Emerging from Mexico’s music scene, KinAhau is establishing himself as a pioneering producer. His blend of sound and rhythm has caught the attention of industry giants, leading his debut records to receive widespread recognition. Powerhouses like Jamie Jones, The Martinez Brothers, and Joseph Capriati have featured his tracks in numerous sets.
Photo Credit: KinAhau – Official
In 2022, KinAhau made significant progress with his debut on Solid Grooves. His summer anthem, ‘Turned Turk,’ garnered widespread praise after its premiere at Circoloco’s opening party in Ibiza and a pivotal appearance at Sunwaves.
KinAhau further cemented his rising status by collaborating with industry veteran and Solid Grooves luminary, Michael Bibi, on ‘Different Side’. This partnership was a natural progression, reflecting the mutual respect and shared musical vision between them.
KinAhau is now elevating his music with the release of ‘Triple T’. This ambitious thirty-track project will feature a new track daily from the promising Mexican DJ and producer.
In honor of this endeavor, KinAhau is revealing the top 10 influences behind ‘Triple T’. This list offers an insightful look into the artist’s creative mind, highlighting the diverse range of sounds and voices that have influenced his unique style.
1. Calle 13 – La Aguacatona
“Choosing just one record out of Calle 13’s self-titled debut album wasn’t easy. When I was around 9, my mom got me the CD. It was the first I ever owned. We would listen to the records on the album on our way to school and dissect the lyrics phrase by phrase. It was written in my mother’s language, and I knew the words, yet I didn’t understand what Rene had written. So we would pause the song every 10 seconds so my mom could explain it to me, and I couldn’t have had a better introduction to music than Eduardo’s on the album production. It was such a fun experience going through each record, and once I had an idea, we would listen to it again, now understanding a little bit better what the records were about. I think that experience is rooted firmly in what listening to music should be like for me.”
2. Zoo Kid & Rago – Watch Over Me
“Seeing Archy’s AKA King Krule’s journey over the years is one of the most amazing experiences we can have as an audience, from his 2008 Glastonbury interview as a Kid to playing ‘Easy Easy’ at David Letterman’s five years later to headlining the biggest festivals on earth years after. It’s such a well-documented journey that, as a bedroom producer, you can’t help but be inspired not only by his work but by his journey as well. ‘Watch Over Me’ with Rago has probably a million things a well-experienced engineer would’ve done differently; it’s far from perfect, yet it’s that same imperfection that makes it perfect, and I don’t think anyone who listens to it could think of something to change. It’s perfect. It’s such a genuine record, and they were so honest about their music that when I first discovered it, I couldn’t help but feel welcomed by them into their world.”
3. Luciano – Cachai
“I think that getting kicked out of clubs after the staff would find out I was 14-15 made me bitter towards clubs unconsciously, so now when I make a record, I can’t help but think, “What can I do to weird people out on the dancefloor, something that will make them uncomfortable”. So when I discovered ‘Cachai’, I couldn’t help but wish I had done it myself. It’s such a genius record, creativity at its finest, and it is not only a stand-out from the rest of the templates other producers call records and put out but works amazingly every time on the dancefloor; people have no clue what is going on, but they love it. I think this record is the perfect example of “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”. I couldn’t have more respect towards the maestro, Luciano, for having the character and vision to put out something so ahead of its time. Timeless piece.”
4. Canserbero – De La Vida Como Pelicula, Tragedia, Comedia y Ficcion
“As the best MC to ever live, it’s hard to choose only one record of him. I remember being around 12 when my older friends would listen to Muerte and Vida telling me all these stories about him. How he had jumped out of a building, taking his life, but how sketchy the story was, and how nothing about it made sense. Such a complex artist, yet with this undeniable love and will to live. I was amazed by all the tales about him, but it wasn’t until I heard D.L.V.C.P.T.C.F. After YouTube recommended it I went down the rabbit hole with Tirone. He is my biggest example of what an artist should be – a proud American, congruent with his values both in his art and life.”
