Audio: Kris Wadsworth - 10 Years On Wax fabric Promo Mix

We’ve got something super special to hype the return of the mighty Hypercolour Records to Room Three on the 11th February; Kris Wadsworth has taken to the decks for us in this very rare mix. What’s more it turns out that this is the 10th year of ‘Kris Wadsworth the Recording Artist’ – so 10 years on from his first track being pressed to wax he takes us on a journey exclusively through his back catalogue of the tracks that shaped his career. Saying ‘deep house’ might go some of the way to describing Kris’s output, but you need to add in a fair whack of jack and a few twists to get closer to describing what’s made him suitable kin for Alex Jones, Cedric Maison and Shenoda in the Hypercolour Room. Along with this sonic journey through Kris’ musical ventures we also got to enjoy spending some time in the head space of the Detroit based producer and learned to leave any semblance of seriousness at the door as we chew the fat about what’s cool about London, putting out records and not talking about your studio set up. DOWNLOAD: Kris Wadsworth- 10 Years On Wax fabric Promo Mix Hey Kris, we love the mix thanks for doing something so special for us – is it a regular thing for you to record your friends phone conversations? You guys are sincerely welcome. It’s an honor, you know, for real. I never do mixes for anyone really and like, I almost didn’t do it because my hard drive failed and I lost some software. Ask my agents and my friends, I was kind of freaking out and wondering if you guys would be offended if I couldn’t do it. But anyways, I got it together and was semi-professional for once. About phone calls: I don’t know but you can call me and find out: +1 313 863 ****. When a guy named Menjo’s answers, say: “Hi, this is Fabric Nightclub in London and we wanted to tell you that you’re doing a really good job representing the Detroit club scene.” Keep it real, boys… The mix is celebrating 10 years of Kris Records on wax – can you tell us about the first time? This first record here on this mix was the first time. It was really exciting, of course. You know, the other side of this record was also a first for another producer known as Anonym. So that guy, this other dude who tells anyone he gets a chance to that he “taught me everything I know,” and myself did our first tracks on it. It was neat because it was my first track published, you know? But the guy on my side switched my track name on it with his because he liked mine better, the mastering totally blows because they wanted to do it themselves, and my track on it sucks because I had no idea what I was doing. Other than that, it was really neat. It set the bar pretty low in terms of quality music from me, but it was also the first time someone erroneously compared me to some dude I had never heard of named Theo Parrish. A local Detroit DJ put it on a mix and told my young clueless ass that she backed it with a Kenny Dixon JR track, which of course, I had no idea about and had it explained that this was some sort of compliment (?). It was the beginning of a long line of people unfortunately calling me a house music producer and comparing me to old men that have really racist views about white people that I had never heard of. I hope they both read this and get pissed off at me, and by both, I mean those racist old men and the guys who did the record with me. How has your studio set up changed and developed over this time? Haha! What is a studio again? Oh yeah, that thing people take photos of and name all the pieces individually for Facebook Show Time and then when you go over their house, they don’t know how to use any of it? Or get jealous and want to call it quits because you crank on it like they wish they could? Those things, oh right. I had a bunch of different stuff over the years: A computer in my mom’s kitchen, a little better computer that I waited overnight in sub-zero temperatures to buy for sixty percent off on a Black Friday; all sorts of little machines like Korg Electribe shit, Yamaha stuff, software, Mac, PC, pretty much name it. But these days, your guess is as good as mine because I don’t tell anyone what I use. I don’t tell anyone because it doesn’t matter. It’s the end result and too many kids are running around like morons wondering “what DAW can I use to sound like this guy?” Use yourself and whatever you can get. Be you. Middle fingers pair well with irreverent smiles. Go pro. What’s been the most life changing production technique you’ve discovered in your career? That is a really cool question. I wish I had an equally cool answer. I suppose any technique or process which allows me to convey what I have inside my head as accurately as possible to other people. That is the technique I am always chasing, and others should be chasing as well, which is: “How the hell can I make sound(s) exactly the way I want?” It never ends but it is fun trying your best to get there. What piece of advice would you give yourself if you could go back 10 years in time knowing what you know now? “Kris…school sucks: keep sleeping through it, not showing up, getting kicked out, and drop all your classes in college several times. Don’t worry about it. You really are too cool for school, homeboy.” You’ve found a lot of appreciation in London and find yourself visiting frequently...what’re your three favourite things about this city? Let me see…I like British people. I get into the banter pretty hardcore and I love sarcasm. The Thames has eels in it, that’s pretty neat. Some of the finest girls I have ever seen in my life walk down the streets (and hopefully end up at my shows). I mean…its cool here. London is kind of my spot. I know it relatively well after stopping in over the years and…it’s just a cool place. I love coming in and just simply walking around. It fascinates me. I keep thinking all these little secret doors are going to open and like, some hot-ass wizard girl is going to jump out and cast a spell on me, to like, make me dress like Merlin when she takes me to bed. Which happens, but like, I never stay under their spells long enough to stay dressed up like Merlin. I would live here in a second if it was not such a pain in the ass to do so. And what’s the biggest pit fall? When you guys have riots and don’t have me around. What the fuck is up with that shit, Liz? How did you link up with Hypercolour your hosts for Room Three on the 11th? I have made a few records for these boys, you know? They were the first people to ever bring me to the UK. Did you know that? It is their fault so blame them. They have been stand-up friends to me for years through thick and thin and everything else. They tolerate my bullshit usually, and I theirs…usually. We are like girlfriends, really. One of the guys, Ste, his sister and I are getting pretty hot. She professed her love for me and asked for my dainty hand in marriage. I don’t know if we will but I know she loves me. Honestly, I have no idea what the hell they were thinking, nor Fabric. What’s your personal favourite Hypercolour Record of all time? All of mine because I am a self-absorbed jerk and want everyone to look at me twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Really though, I like a lot of them. Shenoda’s “Shots” is pretty sick. Maya has some digs out on Hype, and like, a lot of the artists on the label are pretty unique. Alex, the one label head (sexual emphasis on “head”) has some jams. I mean…and my shit is decent on Hypercolour, right? Me. Me. Me. I make myself sick. And finally, what’re you plans for the year? Oh you know, just boring stuff. Touring the world and playing incredible shows, doing an album for Get Physical, maybe moving with my dog Dennis to London, but more likely an undisclosed city in Spain. I might take a leap and get a new girlfriend, maybe not. Keeping my Facebook account deactivated is a good one. I want to have sex in a graveyard sometime because I think it increases my chances of becoming possessed. I started my own label that is vinyl only and named after my hometown called “URANUS.” I hope to keep taking the piss, as you guys say, in interviews; being me as much as legally possible; continuing to coerce people into thinking I’m twisted, hilarious, and brilliantly talented…not just some immature, American asshole. You know, pretty standard shit from Uranus. I want to come back and play heavy metal in Room One as long as possible before you guys kick me out. That is my goal this year to be really honest. The sky is the limit…or is it Black Sabbath?