EDM World Magazine♫♥

Toronto based Keys N Krates started as a live hip-hop act in 2008 and have since transitioned into producers who make different kinds of bass music. The trio is made up of Adam Tune on drums, David Matisse on the keyboard, and Jr. Flo (Greg Dawson) on the turntables. Adam, who began playing the drums in middle school, went to college and pretty much stopped drumming. That’s when he met David Matisse. After college, in 2000, they moved to Toronto with another buddy to manage Matisse, recording him, trying to make a little R&B star out of him. After playing a few shows, they realized they couldn’t really afford to hire a drummer, so Adam decided to start drumming while David played keys and sang. They have played together ever since. David and Flo met through a mutual friend who introduced them. From there, they started jamming in keys, turntables, and drums.

As a city with a big electronic music history, Toronto really shaped their musical tastes. They were all exposed to hip-hop and dancehall. Since there’s always been a lot of drum & bass, all those musical elements of Toronto have seeped into the way they make music. To bring out the emotion and energy into the vocals, an 808 kick and pitched up vocals are great reference points. They’re always trying to do fun and catchy taglines with a lot of their songs. As catchy as they become, the trio never really knows what to expect. At the end of the day, they are making stuff that they like. Where a lot of acts in the EDM scene are seen behind a laptop setup, Keys N Krates performs as a full band. This is vital to what makes them such an enjoyable live act. The gradual grind of building a sound and an identity over time has organically grown along with their fan base.

On top of that, their latest album CURA released two amazing tracks through Steve Aoki’s label, Dim Mak. “Glitter” and “Flute Loop” were available for free download during the holidays. The rest of the album is scheduled for an early 2018 release. Adding to their new release, the CURA tour starts January 24, 2018. This includes new music, new vibes, new stage production, and a better more entertaining show! To prepare for their CURA tour, we’re putting together a playlist for the best of Keys N Krates. Check it out!

Where will you see Keys N Krates on their CURA tour?! Swipe up to comment below, and let me know!