You both graduated from the University of Illinois together! (Go Illini!) How did your time and experiences there shape you into the people that you are today?

KxB: I-L-L! Sidebar, it’s amazing to see the Illini as a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament this year. Our college experience there was a seriously wild ride. In that county the bars are 19+ to enter, and 21+ to drink and also has the nation’s biggest ‘greek system.’ The bars and most businesses were nearly 100% student run. This led to two things… a bar scene where students would be DJing all of the newest music (i.e. house/electro/trap/brostep/dubstep) and LOTS of partying. 

Overall it was a perfect breeding ground for kids like us that wanted to learn how to DJ. In most of the bars, we got to play literally anything we wanted. It ended up being our entry into discovering and falling in love with electronic and bass music. Thanks to that school that we found this deeper music culture that neither of us knew existed prior.

With so many successful duos having one member that was already a prominent DJ while the other is a talented producer, including yourselves, why do you believe this is such a consistent and reliable combo?

K: I had years of DJing under my belt before I met Bennett, and he had years of producing under his. I’d say it’s a reliable combo because not only do you bring your own skill to the table, but you have lots to learn from the other person. We balanced that out years ago though and there’s rarely an imbalance on creative output to our music. Although we both have our personal styles, we truly try and perfect each song so that it embodies our combined creativity. If we didn’t do it that way, it wouldn’t be KxB.

B: Before meeting Collin, I had seen him DJing at bars/venues while we were in college and definitely recall being very blown away at the transitions and stylistic decisions during his sets. Most kids that were DJing at those bars hardly knew what they were doing and were definitely chasing the clout, whereas I could tell early on that Collin was more interested in preparing sets and being serious about the music. I had been producing hip-hop beats since high-school, so when we met it was immediately productive in terms of making a bunch of new music. Then we had the opportunity to test them out at DJ sets to a jam-packed bar and gauge the reactions from there. I can definitely say that Collin’s skills as a DJ since those early days has been the primary factor of the intensity and impact of our live sets. We’ve both come quite a long way in terms of producing music and evolving our live performances. 

Your debut EP Snoitch, released two weeks ago on Wakaan, is a mind-bending romp through space and sound. A burning question on everyone’s mind is: Where does “Snoitch” come from, and how do you believe it encapsulates your productions?

K: The short answer is Bennett’s brain haha. As long as I’ve known him, he’s had a knack for making up words and saying nonsensical things, but it’s usually on some type of energy level that he’s feeling in a given moment. He’s also been a rapper since I met him, so I’m guessing his love for lyrical wordplay encourages his desire to introduce new vocabulary into the world. Over the years many of our close friends have adopted lots of his language and after noticing how many people picked it up, we figured we should probably try and introduce it into our brand because it really is genuine to us and our weirdness. Snoitch started as a totally made-up word that we first introduced by printing it on some old matchbooks we made a few years ago. Now it’s taken on a completely new life and is embodying basically our whole outlook on life. 

B: I think that sums it up pretty well haha. There was really no rhyme or reason to the word itself initially. Growing up, my brother and I always talked in very strange coded, nonsensical language just to be goofy and make life a little bit more fun. So arriving to this point where we have a full EP release with WAKAAN based on a completely made up word is pretty surreal to be honest. I think it definitely encapsulates the energy that we approach life with: not taking everything too seriously while trying to carve out our own lane of strange experimentation. It’s evolved into a full cartoon / animated universe that we can’t wait to develop further. 

How did you two decide on this particular direction to take your brand and style in general? Was there an “AHA!” moment, or was it more of a gradual realization/evolution?

K: For me it was an experience I had at Sonic Bloom 4 years ago. It was the perfect storm of opportunity meeting preparedness. I’d been producing since 2012 and mostly got into trap and hip hop beats with Bennett, and for the first time I was introduced to all of these different styles of bass music on a proper system. It was game over for me. The gears were turning like crazy in my head as I was listening to these sounds I’d never heard before, but in my brain I was like, “Holy shit, I think I know exactly how to make this!” Right when I got back, I started cranking out a completely new realm of music (for me) and have been going down that road ever since. On the Duo level though, it’s definitely a more gradual process. Like I mentioned before, it’s not KxB if only one of us touches it. There’s always an equilibrium between us that our music will arrive at.

