Fresh Kicks 96: Krotone

Krotone’s sound is a fiery fusion of UK bass, garage, grime and techno. Having spent the past decade becoming increasingly obsessed with the history of everything from drum & bass and hardcore to dubstep and breaks, the Leeds-based DJ has cultivated a mixing technique and production style that doesn’t so much blend his inspirations, but smashes them together in an explosive and irresistibly kinetic fashion.

“It's good to take in what you've heard over the years and put it into your own sound,” he tells DJ Mag. “Your experiences are what makes you have your own thing!”

That outlook toward production has found Krotone releasing on label’s such as former Fresh Kicks selector Ganesa’s Jelly Bean Farm. The ‘Bubbles’ EP – released in December 2018 – is a rich and warped four tracker that wields the same bassy eclecticism of UK labels like Hyperdub, Timedance and Keysound alongside the percussive backbone popular among emerging artists like those in the Par Avion crew.

Having recently moved into a fully hardware-focussed set up, and launching his own label, 2019 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year for Krotone.

“[I’ll be] working with the legendary DPR label,” he tells us. “And there's a tune for a compilation on Circular Jaw coming up to. There’s a couple of remixes I'm working on and another vinyl release on my own imprint! Also playing out more.”

For his Fresh Kicks mix Krotone has dished up 90 minutes of fierce bass, garage and techno with cuts from Martyn, Marquis Hawkes and others as well as whole mess of his own productions. Check it out below.