With recent features on Mixmag, XLR8R, Ministry of Sound, and more, Laurie and Lewis of Just Kiddin are actually quite seriously talented. We had the chance to sit down (virtually) with the duo and find out some of their thoughts about their music and their sound which has caught the ears of all corners of the globe.

Additionally, you can find a sampling their recent mixes and tracks here:
Time, Space & Honey [Ministry of Sound]
" target="_blank">Just Kiddin – The One [Music Video] on Eton Messy
Topman Generation Mix
Ocean Motion [FREE DOWNLOAD via Sub Soul]

Interview:

SR: Was there a particular performance that inspired you to produce? If not the influence of another producer/DJ, when did your musical epiphanies occur? Was it a shared or individual experience for you both?

JK: Just Kiddin was a project that was always going to happen, but we never really properly spoke about it before we decided to come together. After being close friends for a number of years, we both went off our separate ways to University. We didn’t really lose touch, but it was difficult to keep in regular contact when we were studying.

Whilst we spent time apart we both gained a range of different musical influences. I remember Laurie telling me that the guy who lived above him wouldn’t stop playing Garage music, which meant he was falling asleep to it at night, and waking up to it in the morning – which kind of ironically lead him into that sound for a while. Whilst I was very much into more ‘French’, Disco sounds at the time. When we both finished University, with a little bit of experience in production we just started working together. It wasn’t like I popped the question “Laurie, do you wanna be in my band?” haha, things just happened. I guess to answer your question, our musical experiences weren’t always shared, which I think has actually really helped to define our sound now.

 

SR: ‘Just Kiddin’ has a tone that is slightly self-degrading, that a satirical band might have: we make serious music…just kiddin. Given that your music is clearly serious enough for the underground crowd, but also able to be picked up by more “mainstream” ears, did you intentionally pick this name to add another bit of satire?

JK: It’s probably turned out that way, but we didn’t really think of it like that – were probably not that clever. We were both just of the opinion that dance music (House / EDM / Electronica / whatever you want to call it) can sometimes come across way too pretentious and wanted to create something that was true to us.

When we started to make music as Just Kiddin we made music that made us feel good, and gave us a good vibe. Not necessarily something that sounds current, just something that simply makes you feel good – that’s what this is all about.

 

SR: Do you feel your music is a strict representation of British electronic music? With the global resurgence of the garage sound, do you think other places are able to connect back to the originating point for this style?

JK: This is an interesting question and is something that seems to keep cropping up for us at the moment. We’ve both always been into a massively varied array of musical styles, and our respective times at university took us even further into those separate realms. We’ve never been tied down to British music, in fact the music that we were both listening to before we’d even considered producing (let alone together) was predominantly French and German.

We recently visited some friends from the Paranoiak record label in Paris. We gave them a sneak preview of our upcoming EP, which at the time was the Nurvous release. It was crazy how they could pin-point the elements that sounded “French” and the parts that sounded “UK”. On the intro to ‘I WANT U’ they were like, “Oh yeah that part is French man”, then half way through when the vocals come in  “And now it sounds UK”! We were pretty baffled by all this to be honest, we just make music that sounds good to us. We don’t make music that’s strictly British, the music we make has influences from countries and genres all over. We’d never attempt to take on the task of representing “Britain” we’re pretty content at the moment simply representing ourselves.

 

SR: What equipment do you prefer to use during live shows? Has there ever been a moment of disaster where nothing seemed to go as planned? How did it work out?

JK: We’re really enjoying keeping things as technologically simple as possible in terms of our live performances at the moment. We went through a stage of using more digital-based options but it didn’t really work for us, we both struggled to really trust and rely on the equipment we used. We found ourselves having more fun just using a simple set up. I think this rings true with music production and DJing in a lot of ways. A lot of producers get really hung up on “the best” plugins, software and gear to use. We mainly just learn how to master the tools that work for us, without over complicating things. Allowing the music itself and the vibe that comes with it to do the talking.

 

SR: What would you each say would be your favorite piece of equipment, whether it be in the studio or stage, virtual, or otherwise? Why?

Laurie: My favorite piece of equipment is my sound recorder on my phone. Some of those ridiculous ideas I get when I’m out and about would otherwise be lost, which would be a terrible shame. I have so many I would never get round to listening to all of them, but a few have actually developed into proper ideas, and even full tracks.

Lewis: Studio-wise, our set up is relatively simple. Although I have just got myself an Ableton Push device, which I have to say I’m massively impressed with. I’ve been able to get my ideas down quicker than ever, which is hugely important, especially as so many things can distract you from the creative process nowadays!

 

SR: Your music videos employ a mash-up of older video clips and stock footage. What is the inspiration behind using something that is not only borrowed, but also not modern? Is it simple aesthetic appeal, a product of the music you create, or because of something else? Do you intend to expand the number of music videos you create, and if so will the design plans change? What do you envision?

JK: We pretty much just wanted to provide some visual stimulation to accompany our music, and we just went with the vibe that we thought felt right. I guess the idea of using video footage that isn’t modern ties into the music itself really – a lot of our influences come from the 70s and 80s which I think you can hear come through in the sound. It was also a case of getting something together in a short space of time, so there wasn’t too much messing around. You’ll definitely be seeing more music videos from us in the future and they will be developing, we’ve already got some ideas down we’re quite excited about.

 

SR: With the recent coverage in Mixmag and XLR8R, have you had to push your music to these outlets at first or do you feel they’re beginning to pick up on your releases as soon as they are announced? What do you think was the turning point?

JK: If we had to pick a turning point it would probably have to be the release we had on Nurvous, it was then that we felt we had defined our sound and created something unique. For years we’ve been pushing our sound to these sorts of people but now it does seem that more and more people are coming to us. We knew we would get their attention eventually, it was just a case of staying focused and keep doing what we were doing. It’s still the case now in many ways, we’ve got big ambitions and the music coming out of JK HQ right now is just getting better and better – so we’re really excited about getting it out there.

 

SR: Buddha (supposedly) said, “There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.” Have you had moments of doubt in your music career, and can you briefly describe how you were able to overcome the doubt?

JK: In truth, we’ve both had plenty of points of doubt in our musical career. There’s been plenty of things that have happened that just didn’t turn out the way we envisaged them and there will be plenty more things that don’t turn out the way we want them to in the future. It’s how you deal with problems when you’re at your lowest that defines you as a person and the amount of success you have in life. We find it hard to believe that any successful musician has never had a low moment in their career. It’s self-belief, motivation and passion that will always help us overcome doubt.

 

SR: What is your favorite quote and why? How does it relate to you musically?

JK: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” (Lucius Annaeus Seneca).

This quote really made me question the principal of ‘luck’ as a whole. I think people use ‘luck’ as an excuse for failure to be honest and some people get bitter about it – “Oh yeah, that band got lucky because of X, Y & Z”, “I just never got lucky”, “We never really had that big break”. To be honest, I used to have this kind of mindset, but after reading this quote I realized how damaging it was to think this way. The thought of randomly being chosen for success by lady luck doesn’t really happen, seeing an opportunity and being prepared to take action quickly is what ‘luck’ actually is.

This applies to us a lot because we’ve seen a lot of artists like us come and go throughout our career. Some have fallen and we don’t hear about them anymore, others have excelled and gone on to do some amazing things. Were these people ‘lucky’? Nope. Did they get that ‘big break’ that many artists crave? Maybe. Were they prepared? Most definitely. Did they grab an opportunity with both hands when they saw it? I reckon so.

 

Thanks to Just Kiddin, Your Army, and Adria Leeper-Sullivan.