B: Yeah, I can definitely pin-point Collin coming back from Sonic Bloom in 2016 to when our approach to style, execution changed to where it is today. We’re taking this career very seriously, so we pretty much spend every day diving down the rabbit-hole of YouTube tutorials and coming up with new techniques for production/song structure/mixdowns etc. If there’s one thing that can be said about 2020, we just had tons of freetime. Collin started to dive deep into drawing and graphic design, then we suddenly had this entire universe that had been floating around in our heads come to life. I think once the Snoitch EP artwork was done, everything started to make a lot more sense in terms of direction. Also, our management team at MindWarp Mgmt did an impeccable job encouraging growth and helped us stay on track and line up some life-changing opportunities (i.e Snoitch w/ Wakaan) that has really set the stage for what is to come this year. 

Having called two major music powerhouse cities home in your lives with both Chicago and Denver, can you tell us a little about the similarities and differences in the fan bases and music ecosystems that exist in each?

KxB: 

Similarities: An enormously thriving music/art scene in both cities, tons of epic venues, lots of world-class talent traveling through every week (pre-COVID).

Differences: In the electronic realm, Chicago’s House music is its absolute staple, just as bass music is for Denver. The Chicago nightlife is a lot more focused in nightclubs and bars that stay open until 4am or later. Denver is much more venue-based and closes down earlier. It definitely changes the dynamic of daily life and to us, it feels like we can focus on our craft much more in Denver, whereas in Chicago it was really easy to get sucked into the nightlife. As far as fanbases go, there’s not too much of a difference except that most of our childhood/college friends still live around Chicago, so that’s different just on a personal level. We definitely miss a lot of aspects of the scene in Chicago, and it still holds a very close spot in our hearts. That said, we have never felt more at-home as we do here in Denver. There’s a tremendous energy that blankets the scene here, and everyone is extremely supportive and really just wants each other to succeed in any way possible. 

With the past 12 months being quite the dry spell in terms of live performances for obvious reasons, what’s a small thing that you miss about shows that most people wouldn’t think about?

K: The community and show friends. People you were friends with just because you would show up at the same venue to enjoy the same music. That’s half the reason we fall in love with this music is because of the community and family built around it. I’m honestly tearing up a bit as I type this… I really miss it badly. And to anyone I used to see at shows and haven’t seen or talked to since the lockdown hit, I miss you. Okay, but something that most people wouldn’t think about?… the Green Room shenanigans. And I’m not talking like girls and partying… I mean like setting up an obstacle course and trying to make trick shots and other dumb stuff with the homies. We really just have the most fun being idiots and letting that inner-child shine.

B: I would have to agree. There’s something really deep and sacred that lies within the live-show experience. Living in Denver, where the scene is really one of the healthiest in the country, just about every show that you go to there is such an amazing vibe and everyone is just genuinely happy. I miss being able to refuel on those emotions and the reciprocal effects it has on day-to-day life. 

What’s a really embarrassing story you’d feel comfortable sharing from either a tour or fest that you performed at?

K: This isn’t embarrassing but it’s pretty nuts… On the SoDown Winter Tour 2019-2020, our very first day we almost died! We were in a big SUV trailer with the whole team and production heading to Durango. When we got to Wolf Creek pass (one of the most dangerous in Colorado), our entire vehicle and the trailer started fishtailing on some black ice while we were next to a cliff. We slid left, then right, then left, and then our badass driver/homie Lev, maneuvered some sort of 360 spin into the side of the mountain away from the cliff. Big shoutout Lev for saving our lives that day. We made it to the venue and played an incredible show. That was our very first day on our very first tour ever… quite an experience!

