guest written by Hatim Hafid
Kayoh, also known as the King of Baltimore Bass, is an up and coming producer from (you guessed it) Baltimore. Also known as Kyle O’Shea, Kayoh’s unique sound and style certainly caught my eye before ever seeing him live. However, his live performance exceeded my expectations. I was able to meet with him the second day of Bass Camp to get some more insight on his experience as a producer.
Festival Squad: How did you get started making music as Kayoh?
Kayoh: Honestly, I was producing hip hop beats. I started with a piano class in high school so, you do like melodies whenever you get a lot of free time. So I kinda started fucking around with the track on track recording. You know how you have the drum kit on the piano? You can record one track and then make a little melody over it or something. So I was messing around with it, and I was like.. maybe I could like do this and mess around with it, this was before I ever really listened to electronic music. I was making hip hop beats so I got the software and everything and that’s how I got started.
Festival Squad: You grew up in Baltimore, right?
Kayoh: Yes.
Festival Squad: So was there a scene there that had an impact on the music you make today?
Kayoh: Oh definitely, yeah. Baltimore Club is huge you can hear it on mainstream radio, biggest rap station that they have. It does at least one hour a day of Baltimore Club so you can hear a little bit of that in my new Wobble remix, it’s a four by four but it’s a little off beat too.
Festival Squad: Who would you say are your biggest influences?
Kayoh: Right now? Probably Mr. Carmack, I mean that’s an easy answer. He influences everybody I feel like. Cashmere Cat, his songs are fuckin beautiful so im really excited to hear his new album. I don’t know… I’m influenced by everything I hear really. Its just anything that I think sounds good, you know? You can take that and maybe add a little inspiration to your own productions
Festival Squad: I want to congratulate you on getting your song Shh premiered on Nest HQ.
Kayoh: Thank you.
Festival Squad: For me personally, I feel like you found a really nice sound there. Do you plan to make more music of that style?
Kayoh: Definitely, definitely, so I’m really into just building my own chord progressions and doing weird unique chord progressions and melodies. There are an infinite number of chord progressions and combinations you can do. I just want to make beautiful music but at the same time you’ve gotta have the hard music too. So I like to switch it up and have a little bit of both.
Festival Squad: Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching you perform on the Dancetronaut stage, the same stage that Jack U played at Burning Man. How was that experience for you?
Kayoh: Wild! I don’t know. I really can’t describe it. Sometimes, when I’m up there and I look out and I see people dancing that’s pretty much the best feeling in the world. It was crazy up there once they started the pyrotechnics with the fire shooting out and everything. That’s when kinda realized something, its fuckin’ lit.
Festival Squad: So what can we expect in the future from Kayoh?
Kayoh: Definitely an EP. I gotta settle down and do an EP, I’ve got a couple of originals finished right now… I just don’t know if they are EP worthy. A lot of collabs, but I feel like maybe for my EP I wanna do solo originals the whole time so we will see about that. But um, this is one of my shows on this last stretch that I did from July to the beginning of August. Definitely gonna be settling down working on a lot of original music. So hopefully an EP by the end of the year.
Festival Squad: One last question, just for fun! What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Kayoh: That’s a hard one. This is the toughest question I’ve ever been asked! Cookies and cream or moose tracks!
Festival Squad: We like to ask the hard questions.
Kayoh: Gotta save the hardest for last.
Festival Squad: True! Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us!
Kayoh: Actually, could we change my answer to chocolate chip cookie dough?
Festival Squad: I was gonna silently judge you for liking moose tracks. I’m glad you changed your answer. We are really excited for your future!
Kayoh: Thanks, it’s been a pleasure!
Check out Kayoh’s Shh below and be sure to check out his other tracks on Soundcloud!