NEW SOUNDS: KID A - THE SONG OF THE SUMMER

The song of the summer is "wasnotwas" by the brilliant young act, KID A out of Chesapeake, Virginia.

I'll stand behind the statement, the song has been on loop since it's arrival, when it mysteriously appeared on my desk with a yellow-post it that said "listen to this". In true Alice In Wonderland - 'Eat Me' fashion, I took the bait and fell into her fantasy land, which poetically all comes from an EP called, "In A Dream House, We All Ride Carousels". Kid A is built around the 21 year-old singer/composer/producer Anni T, and her DJ mate, Turbo P.

Upon hearing this EP we were like hound dogs onto management, and they were kind enough to get us access to Anni T, and she took the time to answer some of our questions. The interview is below, and we'll be dropping her single, "wasnotwas" in our HOT 5 segement of the Future Sounds radio show later this afternoon on WOXY. Here's the interview......

FS: Congratulations on putting together the hottest new track I’ve heard in 2009. How did KiD A come about and how did you hook up with producer/mastermind, Dan Le Sac?

KID A: Thanks so much. It‘s really cool to have people who care about music taking an interest. It feels even more validating. KiD A came about a little while after I graduated from high school. I was previously in a band, but in 2007 I started tinkering with electronic sound and computerized music programs.

How I came to work with DLS is due to my UK-based manager, who used to do TV presenting and interviewed Dan when he was playing with Pip in Manchester. He was interested in producing some new projects and when we met, we just kind of clicked. He and his manager are really great people.

FS: After reading your bio, about your childhood jazz experiences that evolved into Brian Eno and The Cure, what contemporary influences helped you shape your sound? I mean this has the same kind of big energy that M.I.A. brings to the table.

Kid A: My first taste of contemporary electronic sound was when Daft Punk’s album Homework came out in 1996. A classic album with amazing tracks, I still listen to that album now. From there I branched out and started listening to Felix Da Housecat, Tiga, Pnau, Nujabes, Miss Kittin, CoCoRosie, Bjork and AIR. Speaking of MIA, I’ve recently been really taken with Burka Som Sistima, so they are doing a lot for me right now as well.

FS: Your press quotes seem to come from the UK and electronic magazines, while I get why the electro crowds get it – this is a club banger no doubt -have you performed in the UK yet?

Kid A: I have been pleasantly surprised with the variety of interest shown in my debut single, from electro press, to getting kudos from some more highbrow press with The Sunday Times. Since I’ve never put something out before, it has definitely been untested water for me. I had the chance to play Europe earlier this year. A festival called Nuits Sonores helped me get over to France and the UK. I played for Kruger Magazine in London and the NS festival in France, which is where I shared a stage with Danger, which was truly amazing. I still can’t believe I was there.

FS: Do you still live in Chesapeake, Virginia?

Kid A: Yeah, that’s home from me. But, I’m also currently a student, so most of my term time is spent in Roanoke, Virginia. This is great because that’s where the other half of KiD A lives (DJ Turbo P) so it makes it a lot easier to get shows, which we are in the middle of doing right now.

FS: What’s the plan for Kid A? Will the Lab be releasing a full-length? What’s the timing?

Kid A: At the moment the plan for KiD A is to play a lot of local shows to really get to know our local fanbase. Then, hopefully play some bigger support shows later in the year, which could coincide with the EP release. The full length itself is currently in discussions with a hand full of labels in the UK. The Lab has been so free in how we approach this single and I’ve been really taken with the calibre of the labels I’ve been in touch with so far. I would love to get the EP out by the end of the year, but I also want to take my time and do it right. It definitely excites me to know that listeners who have heard bits and pieces of it are really anxious for a release.

FS: Is there a live element to Kid A? A backing band?

Kid A: Yeah, this is where Turbo P really comes in. He is a DJ I met in Roanoke and is really doing well for himself in his own right. We started out with a side project called CINEMAX, but that started to spill over into KiD A, and he is now an integral part of KiD A. We are trying to keep the live side as simple as possible for right now, so we can afford to get as many live shows under our belt, but in the future I would love to have a full band behind me as well. Although when I was in France I had Spitzer backing me, and that was amazing. There is something so romantic about France. Lyon especially.

FS: Future Sounds is all about blowing up the next Kid A, what artists that you admire that no one knows about yet can you share with the world?

Kid A: I love hearing new music, and some artists/bands that really stick out to me are: Ariel Pink/ Haunted Graffiti, ZOMBY, Micachu and The Shapes, Eternal Summers, Esser, Danger, Hot Lava, Red Clay River, OURLIVES, Delphic, Spitzer, We have band, Kid British, The Great Nostalgic, Leif (DJ from NYC), Granufunk, The Bastards of Fate and Way Shape or Form.

All of these artists deserve the best. I really enjoy what they're doing, and I may have the opportunity to work with some of them in the coming months.

Also, back in Roanoke there’s a great DIY mentality that has created a group of local artists who work under The Magic Twig Community.

Thanks again to management and Anni T for the music and the time.

KID A
MYSPACE