Producer and DJ from Wellington, New Zealand currently based in Paris, France. Representing drum and bass worldwide for the masses.

KRPT is a DJ from Wellington New Zealand, currently residing in Paris, France. With a unique worldly view on modern dance music, he brings a breath-takingly fresh view to the drum and bass and jungle scene. We recently caught up with him from the banks of the Seine…

How ya doing?

Good mate! Just easing into summer in Paris – got the Olympics coming up which everyone is grumbling about (as if more tourists were needed here!)

What’s cooking? Any imminent releases?

I’ve been fine tuning a bunch of tunes, a few bits here and there – should have something for Full Send a little later on in the year with any luck.

Can you tell our readers a little about your musical journey? Who or what got you into music?

I grew up latched on to anything computer related – at first it was all about the games, but once I discovered the demoscene and tracker music, I was hooked. My first foray into sampling involved splicing the ends of two old headphone cables together, one for the tape deck and one for the input on my Sound Blaster! I was a tracker head all the way from about 1993. Something about the way the (usually ripped) sounds were manipulated, the limitations involved, the sharing and connecting (long and painful BBS sessions or floppy disks in the mail, for those who know!) all appealed to me.

How did you first get involved in the drum and bass/jungle music scene?

I used to hear bits of jungle on the local student radio station (around ‘95 or so) and as I was already a fan of hardcore rave thanks to the tracker tunes, it was a natural progression to We had a decent local club/rave scene in my hometown by the time I was old enough to experience it, the first few visitors from the top of the world made their way down to spin in our warehouses and seedy clubs. Once word got out how amazing of a place New Zealand was, their mates followed suit and we had an influx of top d’n’b names, hosted by our own excellent DJs of course!

Are there any particular tracks or albums that have had a significant influence on your style?

Definitely – there are some all time faves that just stuck in my head – Nu Skool Flava on SOUR was one, anything by the Elementz Of Noize back then, Torque on No U-Turn, T Power’s The Self Evident Truth of an Intuitive Mind is an album that gets played regularly (in full!), anything by Boymerang … man, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop this list once I get going!

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What’s Shaggin’ Wagon all about?

Shaggin’ Wagon actually came about after I’d done some of the DNB Academy sound remake tutorials on YouTube – most of the bass sounds were made in Serum in those tut’s, but I produce almost exclusively on iOS these days, so I tried to transfer the techniques used in Serum to my iOS synths, resulting in something new – the four tracks on the EP all use these bass sounds. The name Shaggin’ Wagon comes from trying to find a random name for a track with no particular vocal hook to name it after!

Being based in Paris, do you feel that you have your finger on the pulse of European DNB? How does it compare to the UK?

I wouldn’t say I’m 100% current with Europe’s sound but what I have noticed, at least in France, is there’s a big sound system culture (which probably stems from their love of urban and ethnic music) that manages to counter the massive summer festival scene they have here. Dnb-wise, they’re bang into their neuro sound, which I’d have to say is VERY European – a lot of touring neuro artists and DJs pass through.

What role do you think Paris (France) has/had in shaping electronic music culture?

Well, we’re all likely familiar with the French Touch artists like Daft Punk, Air, Justice etc. Despite their pop appeal, their music has roots in experimental traditions dating back to the days of musique concrète. Take off the masks and Daft Punk are just another Coldcut, pushing the boundaries of their machines and exposing listeners to new (or old) musical experiences they might have otherwise missed.

From your Facebook feed, you seem to have quite a knowledge of modern music, outside of dance who floats your boat?

Too many to name, but MF DOOM, King Tubby, Tribe, El Michels Affair, The Sorcerers, Martin Denny, Mancini, Thundercat, Boozoo Bajou, Yusef Lateef, The Pharcyde, Khruangbin, Tim Maia, Roy Ayers… just a small chunk on rotation! *i just realised most of those names aren’t that modern 😂

Who’s on your current d’n’b playlist?

Fanboy of the following: Break, Alix Perez, anything DLR is involved with, M-Zine, Bungle, Monty, Visages, Molecular, Basic Rhythm, Sully, SL8R, Black Barrel, Dunk, Enta, Anile… once again too many to name, plus it all gets mixed up with the older stuff of course!

How do you stay inspired and innovative in your music production?

