Bass music right now is at an all-time high. Whether you call it dubstep, uk funky, techno, heavy bass, fidgit, dance, juke, electro, house or grime one thing is certain, anything can and is being connected. Producers nowadays seem to be creating music that is not only influenced by their contemporaries but also indebted to a number of past classic sounds stretching from garage to chicago house. Like binary code, this results in infinite variations of dance music and take a look at any lineup from any knowledgeable and respected venue and you will probably find names that span all types of music.
In step Philly producer Kastle. Armed with a degree in Audio Engineering and experience in Djing and creating his own music since the tender age of 14, Kastle is currently about to blow up. Not content with simply becoming another dubstep sensation Kastle has started creating his own fantastic bass filled productions aswell as creating some pretty spectacular future-sounding remixes. However, the difference is in the final products. Not many producers would choose to remix Cassie, Sade and Example, and not many would do so and succeed in creating final products that have a signature sound related to the remixer at hand. Sure Kastle's productions always have a normal dubstep rhythm and the snares are always placed firmly on the 3rd, but beneath that is structuring so exemplary that these remixes often become three times as listen-able as the original.
Kastle's use of bass is also of note. Sure, the bass is often heavy and loud, but rather than match other such neck-breakers such as Bar9 and Doctor P, Kastle crafts subtle bass arrangements which often allow the rest of the songs components to sail smoothly on top. This is particularly refreshing in an age where bass is often turned up to 11 and overwhelms. However, on most productions it is still the focal point and it really does blow you away some times. Like his home-town compatriot Starkey, Kastle's bass owes as much to classic funk and disco as it does to UK Grime and modern dubstep. This breadth of influences is pointed out on his twitter where he often bigs up artists ranging from Sepalcure, Terror Danjah and Squarepusher.
It's not just all of the above though that sums up Kastle. His own productions show as much heart and soul as his remixes, and for a man still emerging as an artist it sounds like it won't be long till he explodes. 'You Got The Love' twists and turns the classic vocal sample into a lower pitched skeleton of what it used to be and Kastle crafts sexy keys and a stuttering beat reminiscent of a Mount Kimbie arrangement. 'Better Off Alone' plumps for a garage beat, but slams you into the present with deep bass and p-funk synths. 'Need U' grabs UK MC Virus Syndicate and lets him spit over a lip bitingly gangster arrangement of bass and synths and sounds like James Blake remixing Starkey's 'OK Luv'. Best of all 'Camera Phone' sounds like a journey through George Clinton's spaceship with Benga as the tour guide.
Camera Phone by Kastle
Time Traveler (forthcoming EP preview) by Kastle
Yet Kastle still owes alot to the parties that are currently allowing him to get his name out there. All of his productions and remixes smash up the dance and really get the party started (and finished!). It is clear that although he is very serious when it comes to making tunes, when he gets a chance to play them out it is very definitely time to smile. Thanks to attention from Radio 1, FACT Mag, URB and XLR8R Kastle is grabbing the attention of anyone who cares to listen. And we are hugely proud to host Kastle's first ever gig in Europe. That's right it's his EUROPEAN DEBUT! So get your tickets now for the 11th November and see the main man himself along with a lineup so varied you'd think you were in a packet of Liquorice Allsorts. Hoepfully it will prove to be his finest appearance yet.
Kastle's soundcloud
Kastle's myspace
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