Sowing Wild Oats

Taking inspiration from Theo Parrish’s Plastic People residency, Jelly Roll Soul will be dedicated to “real funk and grit rather than flat, digitized sheen”, the DJs opting for vinyl over MP3s. To celebrate the launch of the night, the founders have booked Detroit wonder-kid Kyle Hall, who though only 19, already sums up their aesthetic approach. Kyle's unique take on the Motor City sound takes its cue as much from the work of hip-hop producer, J Dilla and Wajeed as it does the output of house artists like Parrish, Rick Wilhite and Marcellus Pittman.

DJing and recording music since he was 11, Kyle’s been mentored by the likes of Wilhite and fellow Detroit producer, Mike Huckaby, though it’s probably his relationship with another member of the city’s house scene, Omar S, that’s had the greatest impact on his career thus far. “He was the person that gave me the opportunity to present my music to the world and believed in it enough to put it out,” says Hall, referencing his first single, ‘Plastik Ambash’, recorded amazingly enough, when he was only 16.

“Omar also taught me some of what I needed to know to release my own music, and it’s probably been the most helpful advice I’ve ever received,” he continues. Indeed, only a year after his FXHE debut, he established his own Wild Oats imprint with The Worx of Art EP. Ranging from the joyous, piano-led deep house of Fuse N Me to I <3 Dr. Girl Friend’s off-kilter soul-hop, it’s perhaps the record that represents his sound to the fullest.

“I started Wild Oats because I was sick of waiting for people to release my music and wanted to have total creative control over things,” he says, explaining its beginnings. “It’ll remain mostly an outlet for my own productions as I’ve a real personal attachment, but I may collaborate with others in future.”

Since The Worx… he’s gone onto release The Water Is Fine and Must See EPS on Moods & Grooves and Third Ear respectively and The Perfekt Sin on Wild Oats, though arguably it was last year’s remix of Darkstar’s Aidy’s Girl Is A Computer and subsequently April’s Kaychunk/You Know What I Feel twelve inch, both on Hyperdub that have brought him to a wider audience, as Hall agrees.

“Darkstar got in touch to say they dug my music and asked me to do the remix; it did well so Kode 9 invited to make a record for Hyperdub, which was cool…the label’s at the forefront of the dubstep scene in the UK so it’s definitely helped expose to me a lot of new people.”

Not to mention an increase in DJ dates; Kyle’s already played all over Europe this year and has a busy schedule well into the autumn. “It’s been a great experience; people have been really receptive,” he reflects. “When I DJ, it’s more like a performance, it’s more spontaneous than when I’m in the studio, trying to piece things together.”

Looking to the future, he’s keen to expand upon his DJ techniques and keep busy working on more music: “I want to take my DJing to the next level, play on three or four decks at once and incorporate homemade gizmos. I’m also gonna put out releases more frequently on Wild Oats.”