Kid Stretch Interview



Breakbeat.ca: Ez mate, thank you kindly for taking some time off the productions and djing to answer some of our questions.How is your djing and productions going this year and what’s up with you right now? 

KID STRETCH: Well, this year is really good for me so far. First I’ve got the "Pushin" vinyl EP on Goodgroove Records that gained strong support, airplay and huge success in the vinyl charts, and so did the "Get Away" Digi EP on Warriorz Records which also received strong support by almost everybody and climbed on to No1 in JUNO’s Breakbeat Charts! Additionally I’ve launched a new Disco-Breaks project alongside Pale Penguin (of The Scientifics project and V.I.M. Records) called Pale The Kid and we have released a remix for Doctrashz’s “The Drunk Club” on V.I.M.Breaks and our first “Work That Sucker” Digi EP on Breakbeat Paradise Records which was also very successful in almost all digital stores Breakbeat charts! As for djing, I spin at local parties now and then, it's all good! I'm currently working on some new mash-ups, some new productions of mine, and of course some fresh beats with Pale Penguin for the Pale The Kid project! I'm also involved in a new project called 70th Floor, disco-vocal house style.

Breakbeat.ca: What’s your track that you think is your best track in terms of production quality? KID STRETCH: I think much good work went into "Get Away" and "Power Of Base” (Pale The Kid). But as time goes by, work gets better and better!


Breakbeat.ca: What projects are you working on currently and what’s up in the near future for Kid Stretch?

KID STRETCH: I'm currently working on my stuff of course and you can expect releases on various labels later this year, we’re working on new tracks and remixes for Pale The Kid project, and there’s some work on new disco-house tracks for 70th Floor project.

Breakbeat.ca: How did you come up with your name Kid Stretch and what does it mean to you?

KID STRETCH: It doesn't really mean anything, it's just a name I've made up with my best friend when we where little kids! I liked then and I use it till now! Everybody knows me as “Kid Stretch”……..


Breakbeat.ca: What are your standards for production Monitors in your sound studio?

KID STRETCH: I use the Genelec 8030A monitors.


Breakbeat.ca: Your music productions are always top notch, how do you go about creating your tracks? Do you have a creative process?

KID STRETCH: I believe that because I’m a DJ first and then a producer, helps me a lot on that. Also the fact that I'm into turntablism, makes me understand things slightly different. The process is not standard, sometimes inspiration comes easily, I have an idea and work on it, but sometimes I just can't do anything! Many times I chop loops up and many times I create my own melodies. Nothing standard!

Breakbeat.ca: How is the club and night-life scene in Greece? And how is the Breakbeats going there?

KID STRETCH: It's not so crazy, it's pretty normal I can say. I think that in the Greek islands the night-life is pretty crazy! But there, they prefer more traditional Greek music stuff, or Greek pop stuff! The breakbeat scene is very-very underground and needs a lot of time more to expand. There are not many DJs' supporting the genre, although people like it. We have good producers though!!! 

Breakbeat.ca: What is you background? Did you go to a musical or a sound tech school of any sort? Do you play any traditional musical instruments? 

KID STRETCH: No, no I haven’t done any studies at all! Just DJing many years now. My father is a drummer and singer. I guess I’ve got the talent from him!

Breakbeat.ca: How long have you been producing for and how did you first get into it?

KID STRETCH: I got into the production madness back in 1998, when me and 2 friends of mine started our hip-hop group called Warriorz. The group still exists and I can say that it’s one the good underground Greek hip-hop projects (and the first Hip-Hop group from Thessaloniki, Greece with full discography). We have released many tracks in compilations, 1 CD single, many Battle Of The Year Balkans DVDs’ (the biggest b-boy battle in the Balkanian territory), through Warriorz Records, 2 full CD albums (one with a wicked Greek funk band called Nasa Funk) so far and we have played many gigs. I’m the DJ and the beat-maker in the group, the other two guys write the lyrics and doing the mc. Also there is an upcoming Warriorz release with collaborations with names such as Akil The MC (Jurassic 5), Jeru The Damaja, Lil‘ Dap, Esoteric & Beyonder, Blade, Mainflow etc, it’s gonna be big, all you hip hop heads stay alert!!!

Breakbeat.ca: Do you have any funny or weird stories to tell during a dj gig, I’m sure those parties in Europe and Greece are crazy? 

KID STRETCH: I'd have to say no, not really!!! Many times people went crazy and they keep dancing, and shouting and have really good time but to tell you the truth I’m getting so “deep” into djing that I’m not looking so much around! Lucky for me people tend to understand and respect the way I spin and don’t get on my nerves by “oh, oh, please play this song”!!!

 Breakbeat.ca: What type of eq programs do you like to use? And what compressors do you swear by?

 KID STRETCH: I use ApEQ a lot. I like the interface and sound quality. Also the Brainworx and the Sonalksiss EQ. I like the built in compressors of Logic 8, and i use the Sonalksis Multilimiter and Compressor much.

Breakbeat.ca: What’s up with vinyl in Greece at the moment? Which system is working best for you?

KID STRETCH: Vinyl and Greece don't add up. If you love vinyl (as I do) and want to stay up to date, you gotta go with Serato, so I’m using the TTM57 with Serato built in, perfect for mixing and scratching!

Breakbeat.ca: List some of your favourite electronic producers (past/present):

KID STRETCH: Acen, Joey Beltram, Housecrew & The Prodigy (the good old days), A-Skillz, Krafty Kuts etc, and so many other producers!!!  

Breakbeat.ca: What does your studio consist of?

KID STRETCH: My (home) studio right now consists of, 2 Technics SLMKII, 1 Rane TTM57 Mixer, 1 iMac Intel Aluminun, 1 Macbook Aluminum, 2 Genelec 8030A monitors, 1 MBox Mini2, 1 AKAI MPD24 and 1 AKAI APC40.  

Breakbeat.ca: What are you using to produce nowadays? Logic audio? Live ? Cubase?

 KID STRETCH: I use Logic 8 and lately turning to Ableton Live 8, also Melodyne, not touching Cubase!!! 

Breakbeat.ca: If you were stranded on an island and had a portable record player with enough batteries to play one last track,,,which track would you choose to listen to? KID STRETCH: Rockers Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin - Walking On Sunshine.

Shout outs: KID STRETCH: My girlfriend, Tzivaras, Anus,Warriorz (Tolis & John), Pale Penguin, Basement Freaks, Slim (Goodgroove) and anyone that i love and support and forget, you know who you are! 

WWW Links: 

www.myspace.com/kidstretch  

www.myspace.com/warriorzrecords 

 www.myspace.com/palethekid 

www.warriorz.gr 


DJ Kid Stretch Funky Disco Mix _07-200

Tracklist

01 Basement Freaks & DJ Kid Stretch - We Gotta Work It Out (unreleased demo)

02 DJ Kid Stretch - Funked Out (unreleased demo)

03 DJ Kid Stretch - Horny (unreleased demo)

04 DJ Kid Stretch - Dancing Machine (unreleased demo)

05 Pale The Kid - Power Of Bass (Basement Freaks Remix)

06 Pale The Kid - Work That Sucker (Calagad13 Remix)

07 Manmade - Beastie Nights - ATFC - Bad Habit (acapella)

08 Gene Chandler - When You're No 1 - Aretha Franklin - A Deeper Love (acapella)

09 Young & The Company - I Like (What You're Doing To Me)

10 Manmade - All The People (CMC & Silenta Remix) - Faith Evans - Mesmerized (acapella)

11 Funk Burners - Whatchya Got

kid_stretch.zip