Interview by: Grant Soffer
Courtesy: kylewatsonmusic.com
For over a decade, South African-born music artist Kyle Watson has been producing his unique style of forward-thinking house music, blending ear-tickling sound design with captivating basslines and chunky drums that melt together to form music that sounds just as good at home as it does in a club.
Recognition from artists like Diplo, Chris Lake, and Gorgon City has given Watson the impetus to take his music across the world, including his most recent “My Machines” tour in 2022. With his tour coming to an end, Moon Lvnding had the chance to talk to Watson about his tour experience and to get to know him better as well.
Grant: How did you get into EDM and the dance music scene?
Kyle: My first ever experience with music production was with software that was only dance-orientated, so I guess that’s where it started. From there I dug into house music a bit more and the bug bit.
G: Who were some of your favorite artists growing up?
K: The Prodigy, Propellerheads, Noisia, Foo Fighters, System Of A Down, Blink-182, Slipknot. So much different stuff!!
Courtesy: kylewatsonmusic.com
G: What was the first show and/or festival that you attended and what was your experience like?
K: My first ever concert was The Offspring, but I think my first proper music festival was South West 4 in London back in 2009. Growing up in South Africa we didn’t have electronic festivals like that artists at that level, so it was pretty eye-opening.
G: What was the first show that you played for a live audience? What was that experience like for you?
K: Wow, yes this was a DJ competition at a small club back in 2007 I think. I was getting judged, and while beatmatching two records, I accidentally left the fader up on both. Needless to say, I didn’t win.
G: With your “My Machines” tour coming to an end, what was the tour experience like for you? Did you have a specific venue or city that was more memorable than the rest?
K: Overall it’s been great, and the fans that have come out to the shows have really been awesome. The vibes have been high, and I’m wrapping it up feeling positive overall. There were some compromises along the way and some speed bumps of course, which I think is pretty normal for most tours, especially during this time when live shows can be a little hit-and-miss.
G: What does your creative process look like? What inspires you to make music? Are there certain artists that you draw inspiration from?
K: A positive state of mind really helps, as this past year I’ve realized that if I’m not feeling motivated and positive about things then I may as well not head into the studio. Regarding inspiration, watching other artists blow up is a big drive for me and pushes me to keep growing. I draw inspiration from a lot of the electronic music I listen to, right through from Flume, IMANU, Noisia to the house stuff as well.
Credit: @brianngo.photos / Courtesy: kylewatsonmusic.com
G: What do you like to do outside of music?
K: Spend time just relaxing on the couch catching up on series, getting out into nature for walks with my wife, chilling with the cat… Not gonna lie, I did just buy a PlayStation so I do enjoy reliving my teen years every now and then too haha!
G: What can we expect next from you? Any upcoming releases or tour dates that we can look forward to?
K: I’ve been very busy in the studio this year working on a few different things, so I’m excited to see what comes of those. I’ve got singles lined up for release over the next few months and heading back to South Africa for a short tour in Nov/Dec, but other than that next year is pretty open for anything so let’s see what happens.
G: At Moon Lvnding, one thing we like to preach is gratitude and being thankful for the things we’ve been blessed with in life. What are some things that you are grateful for?
K: The support of the fans blows me away, it’s 100% the most rewarding part of this career. The fact that I can lock myself away in a room making music and have people spend money on tickets based off that to come to my shows across the other side of the world is pretty incredible, and I never take that for granted. I appreciate you guys!
G: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some of our questions.