B: That was definitely the craziest near-death experience we’ve ever had haha. The only other story that comes to mind is Freaky Deaky 2016 (a Halloween festival in Chicago). Collin and I decided that we’d dress up as Cheech & Chong and went absolutely over the top with the costumes. My mom used to do make-up/cosmetics for theater productions and musicals back in the day so she glued all the facial hair and everything. When we got to the festival and were back in the artist area, we quickly realized that we were basically the only acts that actually came in full-costume. Next thing I know, I’m talking face-to-face with Snails and Paper Diamond with an enormous fake beard glued to my face haha. Definitely a majorly unforgettable moment!

Why do you believe music is so special to people, and how does that translate to your own personal mindsets?

KxB: Music exists in a space that we hardly comprehend. Sure we understand things like frequency, waves, and pitch… but we have a very limited grasp on the physical and mental healing properties that music has. It’s kind of up to the person to find that for themselves, and we really hope that everyone at one point in time is able to have a deeply emotional experience with music. It’s some of the best therapy out there. It’s magic. It translates to our mindset by knowing that we have an opportunity to not only express ourselves, but to help other people by creating something that has the chance to be life-changing. You never know what someone might be going through and it’s definitely beautiful to think that just coming to a show can turn someone’s whole day around. There’s many days of doubt and questioning of whether or not we’re doing something useful with our lives and if we’re actually doing any good in the world. It translates by reinforcing the idea that music really is something special and has an immense amount of spiritual power behind it. Good or bad.

What’s one thing you both would love to see change in the scene, and one thing you hope never changes?

K: I would love to see higher appreciation of other music that ‘isn’t your favorite.’ I love that people have their favorite musicians and styles of music, but I don’t like when all they do is talk trash about any music that isn’t that. Literally every piece of music ever created has a correct time and place to be understood and enjoyed. Just understand that if you ‘hate’ any kind of music, you probably just haven’t experienced it in its proper setting. One thing I hope never changes is people’s passion for finding new music and artists. There’s SO many incredibly talented people out there that deserve to be heard. Never stop discovering and enjoying new music.

B: After going to a few socially distanced shows throughout COVID times, it’s definitely been really optimistic to see how venues have adapted to the times. I think it’s gonna be a while until full-capacity shows can happen again, but I have noticed at the shows I’ve attended that you have the opportunity to really listen to the sets while seated which is pretty awesome. It’s definitely a little weird not being able to get up and dance and from the performer-standpoint, you usually rely on the movement and noise of the crowd, but it’s definitely noticeable that there are people out there really listening intently without worrying about bumping into people and all that. So I definitely appreciate the whole new show energy that will probably be around for a while. One thing I hope never changes is the absolute beauty of the Denver music/arts scene. It’s an amazing place to be in that regard. 

With the music community seemingly springing to life again in the past few months, what are some goals you have for the remainder of 2021?

K: Eliminating Covid and checking in on our friends and family is still the main goal. For real though, that is of the utmost importance so we can get back to big festivals and shows for good! Our other main goals are to keep up with releasing new music, creating more art, developing our live set, and planning for the future of Snoitch.

B: I think it goes without saying that an enormous amount of people had their livelihoods uprooted over the past year. From touring producers, audio/visual engineers, management/agents, people that work at the venues, all the way to people that rely on live concert experiences to have that emotional and physical therapy. I’m very optimistic to see things coming back for all of the people mentioned above. It’s about to be quite euphoric to get out on the road and refill on that beautiful energy. We’ve never felt so confident in our artistic direction, so we’re gonna get right back to work and keep supporting our friends, pumping out new music and innovating as best we can. 

What do you guys having coming next? Any big announcements coming up soon that you’d like to hint at today?

