Profile: MKL, Master of the Rework
Born in Belize, but raised in New York, MKL, aka Michael Kenneth Lopez, has been a force in the scene since he started dropping beats as a DJ around town some twenty years ago. Despite being a fixture behind the decks at downtown hotspots from Nublu to Cielo, it’s behind the boards where MKL’s unique talent shines brightest. In the studio, MKL is a master of reworks – not remixes – reworks. Remixes can be little more than a snippet of a track laid over a different beat. MKL’s reworks take various forms, but suffice to say, you can put any track in his hands – Femi Kuti, John Legend, anyone – and he will fuse it’s musical DNA with his own sophisticated worldly rhythms and signature afro-inflected groove.
Considering the list of heavy hitters he’s been called on to produce and remix, MKL maintains a modest profile, preferring to use his label, Lion1Music, to shed light on an eclectic roster of artists reflecting his personal musical explorations. Nowhere is the versatility of MKL’s rework mastery more evident than on Monitor, the latest Lion1Music release. With Monitor, MKL strays beyond the expected, applying his rework magic to Adultnapper‘s deeply haunting tech-house epic. “I kind of thought it was perfect, so I couldn’t picture myself doing a remix in the traditional sense of it,” MKL said of the track. Instead he teamed with NuBlu’s jam band, BGSS, made up of Brazilian Girls members Jesse Murphy, Aaron Johnston and Avi Bortnick. The MKL vs. BGSS Rework is a totally live re-recording and percussive reconstruction of the original that is catching fire with DJs across the House music spectrum from DJ Disciple and Victor Calderone to Lars Behrenroth, DJ Cosmo and Alex From Tokyo.
Adultnapper’s ‘Monitor’ with MKL vs. BGSS Rework is available on mp3 and wav exclusively from halcyondigi.com. A limited number of pre-release vinyl copies are available from halcyontheshop.com
Download Adultnapper’s exclusive mix, At Chez Parasole, FREE from halcyonline.com
Don’t miss the Monitor release party Thursday February 18th, 2010 at DROM featuring BGSS live with DJ sets by MKL and special guest
RSVP for the halcyon list for $8 reduced admission here
THE INTERVIEW
Bianca Merbaum: Your rework of Monitor is pretty incredible considering it turns the deep house sound to a completely afro-beat groove. Did you know that you wanted to rework the track to sound like that when you first heard the original?
MKL: When I listened to Monitor I told Adultnapper I really loved it and I was thinking I could do a remix. But I kind of thought it was perfect so I couldn’t picture myself doing a remix in the traditional sense. I’ve been playing at NuBlu for quite some time and there’s a band there called BGSS – Brooklyn Girls Sound System. Aarron who is the drummer is in the Brazilian Girls and Jesse who is the bass player was in the Brazilian Girls. They’re sort of a jam band and I’ve been saying for years to Jesse that I wanted to work with her. I told them about the project and I had some ideas about it having an afro-beat feel. Aarron is really great at that kind of groove. I kind of gave an outline and everyone put down their part separately in their own studios. Then I did some editing and Jesse and I got together and went into a studio in new jersey called the Barbershop and mixed it and that’s what came out.
B: Nice work, it has such a great rhythm. I’d say you’ve started the year off on a good foot. How was 2009 for you?
MKL: I was really proud of the releases that Lion1Music put out. I think the label is getting more and more focused. The producers are high quality sonically speaking, and I think 2009 was a big accomplishment as far as our vision.
B:Can you elaborate on this vision?
MKL: It’s based on eclectic taste. I think it comes from how I started to DJ. I started to DJ back in like ’83, and at the time DJing was really based around cutting breaks. We would cut breaks from all different sources, whether it was funk, soul, electronic or whatever. So at the time when you went to parties DJs were much more open. It wasn’t about a specific genre of music it was really about the tracks. You would go from freestyle into hip hop then into old school James Brown. So I kind of grew up on that sensibility as far as playing. When I do my sets I tend to throw something in that may be really off and see if it works. For example I’ll go to Cielo and in the middle of a set I’ll put on Fleetwood Mac that might come after some Om Record. Its like, “how did you make that work?” I just wanted the label to be about music. I think 2010 is definitely concentrating on getting more hits out of it and keeping it more on the house level. There may be a few odd ends in there.
B: As far as your label goes, can you elaborate more on what you mean by progressive?
MKL: I always try to sign music and make music that will hold me but is very distinguished. If you hear something from the label you’ll find there’s really not much out there quite like it. It may not necessarily be the biggest seller but it will always stand out. I’m always looking for something special in the music.
