DKCJ
Music can do many things; from the anthems that unite us, to the soothing and serene, music has the power to move. In no case is this more literal than with DKCJ. Kendall Clark, a composer, producer, musician, and DJ from Austin, Texas, creates music designed to make people move. His music has been described as House, Electro, and Tech-House. It might be straight up electronica-- if it didn’t have so much funk and bass. Upon listening to his debut album, titled “Emerge”, listeners are taken on a journey of gut wrenching whomps and funky breakdowns. This is music that moves.
DKCJ fell in love with music at a young age; through his adolescence, he was a tireless student of music, studying percussion primariy. “I can remember when I was first introduced to electronic music production when my grandfather gave me Propellerhead’s ‘ReBirth’ for Christmas. I later discovered Image-Line’s Fruity Loops, and then with the purhase of my first laptop: Apple’s Garage Band.” It was in Garage Band where DKCJ became more acquainted with the digital audio workstation. Through a long process of trial and error, with no formal instruction in digital music, DKCJ continued to hone his skills.
DKCJ’s studies in music led him to the University of Texas at Austin’s Sarah and Ernest Buttler School of Music. There, he studied percussion, jazz drumset, and audio engineering. With the meeting of his friend and colleague Chad Koss, he became interested in the electronic music scene. “Until we had met, I was only really interested in rock and alternative music. I had played drums in a band in high school, but I really didn’t know anything about the world of electronic music. I remember going to his apartment one time and seeing him DJ. That was the first time I had ever seen how it was done.” Around the same time DKCJ was turned on to the software Ableton Live, a digital audio workstation designed specifically for performance. It was then that he began to dive into electronic music, DJ-ing house parties and producing original tracks.
DKCJ’s debut album “Emerge” is a strong claim to his place in the electronic music scene. It’s unique blend of House, Electro, fresh remixes, and funky bass lines keep the listener anxiously awaiting the next surprise. “Making this album was really quite interesting. It began with a series of improvisation on a Korg R3. Once I had a handful of good ideas, I began piecing them together and expanding upon them.” The album begins with a Steve Reich-esque introduction slowly propelling the listener forward into a minimal house groove. Slightly reminiscent of Magda, this section builds a steady momentum while still leaving room to grow. The first recognizable track in the set is Hercules and Love Affair’s “Blind”. DKCJ effortlessly transforms this new disco track into a true club banger. Through the addition of edgy electro bass lines and chest pounding drum tracks, “Blind” builds up to one of the sickest bass drops on the album.
“I am constantly intrigued by the creative process. Some tracks start off with a simple idea. This idea may take months of experimentation to work it up to a full track that could be played in the set. Other times, an entire idea for a track will just appear in my mind, often when I’m doing something totally unrelated to composition. I frequently make voice memos on my phone if I’m away from my computer, singing the ideas so that I can reference them later.”
DKCJ is steadily building his reputation in the Austin area, playing as much as he can whether at the club or a house party. With his fresh supply of unique and original tracks, DKCJ will most assuredly turn the heads of anyone who happens to catch a glimpse of his music.