Kenneth Graham

KENNETH GRAHAM One of the defining traits of a great artist is that their work is instantly recognizable. Even to the untrained eye, a Picasso always leaps off of a canvas. Further, the sounds of Miles Davis' trumpet, regardless of what style he is playing, would never be mistaken for anyone else. So too can be said of the music of Kenneth Graham, his touch is evident to both novice and connoisseur fans of electronic music.

One of the defining traits of a great artist is that their work is instantly recognizable. Even to the untrained eye, a Picasso always leaps off of a canvas. Further, the sounds of Miles Davis' trumpet, regardless of what style he is playing, would never be mistaken for anyone else. So too can be said of the music of Kenneth Graham, his touch is evident to both novice and connoisseur fans of electronic music. His tracks are always infinitely nuanced, combining equal elements of mind and machine, resulting in a sound that is both clinical and funky. No surprise then that his introduction to electronic music came at he able hands of Kraftwerk, although he cites Depeche Mode as his biggest inspiration. Kenneth bought his first synth (a CS01) in 1984, but did not take the full producing plunge until he put together his studio in 1986.

Kenneth made the transition to the production end of electronic music with his releases on City of Angels and Quake Records in 1995. Since that time, Kenneth has gone on to become one of the most important dance music producers of the moment, as evidenced by the prestigious honor of being named one of Urb Magazine's "Next 100." His releases on Immigrant Recordings, AV8, Beat Non Stop and Plastic City have all gone on to become defining moments of the burgeoning Tech House scene.

But Kenneth's music exceeds the limitations of restrictive titles and is simply good music. As much as Kenneth is becoming known for his solo work, he is perhaps just as well known for his projects with other musicians. His work with David Alvorado under the Sunkiss moniker is one of the best releases ever on the Plastic City imprint. His track "Feel Me" with Steve Loria on Distant Music, again one of the label's best releases, is a clinic on the possibilities of creating moods on wax. Graham has also done work with Tech House god Terry Franics along with Steve Loria as G.L.F. Their release on Plastic City showcases Graham's diversity and his ability to constantly leave his imprint on any gathering. Just as important as producing to Graham is his Djing skills. Serious about the art since 1991, Graham readily states the importance to him of being both a producer and a DJ. "The real trick though is to look far ahead on some things, and others not, otherwise you'll die broke. If you want to stand out as a DJ, you need to love it - not for the fame, the fortune or the drugs, but for the same reason someone sings or plays the piano: to express their vision of the world.

For those producers that have a gift for anticipating the future, and the patience and belief in that vision, then it is only a matter of time before the masses jock your sound." Graham's skills have brought him to many locales and his DJ passport includes stops all across California, Mexico and Canada, including Guadalajara, Monterrey, Vancouver and Toronto. For the future, Kenneth plans to keep busy with DJing as well as his prolific production schedule. With releases coming up on Fiji and a full-length for Plastic City, Graham junkies will soon be able to satisfy their cravingsfor the deep, funky and contoured sounds that Graham has pioneered. While critics struggle to make Graham fit into their limiting categories, fans will struggle not to lose themselves in the infinite sonic environments that he creates, both in the mix and on wax.