KxB: Well, first and foremost we’ve got four socially distanced shows in Denver at The Black Box next weekend (March 26, 27) that we’re extremely excited for. It’ll be our first live shows in over a year, and it’s a true honor to get to perform on a world-class sound system at the Box. We’ve got our homies Mport, MZG, and Templo supporting the shows as well. We’ve never done this many shows back to back, so we’ve been putting in some serious elbow grease to come up with some drastically new ideas for all four sets. But also LOTS of new merch, and we’ve got a new single coming out in April with WTF’s That Sound that we’re stoked to release! 

You prepared quite the blazing guest mix for us! Can you give our readers a little insight into what they should expect from it?

KxB: ID’s ID’s and MORE ID’s!!! This is our second ever all-original mix, and we’re excited to give everyone a serious look into what we’ve been up to over the past year. It definitely exemplifies a major evolution of the KxB sound. 

Tracklist:
What is Snoitch? – Kyral x Banko ft. Nat Nat
ID – Kyral x Banko
ID – Kyral x Banko & ?????????
ID – Kyral x Banko & Mport
ID – Kyral x Banko & ELEVATD
ID – Kyral x Banko & Spades
Simulation – Kyral x Banko
ID – Kyral x Banko & Homemade Spaceship
Hypnotic – Kyral x Banko
ID – Kyral x Banko
Messin Witcha – Kyral x Banko
ID ID ID – Kyral x Banko & Mport
ID – Kyral x Banko ft. Avry
ID – Kyral x Banko & Spades
ID – Kyral x Banko & Mport
ID – Kyral x Banko & FiYah
ID – Kyral x Banko
ID – Kyral x Banko & FiYah
Snoitch – Kyral x Banko

Interview by Alex Bell. Write up by Colin.

The post Guest Mix + Interview – Kyral x Banko appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Needless to say, Kromuh & Kyral X Banko is a combination that is worth a second visit. Check out ‘Mr. Problematic’ out now below!

The post Kromuh & Kyral X Banko Discover Rhythmic Synchronicity in ‘Mr. Problematic’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

‘Get To Work’ features punchy metallic drums, gritty, oscillating synths, & a seriously funky forward momentum that carries you all the way through into a beautifully twisted second half. So chalk another one up for the bassheads, this tune gets to work. Grab it below!

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The post Kyral x Banko Team Up With FiYah for ‘Get To Work’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Ever been going up a rollercoaster, and every second you spend going up your excitement builds? This is exactly what it feels like during the first minute of this ‘4 Mind’ flip. Around the one minute mark the listener is dropped into a freeform masterpiece with the presence of eerie subs and high-pitched oscillating synth that leave you spinning. Check out this track down below and grab the free download!

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The post Kyral x Banko & Mport Bring the Heat with Their Flip of ‘4 Mind’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Wielding a hybrid style that nestles comfortably between a production-heavy trap and a more experimental freeform sound, Kyral x Banko are quickly developing into a lethal duo with a knack for concocting riveting energy through expert sound design and a strict vision for nonconformity.

First teased in the 10k Mini Mix, ‘Stacks’ further reveals the diversity and complexity that the duo maintains, beginning with a muffled aqueous beat a piercing riser elevates the track into a mesmerizing vocal lead, which simmers delicately amid a dizzying pattern of chords. An incisive digital splice provides an unsettling pause, while simultaneously a merciless synth motif takes its grip over the track.

Anticipation is at a peak following another slapping release from Kyral x Banko. Be sure to take a stroll through their catalog of releases and grab the free download for ‘Stacks’ here.

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The post Kyral x Banko Reach New Heights with ‘Stacks’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The latest from the pepper patch, Kyral x Banko & Mport team up for ‘Scovie’, a track that in itself both defines and defies the basis of Scoville heat measurement. A cavernous tapping, like the echoing of waterdrops on a cold surface, which quickly emerges into eerie accordance of horns and a menacing vocal sample, launching the track into a wonky breakdown of abrasive subs and an assortment of sounds that mimic a junkyard wind-chime.

