Keith Holland: The Ideals Of Evolution

Emerging from the colorful streets of Sao Paulo, ICONYC presents rising DJ and producer Keith Holland and his sensual take on the house-ier side of dance music with his new Idealisimo EP. With an impressive string of releases that have seen him grace some of the hottest labels in the globe, Holland now arrives on the New York/Berlin-based imprint with a stellar two-tracker that bares the signature of an artist constantly on the move.

Join Type < / 01 Magazine as we dive inside the vibrant studio of Keith Holland to learn more about the release of his new Idealismo EP, his inspirations, views on AI, the closure of ASLICE, his hopes for the future, and more.

Hey Keith! How are you doing? How have you been? Thank you for joining us today.

Hey guys! Everything is great here in São Paulo, I was just in my studio working and I took a break to be here with you... very honored to be part of this interview, thank you!

Congratulations on the release of your ICONYC EP, Idealismo. We can imagine the excitement must be high! So, how are you feeling about this one?

Absolutely! Yeah, very excited! I love both tracks on the EP! In addition, the build-up to the release date was killing me, haha!

Speaking about the record, Idealismo features two new original tracks, yet they do feel as if cut from a similar thread. Was that your intention from the offset, to seemingly explore different faces of a similar “headspace”?

Exactly! The idea of ​​the EP was to have a similar sound from one track to the next. Working with a stabed groove and also adding a sequencer, so as not to lose my hypnotic identity.

“Idealismo” as a single has a very retro-laced feel combined with a modern sense of production. Is that what you were going for? Do you tend to find inspiration in the music of the past?

Honestly, this happened naturally. I love the sound repetition that this song delivers on the dance floor. I always listen to music from the past like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and many others... no matter how much I do House or Techno I always try to pull references from the past in my productions.

On the flip side, “Classuda” sounds a bit more “aggressive”, but also feels like a homage to the halcyon days of rave music. What was the process for “Classuda” like?

“Classuda” was inspired by House from the 90s. Bass, stabs, and the vocals coming in some parts of the track are the focal points. However, I looked to add something modern by adding a sequencer and a riff in the second drop.

With releases on ICONYC, Innervisions, TAU, Sum Over Histories, and more…are you making the music that you thought you’d be making when you first started? If not, what do you think of the voice you have found as an artist?

I think that the artist has to always be in constant evolution. When I started releasing my first tracks, I gained notoriety for producing a line of sound that automatically began to be labeled for having a unique sound identity. Honestly, I never looked for this, it ended up happening naturally. On the other hand, I don't want to just stick to one sound identity, always looking for something new.

And where do you usually go to for inspiration? Do you have a set of “routines” that you know are bound to get you in the right mind frame?

For me, the best way to find inspiration is to listen to artists you admire from different genres.

By the way, in the past weeks, we’ve seen the closure of ASLICE, which was intended to bring some balance to the DJ/producer dynamic. What do you think of its closure? Should big-name DJs be sharing their fees with the producers who create the tracks they are playing?

This question is excellent, it's really cool that you touched on this point. It was a huge loss for the industry, I was very upset by the news... the idea and objective of the platform were incredible. It was a brilliant incentive for producers who spend hours in their bedrooms or studios producing their tracks to be recognized and paid for their art. Here in Brazil, a lot of people asked me what it was and how it worked... when I explained it, everyone was delighted with the purpose of the platform. And yes, in my opinion, renowned DJs who have a busy schedule should share their fees with the producers making the music that they are playing.

And with AI? What is your relationship with that like? Have you implemented any form of AI in recent releases? Do you think this is one of those things that will drive the scene forward?

I've never implemented anything AI in my tracks. I think this is a path of no return, we will increasingly see the presence of AI not only in the music industry but also in numerous areas. On the other hand, maybe I will end up using it on my next track because as I answered in the other question, the artist always has to be constantly evolving.

Finally, having gone over the recent past and the present, what’s next for Keith Holland? What new milestones are you looking forward to now?

Well, my focus now is to play around the globe and continue producing my tracks. In the near future, I want to create my own label and give space to new talents, especially here in Brazil.

Thank you for your time, Keith! Best of luck with Idealismo. Catch you soon!

Thank you guys, I loved the interview and see you next time!

Keith Holland’s new Idealismo EP is out now via ICONYC. Find your copy here.