60 Seconds With… Das Kapital
He’s recently been named one of GQ Magazine South Africa’s “35 coolest people under 35” and perhaps being a recording artist, DJ, producer, composer and label owner are just a few of the reasons why 23 year-old Das Kapital features on the impressive list. He’s just dropped his remix of Corderoy’s Dark Disco, twisting it up and stamping his eclectic style on it to receive praise from tastemakers across the board. Following the release we caught up with him to find out how the remix came about, how he manages to balance it all and exactly what it is that makes him cool…
You’ve just dropped your remix of Corderoy – Dark Disco, how did the opportunity to remix the track come about?
I was going through promos for my weekly segment on 5FM (South Africa’s Equivalent of BBCR1) and came across the Dark Disco EP from Corderoy. I played the original mix on air, and messaged my manager immediately afterwards to say that I really have to take a crack at remixing it. A couple of emails later, and it was done.
It’s already been getting some great support, did you expect such a good response so early on?
I’m unbelievably thankful for all the early support from DJs (special mention must go to Far Too Loud, Moska, and Paul Van Dyk), and the continued support it’s receiving is incredible to see – I really didn’t expect it.
You were named as one of GQ Magazine South Africa’s “35 coolest people under 35”, which is very cool when you’re only 23! What is it that makes you so cool?
Oh wow. I don’t really know to be honest. I guess I caught the South African electronic scene by surprise, coming out of what appeared to be nowhere in early 2011.
I’m one of a list of artists that are striving to put South African club music on the global radar, and I’m hoping that my strides are in the right direction – through my releases, my label and my radio shows. These are what got GQ Mag SA’s attention.
For those who’ve never been, what’s the club scene like in South Africa?
South African clubs and festivals are beautiful things right now. The world is catching on that we aren’t exactly this blissfully unaware community – our musical heritage is long and illustrious, and thanks to the global growth in dance music, that heritage is reaching more people now than ever.
There are core scenes of genre-benders, boundary pushers, and of course a very heavy commercial scene (as you’d expect), but if you’re looking for exciting and new things, you can find them all over the country.
How do you balance being a recording artist, DJ, producer, composer and label owner?
It’s a lot, to be frank, but it comes down to one saying I live by – If you don’t MAKE the time, you won’t FIND it. Prioritising and balance are key to making all of my responsibilities gel, and I’m always working on streamlining that, so I can perform optimally in everything I do.
You can count Adidas, Nokia and Puma amongst your clientele, having written music for some of their campaigns. How do you approach writing music for TV/advertising versus a four-minute track?
When it comes to ads and films, it’s really about making the client happy. Do what they ask, whilst keeping your musicality intact, and don’t overcook it. When you’ve fulfilled the brief, send it off – there’s no sense stressing over hi-hats when the job is done.
What have been your standout moments in 2014?
Most probably playing at both of the Mad Decent Block Parties held in South Africa this year, playing Ultra & Hardwell events, headlining Oppikoppi, Rocking The Daisies and Grietfest, some great gigs around South Africa and into Zimbabwe, as well as being billed to close the SónarLab x Pioneer DJ stage at Sónar Cape Town. (Thanks to my booking agent for being on the ball!)
I also joined 5FM with DJ Warras as a weekly resident with InDasWeTrust every Thursday which has been great and we have played a lot of future hits first; and the Das Kapital Radio Show on Assembly Radio has featured exclusive guest mixes from Maya Jane Coles, Tiesto, Nicky Romero, DJ Rafik, Borgore, Gerd, Mumbai Science, Troy Gunner, DJ Cable, Mason, S-File, Jakes, Groove Chronicles with more exciting things lined up for 2015.
Release wise, I’ve done a lot of really fun remixes for labels in Australia, the USA and now the UK, so I’m really quite excited to see what I can get done in 2015!
Quickfire:
First record ever brought?
Eminem – The Eminem Show (please allow – I was 11 at the time)
Biggest tune of 2014?
C.E.O – Loud (Original Mix) [WNCL Records]
Best hangover remedy?
MORE SLEEP. And Pokemon on my Nintendo 3DS
Craziest gig ever played?
Oppikoppi Festival 2014. It was a “people throwing underwear on stage” thing.
Music hero?
Stevie Wonder
And what’s 2015 looking like for Das Kapital?
More releases on Do Work Records (we are up to release number 6) – there is so much talent on the label and we are getting some great support on national radio locally and internationally too. It’s exciting times with releases from Leechi, RVWR, Hendrik Joerges and D.Know in the new year.
For me I’d like to be doing more remixes and I will have more of my own material out. More gigs both nationally and internationally; more radio; I want to keep building everything and moving forward as we still have a lot that we want to achieve collectively and individually.