I think it’s about exposing yourself to other art forms and keeping an open mind – I have a lot more ideas and projects on the go than I’ve ever had writers block – it’s hard to capture an idea when you’re on the go, but since I’ve gone almost 100% mobile I can kick something off wherever I am! Even ripping a sample can be done entirely in the pocket (except from vinyl obviously!) – plus I have the added bonus of knowing I’m one of the only ones currently using this technique (for d’n’b at least), so while it might not always end up in a competitive state, I’ll always have something a little different from the standard Serum/Ableton combo (not that there’s anything wrong with that of course!)

Who’s been your best collaborator so far?

Thanks to the 24 Karat crew I was able to do a remix for nu-skool junglist Veak which was a great opportunity – big up Danny Styles and the lads!

Who would you like to work with in the future?

I’d always wanted to work with an MC and I have something in the pipeline that I might have to send your way when it’s ready!

How do you see the future of drum and bass music evolving?

There seems to be a lot of moaning these days (maybe it’s always been the case) about streaming, the club scene, EDM, festivals, the price of production, social media – did I mention AI? As usual, technology will pave the way forward and people will pine for the good old days – as far as the music goes, as long as the tempo stays the same, anything goes! I’m consistently surprised by the increasing quality of music coming out – there seems to be a constant push and pull between old school sensibilities/techniques and boundary pushing.

Can you talk about any challenges you’ve faced in your career and how you’ve worked through them?

I’ve always tried to work creatively with the limitations I’ve faced, whether it’s the gear or the time available – now with my current set up I find myself scratching my head as to how streamlined my workflow is, basically moving between a portable production setup and a traditional mixing environment has its problems. But I’ve realised it’s a constant evolution: there’s no set template or system that works every time, no matter how much I wish it would! It doesn’t help to watch so-called clips and snippets on YouTube either (unless you’re after something very specific of course), you’re likely to find yourself dealing with contradicting advice!

How do you balance staying true to the drum and bass sound whilst also pushing boundaries and experimenting?

One look at my Instagram history page will show I’m into ALL the strains of d’n’b – it’s often difficult to split myself between it all, as far as production is concerned. One day I’ll hear a Dillinja tune and decide my sound has to be more like what he was doing, the next it’s Alix Perez, the next it’s Smokey Joe etc. But I feel like the only true way to develop is to make a SHITLOAD of tunes and try to objectively watch for patterns – and maybe it’s a good idea not to listen to any d’n’b directly before a studio session! As far as pushing boundaries goes, I’m currently working in a fairly uncharted territory – the iOS production environment is big on experimental plugins and instruments as well as the classics, and they’re usually cheap as chips, so it’s no problem to spend a couple of bucks to try something new – there are some wild apps and plugins for the mobile scene that no one else is using, hopefully that sets my sound apart.

What impact do you hope your music has on your listeners?

For me there’s only really one impact necessary – connection. If what I’ve made doesn’t connect or invoke some sort of emotion or desire to listen, then by all means skip to something else! Drum and bass is visceral music – heads are extremely protective of the sounds that induced so many deep emotions at certain (usually early but not always) times in their lives – if I can get even one person to nod their head to the track, job done.

Is Spotify killing music or is it a necessary devil to take to bed (metaphorically).

I’m of two minds when it comes to Spotify. I know they pay their artists like shit. There are alternatives that perhaps aren’t as popular but just as viable. But I’m a premium user and the sheer convenience and ease of use means I can have all the music I’ve ever loved in my life right there at the click of a button – no files to deal with, no wax to lug around (I’ve been moving records from country to country my whole life and though I’ll probably never part with them, it’s a pain in the ass!), no fast forwarding or rewinding! As a user it’s amazing – I don’t see how any non-musician could complain about it. (Apart from that weapons manufacturing issue a while back, what happened with that?)

If you were a book what would it be called?

Trainspotting 101: A Complete Guide To Ruining Someone Else’s Night With An Unnecessary Explanation Of The Currently Playing Track

What’s on your toast?

Marmite – the Kiwi stuff, not the tar you English put on your crumpets!

What’s the summer and rest of the year look like for DJ KRPT?

The beach for a couple of weeks – I can’t survive for long without it, so we’re off to the Atlantic coast – after that I really have to knuckle down with the tunes and get some of them out there!