King Britt and the Divine Gift

Written by Alessandro Gambaro on Monday, 05 October 2009 09:11

One of the DJs that I have always wanted to see play live is King Britt. Why? Because you never know what to expect from his sets. Take a look at his discography and you will understand that every album is a unique gem. The Philadelphia native is unquestionably a maestro of the turntables but his production ability goes way further, it is a truly a gift from the Divine.

Alessandro Gambaro: I read that your dad had a barber shop and, along with your mom, they used to collect records. This influenced your music taste and future career. What kind of music did you listen to growing up?

King Britt: I listened to mostly free jazz (mom) like Sun Ra, Mtume, Coltrane, Dee Dee Bridgewater etc and funk was all my dad... When I got into highschool i went heavy into rock and new wave....which turned into house...and techno...

AG: The reason you started Djing is because you were sharing the house with Josh Wink and Grover Washington, Jr.’s son. Tell me more about this.

KB: I always made mixtapes in highschool but never thought about pursuing djing. I lived in this great house together with Wink, Grover and my good friend Blake. Blake always told me that I should DJ, especially cause i was the Dance Music buyer for Tower records, I had stuff no one had access to. So he and Wink had a party called Vagabond along with my best friend Dozia. I would open and then eventually started a night at an after hours club called Revival and then to the now legendary Silk City (which I still do).

AG: Can you tell me about the Digable Planets years, and your evolution from DJ to Producer?

KB: Well, while working at Tower Records, I ran into Ishmael Butler (Butterfly). He had worked on this amazing demo (Digable) and needed copies. So he came by the house to dub tapes. I had never heard such an amazing demo before. We became really close friends (to this day) and soon after he moved to NYC to get a deal [sic]. He got the deal five months later and asked if I would be in the band. I refused because I had been producing many house hits for Strictly Rhythm and various remixes for major labels. So I had been producing since 1987. I went from Producer to DJing. A bit later he asked if I would tour the world as the dj and the rest is history. Butterfly and crew had finished production on the record and i joined in later to tour for 2 years straight. I then quit to produce full time beginning with the amazing Sylk130!
King Britt - Image Courtesy of Jos Kottman

King Britt - Image Courtesy of Jos Kottman

AG: Every record that you made is different from the previous one. Just to name a few:

a.     When the Funk Hits the Fan

b.     Re-Members

c.     Cosmoafrique

d.     Adventures in Lo-Fi

e.     Sister Gertrude Morgan

f.      Deep and Sexy 4

g.     Scuba

Your career points in different directions…how do you decide what project are you going to start? Why?

KB: I absolutely love music. I feel that it is a gift from the divine and I am very fortunate to be a vessel in bringing the messages to the masses. I never took lessons but I use my heart, technology, faith and fantastic musicians to get the message out. I try to master every type of sound because a truly great producer can do anything (Quincy Jones !!) I never really know what im going to do next. I just follow my intuition. But I feel I have definitely found my calling with experimental electronic music, which I'm working on now. I feel the next 5 years are going to be my most daring and creative to date.

AG: I read that you get most of your music on iTunes, is it correct? Do you still dig in the crates?

KB: Crate digging will never die. There is nothing like finding that $1 gem in a thrift store. But you can also dig digitally. iTunes, Dancetraxx Digital and other stores have so so much to look thru. It's so much fun to do it from the comfort of your bed. Its not how you get it, its what you do with it !

AG: Your work has been featured in True Blood and previously in Miami Vice, how do you like making music for movies and TV? Where do you get your inspiration?

KB: Those two things just kinda came from good intention. We made some really amazing records that lent themselves to visuals. I feel this is because I think visually when creating anything. This of course led to working on underscoring and music for commercials I want to work on music for TV and movies, only if we have full creative freedom. I don't want to be a puppet for the director. I have been very fortunate in my collaborations with Michael Mann and others.

AG: In your opinion what’s the best remix you have ever made?

KB: This is pretty impossible because I feel something for all of them. Here are my three faves:

1. Rhythm of Life (King Britt Remix)- Kindred

2. For the Love of Money (King Britt Remix)- Ojays (unreleased)

3. Anne (King Britt Moody Mix)- Santigold

With these remixes, i had very close relationships with the artists. Like the O'jays remix, I did it with Gamble and Huff. This was probably the most mind blowing experience ever. Huff even played the keys!!!
King Britt - Image Courtesy of Jos Kottman

AG: What are the music artists that you admire the most at this moment?

KB: I really love Santigold's writing skills. She is a true pop song writer. I feel Beck has really come into being a very exciting artist, especially with his Record Club collaborations. Flying Lotus is definitely doing fantastic things for electronic music. I also like what Switch has been doing. Sonically he is an aural assasin!

AG: Do you prepare your DJ sets, or is it all improvisation of the moment?

KB: Always improvisation. Im old school. I would never prepare a set...only for live performance, but even then we leave a lot to chance. We have been doing this with http://www.saturnneversleeps.com. My fiancé and I have been creating some groundbreaking electronic improvisational nights.

AG: Where are some of your favourite cities to spin? Best crowds around the world?

KB: Each crowd that comes out is great because they are coming for the music. It could be three people in a room and their energy may be better than if there were 100 posers...hahaha. My fave cities have been Tokyo, Lisboa and Philadelphia. My fave clubs have been The Loft (NYC), Cielo (NYC), Yellow (NYC), Lux (Lisboa) and Silk City (Philly)
King Britt - Image Courtesy of Jos Kottman

AG: Do you have any new projects going on? New album? Collaborations?

KB: The Saturn Never Sleeps project is most important at the moment. Its the collab with my fiancé. We have been creating a movement in Philadelphia of like minded electronic improvisationalists and DJs. We now have an amazing blog and monthly at The Painted Bride Arts Center. We are spreading to NYC and Europe soon. Working on three new albums. Intricate Beauty for Nervous (the greatest label of the 90s), Swoon which is the new Sylk130 album and the latest in the trilogy for Summer release. It will be on my FiveSixMedia label. And Saturn Never Sleeps label, which will showcase all experimental electronic musicians.

AG: Top 5 current records?

KB:
1. Sand Cant Tell Time- Ramon Tejada

2. Remembering Charlie- Fhloston Paradigm

3. On Me (King Britt Remix)- Bjorn

4. Zanzibar (Take Your Time)- Dynomite Brothers feat Tanja Dixon

5. Green- The Nova Dream Sequence

AG: Classic Top 5?
1.- Cocomotion- Cocomotion
2.- Nights Over Egypt- Jones Girls
3.- Funkier Than A Mosquitos Tweeter- Nina Simone
4.- Talking Loud and Saying Nothing- James Brown
5.- Meltdown- Hustler's Convention

AG: Last question…did you ever want to become a barber?

KB: Hahahahahah...nope!

For more information visit: www.fivesixmedia.com/ or www.myspace.com/kingbritt

-- Alessandro Gambaro
King Britt - Image Courtesy of Hannan Seleh