King James Britt (facebook, myspace, twitter, discogs) is not just a fabulous producer, songwriter, and DJ. He is a rare talent born, bred, and still rocking one of THE music cities in the world, Philadelphia. From his early days collaborating with Josh Wink and Ovum Records to his current work on the new Saturn Never Sleeps label, King Britt is ever the innovator and is always sporting some fly glasses!
What role did music play in your early years - and you better come clean on that Depeche Mode cover band you started back at our alma mater, Central High School!
[King begins with his classic laugh!] Well, my parents were my funk and jazz foundation. In grade school, I went to Greenfield in downtown Philly and was turned on to rock and punk. Then at Central High School... these were the most important and amazing times. I was turned on to a whole world of sounds and electronic music.
Yes, I had a trio with DJ Dozia and my friend Mark Young called The Red Team, inspired by Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb, and Trisome 21. No worries, no bills, just music, music, music!
King, you have one of the most eclectic bodies of work on the scene today. There are singular or blended elements of R&B, soul, funk, disco, jazz, hip hop, afro beat... (Shall I go on?) in your past work and especially as you move forward (with work such as the Intentions EP). What is the source of your "mix" of genres?
My source is my continuously changing environment. From growing up in a barbershop environment, to going to jazz shows with my mom, to exploring experimental music through friends in Philly, I'm constantly searching for new sounds to incorporate into what I do.
You've played around the world in all types of venues, yet you maintained a weekly residency for more than a decade and have a new monthly party in Philadelphia.
This is where I started. I feel it is important to continue, as much as possible, bringing the sounds I find worldwide home. Recently, my lady and I have been doing a series called Saturn Never Sleeps, which is all live electronic improv. It takes time for our city to catch on but once they do, support is inevitable.
Philly is also a very fickle and difficult town to keep happy. So it really tests your skills as a DJ or artist. If you can rock Philly, you can rock anywhere!
It has gotten so cookie cutter now that anyone with GarageBand could make a pretty decent House track within twenty minutes.
A recent issue of 5 Mag highlighted the influence that Philadelphia had on the disco and ultimately House Music scene. What's your take on why Philly has been such a music incubator? Is it still?
Philly is and always will be a music town. It was moreso in the '70s, due to the strong involvement of radio. WDAS and WHAT were very instrumental in supporting the Gamble & Huff-orchestrated Philly sound. There was such a cross-pollination of music genres... jazz, classical, and soul all combined into our disco sound.
Still to this day, all the musicians in Philly tend to do sessions in all areas of music. Chuck Treece, a Philly legend in the session musician scene, may play with a punk band one hour and then do a soul session with me later in the day. For example, two of our drummers from Back2Basics (an ensemble band from the weekly party of the same name) are out now with Lauren Hill and Lady Gaga. Pretty amazing. It's that versatility that keeps Philly above the rest.
You started out on the legendary Strictly Rhythm label, then you and Josh Wink began your own legend with Ovum. You stretched your wings with Five Six Media and now you also have Saturn Never Sleeps with your fiancée Rucyl Mills. Where are you going next and do you ever sleep?
Ha-ha! Rucyl and I are really building Saturn Never Sleeps at a rapid pace. We aren't the only ones searching for new sounds. We have played in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey this summer and in one year, we have had five pretty monumental releases as well as residencies in NYC and Philly.
No telling what will happen this year! We don't sleep!
Rucyl is also a real talent (... and is a wonderful person and very attractive, if you don't mind me saying!) Tell us about her upcoming album.
I'm very excited for the things she is working on. First, we are doing a Saturn Never Sleeps album, where we collaborate on the whole project. But I'm most excited for her solo project, in which she is playing and producing it all. She is an amazing producer but a bit shy. But once her music is out, there is no turning back. It will resonate with everyone.
Her attractiveness doesn't hurt either!
Your thoughts please: describe the current state of House Music today
House as we knew it is gone. There are so many different hybrids and sub-genres to make your head spin. I feel it is a good thing to really keep evolving and growing. House was the seed, the foundation for electronic dance music as we know it.
The main problem though, I feel, lies in the tools that are used to make the music. It has gotten so cookie cutter now that anyone with GarageBand could make a pretty decent House track within twenty minutes. This is why so much House Music sounds the same and the sound has been watered down by featuring these Muzak versions on commercials and on compilations, which seep into the psyche of the mainstream.
So now when you say "House Music", it really is music you listen to while at home - in the literal sense!
There are DJs and clubs that try to keep the pure sound alive, like Shelter and Deep in LA. But really when you go to these clubs, you sort of hear a lot of the same tunes or rhythms. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE both clubs but I want and need more. I need different rhythms and textures. This is why Deep Space (Francois K.'s event at Cielo in NYC on Mondays) is the best party in the galaxy! He touches on all sounds.
A demanding public wants to know: from where did the "signature glasses" originate?
At four years old... when I needed glasses desperately! I am blind without them, so why not be as fly as possible?
You can find out more about King, Rucyl, new releases, and the Saturn Never Sleeps label at kingbritt.com and saturnneversleeps.com.
