kLL sMTH – Exclusive Mix & Interview

Kris Endland a.k.a. kLL sMTH has become somewhat of a household name here in his home Denver, Colorado. In a city where there is no shortage of intelligent glitch, Kris’ music stands out as more refined and mature. His new EP Flummoxed, released independently February 10th, is nothing short of a sonic masterpiece. Highly technical, often incomprehensible production techniques and ever-changing music styles can be found throughout. We reached out to Kris and requested a mixtape featuring new music and tunes from artists he’s been vibing to. Included is a little Q&A to give our readers a little insight into the workflow and lifestyle of the one like kLL sMTH.

*If you’re in Denver tonight (Wednesday, February 24th), be sure to swing through Cervantes Otherside for his EP release party.


TRACK LIST:
Jimmy Edgar – Switch Switch
Grynpyret – I Forgive
Dubamine – At The Controls
Asa & Sorrow – Knights of Ren
Ganja White Night – Bubblegum (Lifecycle Remix)
Kursa – Cute
kLL sMTH – Blubber Neckin (WIP)
kLL sMTH – Razor Clammin
kLL sMTH – Outmoded
kLL sMTH – Absquatulate (WIP)
Sabre – Yoga (Alix Perez Remix)
Ivy Lab & Noisia – Possession
Hybris – Nitty Gritty Committee
Ivy Lab – Deus
Transparent – Place Your Order
kLL sMTH – Syzygy (dnb section)
kLL sMTH x Biolumigen – Untitled
kLL sMTH – dnb4me (WIP)
kLL sMTH – Syzygy (squish section)
Bogtrotter – SkairHaap (kLL sMTH Remix)
kLL sMTH – Skrowler
kLL sMTH – Splatterdashery

[LiS] You’ve recently begun to incorporate a turntable into your live performance. What inspired this – do you have a background in turntablism?

[KS] I have always had a love for hip-hop and turntablism and was given the opportunity to learn how to scratch and mix vinyl back in 2008 and became obsessed. My pursuit in production began shortly thereafter. I didn’t have turntables for several years but have recently acquired a pair, so I’ve been taking back to it as scratching was after all, my first love.
flummoxed EP art
Tell us what the word Flummoxed means and why you named your new EP this?

Flummoxed is synonymous to being perplexed, bewildered, bamboozled, mystified, discombobulated, or just plain confused. Basically, it’s how I’m trying to leave my listeners feeling after they hear it. I felt ‘flummoxed’ fit my music quite well because of its random and obscure nature.

From beginning to finish, the new EP is mind candy. What made you release these specific tunes together?

They were a collection of tunes that I’ve been fiddling with for the last two years, all with similar vibes in that they have crazy squishy bouncy things goin’… I found it only appropriate to release them all together so I can close that chapter for a while and focus on some other styles I’m interested in such as drum and bass and hip hoppy stuff.

As a Colorado native, how has life in a booming artist community sculpted you as a producer?

Being that there are so many talented people out here doing this electronic music thing, it was kind of only natural to seek them out and make connections and friendships in the community. The producer/DJ friends I’ve made over the years have definitely helped me get to where I am today and have taught me a lot about the world of electronic music. I feel super blessed to live among many talented people and to be able to collaborate with them at a moment’s notice.

kll smth press 1

Describe your home studio setup.

I’ve got a pretty basic setup, two Mackie mr8s, JBL sub, keyboard, guitars,  turntables and mixer, and a beastly desktop computer with many many plugins. Plugins are what I use mostly, so a simple setup is easy to get away with. I’ve also got several acoustic panels that I built myself.

What’s your favorite free VST?

Starting out, I used the heck out of some free plugins, Crystal being a big one. I don’t so much use the free stuff anymore just because I have a large library of stuff I’ve payed for, but a good one that I do use and is quick and easy for widening stereo is Upstereo by Quik Quack.

EP RELEASE

FACEBOOK
SOUNDCLOUD
WEBSITE

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

-->