IN CONVERSATION WITH KAYTRANADA
by THORE DAMWERTH
With serene grounding and spirited virtuosity, Kaytranada captures the world’s imagination through his sonic creations. In truth, there is no genre that defines his music; instead, he defines a genre all by himself. Hip hop and boogie, disco and funk, R&B and soul – with these and more influences, he crafts what can only be described as the Kaytranada sound.
“Feel-good music is the key to my approach to sound design. It is also a combination of what I grew up listening to and, of course, sampling a lot of music and discovering records makes me wanna create my own melodies.”
Kaytranada
Through his artistry, our cover star has evolved from an insider sensation to one of the most distinctive talents in the global DJ and producer circuit. This conversation chronicles Kaytranada’s inspiring journey from humble beginnings to his thriving present and a visionary yet organically unfolding future.
So let’s begin from the start. Born in Haiti and based in Montreal, Louis Kevin Celestin, Kay’s real name, grew up in a family facing financial struggles. He made the bold decision to drop out of high school to pursue a career as a DJ, driven not only by the desire to support his family but also by his deep passion for music.
What motivated you to drop out of school, and how did that shape your artistic path?
“I just always knew making music was my thing. Even back then, it was a real passion of mine. I noticed that opportunities were coming in, like having to go to L.A. for a Boiler Room show, you know, stuff like that. I was way more interested in that than in passing a class. I always kinda had attention issues when it came to focusing on class; I just found those things really boring. Eventually, it came out that I had some kind of attention disorder, which I didn’t know I had, but it explains exactly why I was struggling at school and why it was so hard for me to go through it. I really wanted to finish and go on with my life, but you know, I love to take my time. And that translates to every aspect of my life. So, the music thing got bigger while I was finishing school. And then, I just had to drop out of school because it got to the point where it was ridiculous; it was stressing me out. I did whatever I could to pass that one test, but I didn’t even pass it, so I was like, ‘Well, okay, this is it’ [laughs]. So I just went on tour, I went to Europe for the first time. This whole experience was quite life-changing.”
During that time, Kaytranada released a series of music projects within the underground realm. It was through these remixes and his original beats that he began to catch the attention of a global audience.
But at what point did you feel like you had made it?
“There were so many moments. The first little belief I had of, ‘Okay, this is undeniably working’ came when I was a teenager. I was doing a lot of albums, and people would buy them. There was a lot of money coming in through my music, so I was like, ‘Okay, this is interesting.’ That kept going and going. Fast forward, I dropped my Janet Jackson remix of ‘If’ on Soundcloud, and it really blew up overnight – that was a big deal for me. And then, three months later, I dropped the ‘Be Your Girl’ Teedra Moses remix, which also blew up. I also met my manager around that time. Things got more serious; you could tell. I always knew that it was gonna happen, but to see it with your own eyes – that made me believe, ‘Okay, this is really working, this is what I’m doing.’”
Truly, Kay’s journey was an organic evolution, shaped by genuine passion and sonic excellence. With growing attention and acclaim, he took the next step by dropping his debut album 99.9% in 2016, receiving widespread recognition and several industry awards. Now established as one of the premier contemporary DJs and producers, Kay followed up with his second album, BUBBA, three years later, to universal praise. It soared to the top of electronic music charts, earned him two Grammys, and solidified his status as a major progressive force in the scene.
Both your albums, 99.9% and BUBBA, have been formative projects for you. How do they reflect your growth as an artist?
“‘99.9%’ was definitely more of an experiment. There were a lot of productions that I had made years prior, so to me, ‘99.9%’ felt like a compilation of everything I had worked for to get where I was at. And since most of the productions on it I really made way before the album came out, it was like I could pick and choose the songs and beats. There are a lot of songs on there that were just leftovers, such as ‘YOU’RE THE ONE,’ which was supposed to be a song for a The Internet album. Also, for ‘GLOWED UP’ I did with Anderson .Paak, I asked him, ‘Can I use this song for my album?’, and he was like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ And I just ran with it. To me, it was just exciting to have these vocals on my music. Since my beginnings of making music, I’ve always felt like I needed that; somebody to sing. That was only different when working with my brother, who I was working with very closely. But to have other artists, like Anderson .Paak, Syd, or Little Dragon jumping on my music, made me feel like, ‘Okay, here we are.’ So that’s how I personally reflect on ‘99.9%’.