An otherworldly pulsing contours the next build, as rhythmic, electro-infused percussion induce a momentary lapse in the space-time continuum, teleporting the listener seamlessly into a second drop of low bass barrages and an onslaught of tight metallic synths. The entire dairy section at your local bodega would prove useless in cooling down the latest burner from Kyral x Banko & Mpol.

Bid your tastebuds good luck, and be sure to grab the free download of ‘Scovie’ for that sweet heat you hate to love.

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The post Get That Slow, Steady Burn with Kyral x Banko & Mport’s Latest ‘Scovie’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

In their most recent expedition, the duo reveals an uncanny talent for working with a canvas presented by another artist, providing an exquisite enhancement and wonky direction to FiYah’s ‘Fragments’.

We had the chance sit down with the Collin & Bennett to discuss their favorite aspects of ‘Fragments’, pitfalls as an artist when approaching a remix, and to learn what they would envision as the setting if this remix were in a movie. Check out the latest thumper from the duo as you read through the interview below, and grab the track for free here!

What initially drew you to Brendan’s track ‘Fragments’?

Brendan had asked a bunch of his close homies to do remixes for his EP. When he asked us, it was a no brainer to choose ‘Fragments’, because it was one of our favorites and one of the heaviest tracks in the bunch.

Did you have a specific idea in mind of a vibe you wanted to expand upon or a sound you wanted to refine and preserve in your own take of the track?

Most times we remix a track, it’s usually really important for us to balance new elements with sounds and pieces from the original track. Often we hear remixes that will use the same build up or intro and then switch it up at the drop. We try to do our best to put a fresh spin on the entire track while taking sounds from the original and making sure to integrate them throughout the remix. The general vibe we wanted to expand on was the raw energy that the original has but in our own signature style.

When approaching a new concept for a remix, do you find it difficult to establish a balance between the style of the original and the new direction that you are envisioning for the song?

It definitely can be difficult to find that balance. Usually, when we approach a remix, we do our best to put the original song completely out of our heads and focus on the sounds/stems that inspire us the most and work from there. In this case, we ended up leaning more towards preserving the original since it’s at a similar tempo and key.

If your remix for ‘Fragments’ were a setting in a movie, what type of climate would it be and what would the ambiance of the scene look like visually?

There would definitely be 2 different ambiances for this remix because the first and second drops are vastly different. We’re envisioning some sort of alien takeover. The planet’s climate would probably be a bit cold/icy, maybe a bit of snow. The first drop would though would probably entail the initial attack from the aliens. They have surrounded the planet with their UFOs and have let all hell break loose with an absolute rainstorm of lasers firing down clearing out the planet as best they can. Heading towards the second drop, they have landed their ships onto the surface and started roaming the planet. Using their technology and crazy alien bodies, they start collecting any survivors and begin to brainwash and convert them to their ways, or possibly for their scientific research. By the end of the track, the planet has been completely taken over.

The post Kyral x Banko Piece Together a Brilliant Remix of ‘Fragments’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Now toting a heavy hitting trap EP, Focus, on Quality Goods Records, an official remix for Jantsen‘s ‘Badboy Sound‘, and a slapping collaboration with Holly, the pair show no signs of slowing down in the coming year. With a deeply rooted background in hip-hop, their sound fuses captivating rap vocals, meticulous synth patterns, and staggering bass, achieving an uncanny style, which expertly encompasses multiple genres.

We were delighted to catch up with the pair to discuss producing and performing as a duo, digging deeper into their creative process, and get a sneak peek at what they’ve got in store for their performance at MorFlo Music Festival this upcoming weekend.

Be sure to check out the full interview below!

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How did you guys originally meet at UIUC?

K & B: We met through a mutual friend Bartek (Allen Blackwell). We all DJed the campus bars and we both knew him separately. One day he told us it clicked in his head that we needed to meet each other. He set up for us to meet up one night and listen to some tunes and we definitely clicked on musical taste so it was pretty easy to take it from there.

