There's something about the presence of a live instrument (beyond turntables, which are 100% an instrument and I'll fight you if you say otherwise) in electronic music that immediately grabs the attention of hardcore bass-heads and the uninitiated alike. Undoubtedly there are a few acts on the west coast combining live instrumentation and next-level bass with the ferocity and craft than Kytami + Phonik Ops. Since connecting at a festival here in British Columbia, the duo has become one of the most intriguing acts, standing out in an already saturated musical landscape. I got a chance to talk with the two from their studio, where they've been holed up – in heavy creation mode – during this whole quarantine thing.

“Phonik Ops reached out to me when were both playing Centre of Gravity in Kelowna. We were both playing at the hip-hop stage. He had reached out to me and posted one of my videos, so I looked him up and started listening to all his mixes,” Kytami says, recalling their beginnings as a duo. “At the time he was working with a rapper – Mishap – and I got them to open up for me on a winter tour. We started talking about working on a mix together and then we did it. That led to an EP. When we started working on actual music, we became partners in shows. It only made sense.” Phonik Ops elaborates with a laugh, “I started DJing for her is what she's trying to say.”

While both artists had their own things established, they meshed well right away and began tackling the big work – creating a truly unique sound that is instantly recognizable as their own. Listening to the duo talk about their music, it's clear why they work so well to this shared, and gloriously defined goal. “What these last few years has been about is getting the sound I want, getting it dialed in and getting the catalogue behind us. Really finding the space for my melodic lines against really heavy, fucking badass basslines. Trying to get those two working together, that's been the work. That's what we're really striving for,” says Kytami. “Not just liquid, or pretty, or easy-listening electronic music, we want it to be really badass, dirty but still have these soaring lines that I'm playing or shredding. But I don't want it be an afterthought.” Phonik Ops elaborates on the duo's process, “Part two to that is us figuring out how to write better together. Bass sounds and violin, how we can stack and move together and also what we can get away with frequency range-wise. Taking away frequency so there's that much room for her, versus if there's a more noisy part and balancing it out more. We're stoked with everything we're making right now.”

Whatever their formula, it's clearly working, as the duo continues to build their fanbase with spectacular live shows and an ever-increasing catalogue of ABSOLUTE BANGERS. Who knows when we'll all be out in the world and able to see the duo in all their glory again, but I've been informed there's more tasty releases on the way to keep the people happy, starting with a pair tracks that hit our world just a couple of days ago. Have a listen, then read the latest installment of the 5 Questions. Or put the music on while you read and only pay half attention to each thing you're taking in – one of my favourite ways to consume media these days, apparently.

1. When's the last time you did something for the first time?

Phonik Ops: First time I've been quarantined. Sorry, that's boring.

Nah, that's a very timely answer! Relatable as fuck.

Kytami: This is weird. I've been in this electronic world for so long. I actually rented a CD-J setup over the holidays, around Christmas, and I started trying to actually DJ. I DJed at a little clothing store. I found all my tracks, I DJed and played the violin over it. You think I would have done it by then. It was just for myself.

PO: She headlined her own birthday party! The dope part about that was that I saw it start to make her think about our sets differently. She's always pretty good at coming up with ideas but she's all stoked getting her own tracks and piecing together other tracks now.

2. If you could spend the day with anyone living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?

K: Man, he died this year but I would have loved to go snowboarding with Jake Burton. That would have been dope. That was a really sad loss this year. Snowboarding has been a huge influence on me in general – the culture, the music and videos. Spend a day in the mountains with that guy, one of the founders of snowboarding.

PO: This is so stupid but it won't leave my head. We've been talking about Johnny Depp a lot lately and where he's been at. It would be interesting to hang out with Johnny Depp and see where he's at currently. Maybe throw in Hunter S. Thompson if I can bring one back from the dead.

That'd be a wild ass day, for sure.

K: I don't think there'd be just one day. It would morph into like four days.

PO: I could take them to Shambhala.

3. Uhhh, that sounds like a dangerous idea. What's the last thing that made you cry? Happy crying or sad crying?

K: I actually cried yesterday in the studio. Phonik Ops said it was because of the music but obviously there's a lot of things going on right now. A lot of life changes for me right now too. I'm not a big crier but now's a pretty crazy time. I'm not usually sitting in the studio crying.

PO: Almost...probably watching the Lion King again for the first time in a long time a couple of weeks ago. When Mufasa dies. I don't think I did, but almost.

4. What's the best memory you have a teacher growing up? Doesn't have to be a school teacher, but someone who taught you something.

K: This is cheesy but honestly, Phonik Ops teaches me so much. Honestly. We're learning from each other musically, but because we're on this journey together. It's a commitment and it makes you face some things in yourself and I honestly do feel like I've grown a lot since we started working together. Straight up.

PO: Well thanks. Now my last moment of crying has moved up to today. I had a production teacher when I was doing some school for music. Shawn Cole was his name. He's moved back to the east coast now. He was a really intelligent guy, especially when it came to music. The biggest thing I learned from him was how to dissect songs that I like. Really dissect the sections that make the song – bridges, choruses, verses. What elements are there that drive it along. Some of that stuff really stuck with me. That's something I've been trying to teach to Kyla too. You can listen to these songs and really break apart what makes it tick and you develop a tool belt of things to try.

5. If you could play at any venue in the world after we leave quarantine, where you are you playing?

K: Fabric.

PO: Rampage in Belgium. That's a dream one for sure. It's this massive warehouse in Belgium. A lot of heavy, sick drum 'n' bass. Sounds and looks intense.

6. The guest question comes from rapper/vocalist Deuce Eclipse of Bang Data...he stole my standard first question...What's the first piece of wax, the first album you bought?

PO: Before I got into DJing, I was sampling and trying to make sample-based hip-hop beats, so I'd buy weird, obscure sample records. The Godfather soundtrack. I don't know if it's the first, but it's up there for sure.

K: That's funny, because I bought this album called The Rock Father by Papa John Creache, a Black electronic violinist from the 70s. Yours was The Godfather and mine was the Rock Father. (Note: I have since listened to The Rock Father and it fucking RULES. You should 100% listen to it.)

STAY IN THE LOOP
Kytami - Soundcloud - Facebook

Phonik Ops - Soundcloud - Facebook