And ‘BUBBA,’ to me, was another experiment. It took me three years to work on it since ‘99.9%,’ and it was kinda hard putting the sounds together because I wasn’t really sure if people would be interested enough, you know? But I still kinda snapped out of that mindset and said, ‘You know what, I’ll mould everything together and give it to the label.’ And that really was a success, and there also was a lot of success that came with it. It essentially was a creative idea of making a more dancey album and just going with that theme.”
Kay’s introspection on his collaborative projects with other talented artists sheds light on yet another skill – his mastery of crafting sonic synergies. With his signature sound, he artfully embraces the vocals of his collaborators, resulting in a harmonious sonic blend that embodies his collaborative spirit and artistic vision.
How do you select the artists with whom you collaborate, and how do you approach these collaborative projects?
“To be honest, I don’t feel like I’m choosing who I wanna work with because it just so happened that those people wanted to work with me at the time. I was trying my hardest to get artists for ‘BUBBA,’ for example. It was the most difficult task to get them back again, and I thought my album wouldn’t be interesting if I didn’t have them. And, not gonna lie, I felt like I was being abandoned. So, to me, it felt like all the songs that came out around that time I could pick and choose how I wanted. And I communicated with the artists if we could take it a little further in terms of recording more or working on a song more and making it a full song. But a lot of these collaborations were not really chosen by me; it was more that the artists wanted to work with me at that moment. Because that’s my thing – I feel like I’ve dealt with a lot of situations where I wanted to work with an artist, and that didn’t come out as I expected. And I was thinking to myself, ‘I’m not good enough,’ it would play with my confidence, and I would be very hard on myself. But I learned in the long run that it’s not that deep, it happens. So, yeah, all these collaborations were done by fate and in the moment.”
From R&B singers like H.E.R. and Tinashe to hip-hop artists like Goldlink, soulful voices such as Estelle and Teedra Moses, and even trap and jazz talents like Masego – the list is extensive, yet Kay consistently brings out the best in each one and melds it into his own distinctive sound. One might wonder, what does he find most fascinating and rewarding about this process?
“I just like the idea of being in another artist’s world. For example, when I worked with Pharrell, he was like, ‘Just put me in your world, put me in Kaytranada’s world.’ And that kinda is the best example. For me, as a producer, it’s always interesting when an artist tries themselves in the production. We know that production is something abstract, the signature sound, but all we need is their vocals. I’ve always wanted to see worlds collide within my music.”
One of Kay’s more recent collaborations was with rapper Aminé. Combining their artist aliases to form KAYTRAMINÉ, the duo released their self-titled joint album in May last year, which surged to success. Portraying a masterful fusion of styles, Kaytranada once again demonstrated his wide versatility as a producer.
How did KAYTRAMINÉ start, and what is the vision that both of you have for the project?
“Back in 2013, I dropped this song called ‘At All,’ and Aminé did a freestyle on it. He was really unknown at that time, in college, and just decided to do a freestyle on the beat. I reached out because I heard it and was like, ‘This is really cool, man,’ and big up, you know? Then, he had a mixtape with beats he had rapped on, and one of them was the one of ‘Girl’ from The Internet and me. That’s how long ago it was. He blew up, doing his thing, but we always stayed in touch. Fast forward to the end of the pandemic, I moved to L.A., and everybody was in L.A., including Aminé, who was and still is one of my main friends there. He just said, ‘Yo, we should do an album together.’ For me, it goes back to that question about collaborations; my dream is just to keep on doing projects where I can produce an entire album with an artist. So, I was really into the fact that Aminé wanted to do a whole album with me – I was on it all the way. It’s something to be proud of; I just love producing albums entirely.”
How was it for you guys working together on it?
“We had a house rental somewhere in Malibu where I had this crazy view and was just making beats during the daytime. Then, Aminé would come during the nighttime, and I would show him the beats I made, and he would jump on them and do lots of demos. He would just work on my beats a lot of the time, and we’d send stuff back and forth. It was a collaborative process really through the whole thing. There even was one song on it that we had started in 2019 and then went back to while we were finishing the album.”
With the resounding success of their album and their mutual enjoyment of working together, the duo remains open to collaborating again in the future. However, for now, both artists have returned to focusing on their solo projects. That being said, Kaytranada is about to release his next album at the beginning of June, as he cautiously adds, hopefully.
What can we expect from your new album? Any new directions or themes?
“The album is very sample-heavy, with some synths. It will definitely be my style, but lean more towards my funkier and soulful side. It’s full of R&B and electronic elements, with all these influences around it. That’s the thing with my fans as well – I have a lot of fans who really love my electronic side and a group of fans who love my R&B and hip hop side. So, it’s all of that versatility that I have that attracts my group of listeners. But, yeah, that’s how I express myself.”