Was your relationship purely professional from the beginning, or did you become friends due to a shared passion for music and production which eventually led you to birth Kyral x Banko?

K: Shortly after Bartek introduced us, we were playing our first show together opening for a Flux Pavilion tour as local support. Although we began Kyral x Banko almost immediately after meeting, we’ve been pretty much best friends since the beginning due to a shared passion for music and production.

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What were the primary motivations behind your move from Illinois to Denver? Has this relocation been fortuitous for your project?

K: My primary motivation behind moving was Bennett moving out to Colorado first. Although I always wanted to move out west, him taking that leap and building a network in Denver was my main inspiration. The relocation was definitely fortuitous in my opinion. There’s always pros and cons to every move, but coming to a new music scene with new people has really helped us expand our musical boundaries and we have so much more inspiration to still get in the future.

B: After coming out to Colorado for a few summers to my girlfriend’s family’s cabin in the mountains, I definitely fell in love with the state pretty quickly. Moving away from Chicago was always something that was in the back of my mind, and although it will definitely always be ‘home’ for me, Denver and the culture here has definitely propelled a lot of things in a very positive direction. It’s a pretty incredible scene out here.

Do you notice any differences in the music scene between Illinois and Denver?

K: I would say there are huge differences in the music scenes. The styles of music that come from each city for one are vastly different. Music is undoubtedly a product of your surroundings, and our style has definitely evolved since we’ve moved out. There’s also just a LOT more music on a daily basis. Between Denver, Boulder, and Red Rocks, there’s good music somewhere every single night. People call it the bass capital of the world. Also the DJ to Producer ratio is much smaller out in Colorado. Many more people out here make original music rather than just DJ. Also there’s not much of a club scene out here, whereas Chicago thrives at that nightlife (lots and lots of house music) until 6am or later most weekends and some weekdays even.

B: Oh definitely. I feel that with any huge city like Chicago, LA or NYC there is a huge focus on clubs. Although playing in clubs is always an amazing experience with the world-class sound systems and all, it can get quite exhausting when that’s all that you’re doing as far as shows go. There are a ton of small, intimate venues out here that have tons of character and people actually come out to support the artists that are playing. We have a pretty awesome group of producer friends out here as well, and we’re all motivating each other to grow and innovate.

How about any differences between the college music scene at UIUC as opposed to the scene in Colorado?

K: Firstly, when I started DJing at UIUC, there were almost no rules. We played dubstep, trap, and big room house for hours on end. That kind of freedom to play endless electronic tracks was a huge reason for my evolution into this scene. It was like a breeding ground for ‘edm’ at the time (~2010 and on). In Chicago though, there are almost no clubs that you could do that in unless it was an ‘edm’ or ‘bass’ exclusive event. At UIUC it was happening in almost every top club/bar all night every night. The college music scene still though was more similar to the Chicago scene I’d say in the idea that it was more DJs, Clubs, and Clout, rather than original music and low-key homie thrown shows showcasing the local talent. To be fair though, I was more in the DJ category until my senior year when I finally downloaded Ableton and started learning my own production.

B: I’d say the scene in Champaign/Urbana was way more similar to the culture out here in Denver. We got our start at this venue called Canopy Club in college, and that place was extremely amazing in terms of the friends and staff that we met there. Way closer to the Colorado-type welcoming energy there as opposed to Chicago.

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Do you guys have any other interests or hobbies outside of music?

K: Another reason I moved out to Colorado was definitely for the Snow. I’ve been snowboarding for about 12 years now, and the mountains out here are magical. That’s probably my second biggest passion in life honestly, and I never get to do it enough. I’ve also loved all other snow and water sports my whole life too, skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, etc. I also have a love for pretty specific video games that I try to suppress haha. Final Fantasy, Star Craft, and Counter Strike ( haven’t played that in years but I know I could get sucked into it ) to name a few. Nature in general though is big for me, another reason for leaving Chicago, and there’s a ton of that out here.

