everyone, from people at record shops to people at school. By the time I got to high school, I was making beat CDs, not just DJ mixes. Then I'd sell those or give them away or whatever. By ninth grade at high school, people thought the music I made was real weird. Kids mostly listen to the whatever's on the radio, which excludes electronic dance music. But I just kept doing my shit – I was in my own world. I had another life outside high school. By 10th grade I was DJing a bit around Detroit and making tracks all the time, associating with everyone I could in the music scene. That was the year I met Omar-S. After that meeting a world of new possibilities opened up. So I was totally focused on making music. People at school started to respect me more once they saw I put out a record. That shit blew their minds. "Like how he do dat shit?"
You caught Omar's eye when you were 16. How did this come about?
I met Omar at the 3 Chairs DEMF afterparty in 2006. Actually, I was 15 then – but when the record came out I was 16. He was DJing there and he approached me afterwards. He said Marcellus Pittman heard some of my weird, crazy tracks and thought Omar would be interested in them.
Was it a special feeling having all your tracks mixed by Omar on his infamous Fabric radio mix?
Yeah, it was cool because some of those tracks are ones I gave him when we first met. I didn't know he held on to all that shit. Kind of a surprise.
You also have your own imprint, Wild Oats. How would you describe the label?
It's a place where I can release my most honest feelings. Whatever I release on the label tends to be where I am mentally and emotively at a given time.
You have a tendency to move through genres. Tell us about your production ideas.
I make music, so I don't restrict myself to one style or school of thought. I just make what I feel. Whatever has sonically touched me rubs off in my production.
You're now getting to play at some of the top clubs around the world. Which has been your favourite so far?
My favourite is Clare Cellars, a smaller venue in Cambridge that I played this past January. I felt so loved there. But I like Fabric too. Really fun club.
What's next for you in terms of production and gigs?
For production I've been working on another Wild Oats track called the NSNT Project. I have Kaychunk/You Know What I Feel, my Hyperdub 12", out in March. As Far as gigs go, I'm doing the Detroit 25-year techno party in Miami for the WMC. It should be really special – the line-up is ridiculous. You got Carl Craig, me, Theo Parrish, Moodymann, Kenny Larkin, Monty Luke, Kevin Saunderson and Stacey Pullen all playing one party…
Kaychunk/You Know What I Feel is out now on Hyperdub. Kyle's remix on Warp is due out in early April. Visit www.myspace.com/kylehalldetroit and http://soundcloud.com/fabric/kyle-hall-exclusive-fabric-blog-mix for a promo mix he did for Fabric