What inspired you during the creation of the album?
“I was inspired by my achievements. After winning those awards, you know, I went straight to work and made a lot of music. At the time I was working on this album, I was also working on the ‘KAYTRAMINÉ’ album and the ‘OASIS’ album with AMAKA, while touring at the same time – my new album is an expression of that period.
A feature with Childish Gambino will be on it. My fans are begging me like crazy to release the song. Anderson .Paak will be back, as well as my brother Lou Phelps, Pink Pantheress, and many more. There are plenty of instrumental tracks on there too, just great vibes.”
Some of these upcoming tracks Kay had played in his recent DJ sets already, which, it’s important to add, are always an electrifying experience full of dance and vibrant energy in their own right.
Once, you mentioned your love for uniting diverse people through your music. Could you expand on that and share how you connect with your audience during your sets?
“The most I felt like that was when I was on tour and seeing the crowd coming together and dancing to my music. It’s like seeing all these people coming together—every colour, gender, age—for my music; it’s a beautiful thing. Obviously, I always want everyone to have a good time. But especially today, I really embrace my artistic side. I used to perform for the crowd mostly, but now I want to incorporate my beat cuts and more broken down mixes and stuff like that; it’s just a different type of how I approach my mixes. Of course, I’m trying to please the crowd, but also I’m trying to please myself first too.”
Have there been any recent performances that particularly stood out to you?
“I could say that for most of the festivals I did last year. I did that one festival in Portugal called Super Bock; that was a great show. Coachella was also a striking moment. When I look back on it, I feel like I just want to keep doing better. Even though it was amazing, it was like a ten out of ten performance, I still want to do better. You know, mixing is no problem for me, but it’s also the stage and how I present myself. Also, I made the transition from Traktor to CDJ, so now I kinda look better on stage, cooler.”
Speaking of looking cool on stage, Kay might be a bit too critical of himself here. Whether he’s rocking those tight Celine t-shirts, a sleek Martine Rose zip-up hoodie, or his own KAYTRAMINÉ tiny top merchandise designs, he got that effortless sense of style. Over the years, Kay has gradually immersed himself in the fashion scene, from live playing the runway soundtrack for a Reese Cooper show at Paris Fashion Week to making appearances at Acne Studios events and Gucci shows, among others.
How do you personally view the fashion scene, and perhaps reflect on your own evolving role within it?
“I’ve always loved fashion, so it’s really nice to be part of that world in a sense. Also, the fact that I hired a stylist and fashion PR helps me with my fashion side. It’s actually kind of a blessing because it makes me look better and more interesting on stage. You know, for a while, I didn’t really care about how I was gonna present myself, but now, I cannot look not good on stage. But yeah, the fashion world has been very welcoming; I’m glad that I’m getting dressed and brands are sending me looks and stuff. And it’s a really different world where I kinda feel like a baby, like I’m new to this.”
And what’s your personal style like?
“I feel like I’ve developed a different approach to how I wanna look. Nowadays, I also have to remind myself sometimes like, ‘Oh, now I actually have the money to buy these clothes.’ Sometimes I don’t realise that. I’m always trying to look like a star when I go out [laughs]. But also, I dress comfortably; you know, I would just wear the most comfortable, whatever, Balenciaga hoodie with the most comfortable Acne pants, some loafers. It became more of an interest to me like, ‘I can’t really look dusty in the streets, I gotta look good.’”
While Kaytranada’s journey is already a success story across many artistic dimensions, there is still so much to come from him. With his extraordinary artistry and beautiful soul, he truly enriches the global electronic music scene.
What are some aspirations or dreams you still hope to achieve in your career and in your life?
“To be honest, my dream keeps on living. I’m now living my dream, and I just wanna keep it going because I see how people around me are proud of me and also just how proud I am of myself just by doing what I love. And my dream is also for the people around me to have that too, to have that same kinda passion and that same success. My dream is just that everybody around me is successful and has that belief that they can do it too, you know? Sounds cheesy, but yeah [laughs].”
TEAM CREDITS:
talent KAYTRANADA
photography & art direction DEON HINTON
styling VON FORD
muah ALEXA HERNANDES via THE WALL GROUP
lighting ZACHARY GRAY
photography assistant JER AQUINO
retouching ARTIFEX
editor-in-chief TIMOTEJ LETONJA
production assistant & interview THORE DAMWERTH
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN
special thanks to ZEREK STUDIO