B: Outside of music, I’m extremely passionate about coffee. I’ve been working in coffee shops for about 9 years now and definitely have long term goals of opening a shop of my own down the road. Other than that, being outside and going hiking up in the mountains is a pretty flawless way to clear your mind and get some inspiration to carry back into the studio.

How long have you been producing music, both individually and together as Kyral x Banko?

K: I pretty much started less than a year before Kyral x Banko began. I had gotten Ableton in 2012, so I’ve only been producing for about 6 years, but I’d say only about 4 years more seriously.

B: I was producing some pretty simple hip-hop beats in high school, so about 2008 would be when I got started in terms of learning DAWs and techniques. KxB started in 2012. Definitely quite a bit of years of developing our sound.

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Do you typically begin with some rap bars and transform that into a song, or does a tasteful beat tend to lead into a vocal accompaniment?

K: It always varies, but more often than not, a beat will come before the vocals I think. Usually it’s music first, and then if we think it needs vocals, or some are found along the way, we go with what feels right.
B: Honestly there hasn’t ever been a rhyme or reason to adding vocals. Sometimes the track works around pre-existing vocals, other times the music is first and vocals come later. I’ve always been a big supporter of not being to rigid in the production process and let ideas flow loosely and work with whatever comes out at the time.

Your style of trap music beautifully blends the coveted uncanny sound design with powerful, well-articulated vocals. How do you maintain this essence in your music, while constantly striving to bring something fresh and new to the table with each release?

K: Well thank you sir, that’s quite a quote right there. We’re constantly learning new techniques, and I think we just sort of naturally evolve to want to try and make new things. Other music often inspires us too, and we just go with what we’re feeling at that time and try and make it sound as best it can.

B: First off, that may have been the most well-worded interview question I’ve ever answered haha. We’ve constantly had the idea of evolving on the forefront of our production process. Working with producers like Holly also helps a ton in terms of trying to push a certain track hard enough that it’s up to industry standard.

I’d say in my head visually, Focus is a mini war with 4 different battles.

Let’s talk about Focus for a bit. Tell me more about the project from your eyes and ears, what visual imagery were you hoping to depict with the EP?

K: Since you’re asking now, I’d say in my head visually, Focus is a mini war with 4 different battles. Each song is energetic and aggressive in its own way, with some interlude ambience and melodies. We wanted to make a statement with the unique/experimental sounds accompanied with driving energetic bass lines. As long as we’re moving the dance floor, I hope people imagine whatever they want to it.

B: I had actually moved out to Colorado about a year before Collin, so this project was mostly bounced back and forth from the studio out here and back to Collin in Chicago. We started realizing the extent of the focus that we were putting towards the project in terms of making some of the more forward-thinking tracks we’ve ever made, and that’s how the title of the EP sort of came about. Definitely quite proud of the project and how it turned out.

When it came to the visual side of the project, how was the album art selected? Did you have the freedom to weigh in with input, or were the visual aspects largely determined by QGR?

B: They have a pretty amazing team. Mouna, the label manager, had us put together a mood-board of pictures we thought emphasized the EP visually. From there, they sent that over to the in-house graphic designer Julien Rivoire who handles all of the graphics for the label’s releases. His style and abilities with 3D rendering is pretty insane and makes the aesthetic of the label very consistent.

What was your favorite thing about working closely with UZ and the QGR family on Focus?

K: Being able to go back and forth with them about which tunes were strongest, whether or not they were finished or needed more work, getting them mastered correctly, and meticulously planning out the release were my favorite parts hands down.

B: For me, just being a part of that team is enough to motivate us to constantly grow. There are some seriously world-class producers on their roster and having the constant drive to work to make our tunes stack up with theirs is a huge factor of our growth as artists over the past few years.

Are there any alarmingly positive or negative aspects to producing/performing as a duo?

K: Being two heads rather than one, we can either butt heads with each other, or reinforce our creative ideas, edit them perfectly with a secondary opinion, and blossom them into fruition. Sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s not. You can pretty much apply that to every aspect about the career, and you’ll get the point.