B: I’m really intrigued with your Tribe Collection project, can you elaborate on that?
MKL: Yeah, it’s going to be a compilation album that will come out soon. Most of it is finished and includes mostly previous releases as well as one or two new things. I’m mainly shooting for a more general audience so it will be on Itunes and Amazon. The compilation is not necessarily about dance music, it’s a nice journey.
B: Speaking of dance music, you’ve been in the scene for quite some time. What has inspired you lately?
MKL: I’m really inspired with what’s going on in dance music right now, it’s just where my head is. I think there’s a couple of different underground genres – you’ve got the nu-disco that’s kind of happening and all the wonderful minimal stuff that’s coming out of Europe as well as some raw producers here like Fred P, Jus Ed and those guys. I’m also kind of inspired by the commercial producers. The feeling might be different but the execution incorporates some of those mixing elements.
B: What do you think about where dance music is heading?
MKL: What I’m seeing is there are all these different genres but I feel people are getting closer and closer as far as taste level. I think some of the “rave” type guys have slowed down so what we’re seeing is the guys in the soulful realm are speeding up, so everyone is meeting in the middle. Now you also have all these amazing South African producers. What they’re doing is kind of leveling themselves to the minimal sound but they’re adding all these African vocals and some African instrumentation. So the world on both ends, like Europe and America are drawing inspiration from these guys. Everything is getting closer. You can pull from all types of these areas and different genres and create a really wonderful sound as far as palette goes.
B: What kind of South African DJs? Like Culoe de Song?
MKL: Yeah, he’s from South Africa and he’s just doing amazing stuff. You’ve got Blackcoffee. They’ve taken the soulful sound and took it somewhere else. They are inspired by their traditional music, which isn’t necessarily about arrangements but more about a groove that locks very quickly, like some of the Fela Kuti stuff. We listen to this repetitive groove for 15 -20 minutes because it holds you. So I think they’re using that element in their music which is different from America but I feel it’s all kind of tying in together.
B: You’re also tying it all together in your DJ sets and production.
MKL: Yeah, I think I tend to make music based around music that I’m inspired by at the moment. I think you’ll find my productions are going to get more stripped down, maybe less instrumentation, but still finding it locks very quickly. It’s changed from the beginning but it still holds that kind of depth to it that I need in the music.
B: What kind of projects are in store for you this year?
MKL: I’m working with this singer, she goes by Ella Story, like Cinderalla Story, and she comes from the R&B/pop world with a little bit of a rock edge, like Kelis. I’m kind of incorporating these other inspirational elements from all over the place and bringing that pop element in without sounding too “poppish.” It’s a bit of a challenge but I’m happy with this new song. It’s called Playground and then we have another song which kind of lends itself to dubstep called New Car. Playground will hopefully be out by March, New Car by April. We’ll see!
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Further Listening from halcyondigi.com | MKL and Adultnapper
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Songs produced by MKL & Soy Sos
1. 3 Generations Walking, Full Length Album (CD & Vinyl) Spiritual life Music, 2003
2. Midnight Bustling, 3 Generations Walking , Spiritual life Music, 2003
3. Groundation EP, 3 Generations Walking 2002
4. “To Live” 3 Generations Walking, Spiritual Life Music 2002
5. “To Dub” 3 Generations Walking. Spiritual Life Music 2002
6. “Slavery Days” 3 Generations Walking, Spiritual Life Music 2001
7. “Slavery Dub” 3 Generations Walking, Spiritual Life Music 2001
8. “Her Song” MKL Vs. Soy Sos, Dance Tracks 2000
9. “Beneath” MKL vs. Soy Sos, Dance Tracks 2000
10. “Skin” MKL vs. Soy Sos, Nite Grooves 1998
11. “Moments In My Life” (Revisited) MKL vs. Soy Sos, Nite Grooves 1998
Remixes
12. “Bey Un Bey” “MKL vs. Soy Sos Cellist Remix”, Still Phil, Natural Resource 2000
13. “People From The Sun & The Earth” (MKL vs. Soy Sos Dark Sun Remix) Calm, Wave 1999
14. What Tommrow Will Bring (Mkl Vs. Soy Sos Roots Remix) Femi Kuti, Spiritual Life Music
15. “Like Ours” Tom & Julie (MKL Vs. Soy Sos Tech Jazz Remix) Yellow productions 2002
16. “Surrender Your Love” Sade 2002
17. “Silver Sun EP” Soma Mestizo (MKL Vs. Soy Sos Reworks) 2002
18. “What Is What Is‘nt” Chico Hamilton, Spring 2003