5. Paul Kalkbrenner – Train
“Berlin Calling was a landmark in my life. Even the inspiration for my name came after Paul’s character. I love hundreds of things about the movie, but one of the most special things about it for me was seeing Ickarus record with his phone the announcement of the metro doors closing and doing a song out of it. After I ran to listen to the whole song, it felt like I had been part of the process. What brought him to that, where the idea came from, what he was going through when he did it. The first thing I did after seeing that movie was download Fruity Loops and start playing with it at 15. The first time I went to Germany, I heard that sound when the doors were about to close, and I couldn’t hold it in. ‘Train’ is one of the records that sparked my curiosity to try to do music.”
6. Ricardo Villalobos – Dexter
“I don’t think I was able to understand and to be fair, I still can’t, before Dexter the Ricardismo. I think it was the record I listened to the most for a couple of years on YouTube. I still don’t know how he did it and what it has that I love so much (this record and all the dozens of others he has that are as perfect as this one). It’s a timeless, perfect record. He’s the maestro. After ‘Dexter’, I discovered this whole new music world I’m still exploring and having such a good time doing. I have nothing but the uttermost respect for those who craft this sound. I don’t know how they do it, and I admire them so much for it. I can’t believe it took me so much to find it.”
7. Neil Young – Hey Hey, My My
“At first, since there’s nothing I love more than a good story behind a tune, it was the quote from this record on Kurt Cobain’s suicide note that drew me to it. Naturally, it’d be hard not to like Neil Young’s music. I only got Apple Music to listen to him (and I learned to play the guitar only to play this record). But after, since there’s something that Young’s music doesn’t lack its substance, the story of the record moved me. I think that as an emerging act who is trying to make a name for himself, I can’t help but worry about time. There are all these stories about amazing acts that have lasted for years and all these groundbreaking artists who took over the world and now don’t exist. I don’t have a Plan B; it’s either this or death. Reading about how someone like Neil Young could go through the same was hopeful. It’s a path I haven’t started yet, but holding this record close to me helps me feel like it’ll be alright in the end.”
8. Golfos – One Minute Silence
“It’s genius. I remember reading PAWSA’s interview on DJ Mag, where he says, “It’s like when you see a piece of art in a museum, and it’s just a painted white square. You think to yourself, ‘For fuck’s sake, I could have done this’. But you didn’t, and if you do it now, you’re second. Someone has already brought that idea to life. It’s that easy.” That blew my mind. I was amazed at how PAWSA could explain music to me with a white square. That led me to try to draw inspiration from other art worlds, and to my surprise, there was such a rich world I wasn’t aware of outside beats. Such as Basquiat and sampling in hip-hop, for example. Seeing them release ‘ONE MINUTE SILENCE’ and reading PAWSA’s interview opened a lot of doors for me, and all those doors are now the core of what my music is.”
9. Leonard Cohen – Famous Blue Raincoat
“My mom is such a quiet person, although she took me to music lessons for as long as I can remember. There wasn’t any music playing at home or with us – other than Calle 13 later in my life – talking about music. And that was the case until it was Leonard Cohen day. I think it was the first musician I can remember ever listening to. My mom is such a big fan of his, and my mind can’t help but go back home whenever I listen to him. Leonard sounds like home to me.”
10. Iglesias – Sleep Like a Stoner (Michael Bibi Remix)
“I remember this being the first record I ever listened to of Michael’s. I downloaded it, heard it a couple of times, loved it, and thought, “I can do that”. Well, I couldn’t. Discovering Michael’s music changed my life. I couldn’t understand how he’d do it. I still can’t. So I spent the following years studying his sound over and over, trying, again and again, to get close to his sound. I loved it so much, but I wasn’t able to. It’s his, and only he can do it. But in the process, I discovered mine. ‘Sleep Like a Stoner’ was the first record I heard of his, and it holds, with many of his records, in my heart a dear place since that was the source, and in many ways, it still is and always will be, of what I want to do and where I want to go. He’s the reason why I do what I do.”
KinAhau’s ‘Triple T’ is out now via Pocket Change. Stream and download here.
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