B: I’m always an advocate of the concept of ‘two minds are always better than one’ and I think that has always held true. Obviously with any partnership there has been subtle moments of butting heads and disagreeing but at the end of the day it’s always motivating to be able to bounce ideas off of each other constantly and grow the brand together.

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Do you ever feel like your creative capability is hindered or expanded by having two minds and two tastes contributing towards the same project?

K: Pretty much what I said above explains that. Sometimes I would say yes, especially because an idea can be shut down to early when it hasn’t had proper time to be developed. But other times it’s complete opposite. One of us gets stuck and then the other brings in a new idea that helps move it forward.

B: Collin’s definitely more left-brained and methodical most of the time mostly because he has a degree in Chemistry and has always been more mathematical. I’m from a family of very wildly right-brained people and tend to be a little more loose and messy with the production. The combination of the two often makes things way easier and more efficient because we are both attacking a project with our own individual thoughts and opinions. Occasionally there is disagreement but I think it’s mostly beneficial in the long run.

Tell me a little bit about your live performances. What type of vibe do you hope to achieve for the crowd? Do you plan to bring any visuals along with you?

K: Energy has always been the name of the game for me. Strategically planning sets to hit the right energy and maintain it through every tempo/genre has always been one of the most important parts of the live show in my opinion. We constantly analyze the shows we play, identify which parts we lost energy, and make sure to avoid that issue in the next. Shows/crowds in different places though always bring different energies, set times can be a huge influence, and other things can always change what we plan for though. We have some dope logo animations right now that we take along, and are hoping to do something a bit bigger for the future.

B: We usually plan our sets pretty meticulously in terms of energy and flow through different tempos and genres. I will typically be doing vocals live and both of us strive to really leave it all out there so that the crowd doesn’t have to sort of stand through an hour of two people standing there playing their music. That isn’t necessarily always a bad thing, but I am almost always in the mindset of going as hard or harder than anyone in the crowd so they’re motivated to sort of let loose and feel the energy that we felt in planning the set out. Julien, the graphics guy for QGR made us some pretty epic renders of our logo that we’ve been using for visuals also.

Any secret unreleased goodies from you or friends that we can expect to hear live at MorFlo?

K & B: If there’s one thing that’s come from moving into this house together and setting our studio up in the garage, it’s a ton of new tunes. We just wrapped up a new EP with our guy FiYah. All in all, we’ve been playing about 50-60% original music in our sets and at least half of those are unreleased.

Seeing that piece of music that you might have started in your bedroom, airplane, garage studio, or other spot make hundreds or thousands of people dance at one time is truly a sight…

What has been the most rewarding aspect for the two of you in your time producing and performing as Kyral x Banko?

K: Watching crowds react (well) to original music is always one of the most rewarding parts. Seeing that piece of music that you might have started in your bedroom, airplane, garage studio, or other spot make hundreds or thousands of people dance at one time is truly a sight and an unmatched feeling. Getting to also share that with one of your best friends on stage simultaneously is pretty epic.

B: I’d have to say one big thing is the producer friends that we’ve made along the journey that we used to look up to and still consider huge inspirations. It’s also always pretty wild to play festival sets with thousands of people moving and feeling the energy that we work pretty tirelessly to craft.

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What can fans expect from the two of you in the coming year?

K & B: Just continual growth. We appreciate every single push of the play button and make it a huge goal to make each listen a unique experience and not just another EDM track. We’re working to grow the brand and take this ship as far as she’ll sail.

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If you’re hoping for more like this, you’re in luck, as Holly tell us, “this track is part of a new SoundCloud account I’m doing to do releases of b-sides and other collabs that were hard to get a place for” Given Holly’s past output, expect to see a lot popping up on this account very soon.

The post PREMIERE: Holly & Kyral x Banko Drop Experimental Banger ‘I Don’t Need U’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.