14 FAKTS INTERVIEW WITHKEVIN KNAPP

Q: Please introduce yourself

Hi There – I’m Kevin Knapp and I prefer things that bump. ;) I’m a label head for Plump Records and am a DJ, producer and vocalist based in Oakland, California. 

Q: One person you'd dream to have a coffee with?

I’d love to have a coffee with Miles Davis because I’d love to get a sense of the discipline of his creative greatness.

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Teleportation, some of these airlines are engaged in absurd levels of time burgling. 

Q: If given the opportunity to create a film score, which movie would you choose and why?

There’s a 1998 documentary about a New York city tour guide named Timothy Levitch called “The Cruise”, that I find to be quintessential viewing and utterly irresistible.   As it as a largely, if not exclusively jazz based score, I’d love to broaden the scope quite a bit.  That New York city backdrop is served by most genres musically speaking, in my opinion, and I’d love to give it an eclectic music supervision/score effort.  

Q: Who has been the most influential in your music career? And who has been the most influential in your personal life?

Without a doubt, in my personal life it’s been my mom. She’s the OG, still riding her motorcycle in her 70’s. I call her the Oracle because of her wisdom.  Musically there are too many to name but Audiojack, Matt Tolfrey, Robag Whrume, my brother Wolf Knapp, Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, and Erland Oye, Jeru the Damaja, Mobb Deep all have had an impact.  The list is endless really. 

Q: Could you share with us your journey – the good and bad experiences that have brought you to where you are today?

Someone told me once that if you sit at the (poker) table long enough the pot comes to you. I think for me I’ve always had a knack for recognizing my passion, pursuing and putting everything I can into it, and being patient enough to play the long game when waiting for results. That’s the best way to describe my career I guess, it’s been a slow burn. 

Q: Everyone goes through ups and downs, what’s one habit you adopt to push through the downs?

I really make an effort not to compare myself to others and I focus on how lucky I am to have what I do, in terms of family, friends and opportunities.  There is a lot of people that have it really tough out there, and I think remaining in a sense of gratitude can go a long way towards bringing yourself out of a funk. 

Q: What is one pro work ethic that you would recommend to the readers/listeners?

Deliver on deadlines. It’s a thing.

Q: How has your music style evolved over the years?

I think the during early days of being a local DJ in SF where I cut my industry teeth, I spent a lot of time playing stuff I loved but that also met the approval of others.  In the beginning I cared a lot more about that.  In my current phase of the journey I’ve learned to be a bit more selfish creatively speaking, as I become increasingly introspective and wish to convey a greater sense of who I am to audiences.  The responsibility present there of course is to not be oblivious to audience needs, but rather, to see how on board with your vision you can get them to be. 

Q: If you were to venture into another music genre, which one would you choose and why?

Indie Rock/Indie Pop and Jazz.  They are my other predominant musical loves.

Q: Could you name 3 tracks that got you into electronic music and why?

Underworld – Two Months Off – I used to do a campout with my DJ mentor and other friends annually in the aughts called Down N Yurty.  We’d go down and stay in yurts on the bay area peninsula for the weekend.  This was kind of a theme song for that event and represented everything right about dance music for me.

The Martin Brothers – Stoopit – What you gonna do with that bay area funk?  ‘Nuff said.

Solitude (Jondi and Spesh remix) – Reza – It all started with Jondi and Spesh for me back in 2001.  They were the kings of San Francisco nightlife for me back when I first moved to the bay.   Hearing them play led me down my current career path and changed my life.Florence and the machine – You’ve got the Love – Mark Knight Remix –one of the tracks of my early visits to Ibiza.

Q: Can you recommend a hidden gem in your home country that would be perfect for a rave?

If it’s on the CA coast, it really can’t be beat.

Q: Could you tell us about your upcoming releases and plans for the year?

I’ve got two more releases this year.  One is on Repopulate Mars on Nov 3 called Sick With It.   And the other will have to remain a secret for now, but it’s a good’un.  

Q: Can you share a fun fact about yourself that most of your listeners are probably unaware of?

I just finished a trip hop/downtempo/hip hop adjacent album for a new side project with a good friend called KJ Cuts.  I can’t wait for you all to hear it!   The feedback thus far has been humbling!