#MusicExchange: Kyle Watson's latest remix is a novel sound from one of South Africa's biggest dance music exports

“As soon as I heard Tatum’s original version of “Fever”, which is a very emotional acoustic piece, ideas started bouncing around in my head. I’m really quite excited to show this to the world, it’s a different side of my production to what people might expect,” Watson explains about the song.

Speaking about the meaning behind the original poignant ballad, Tatum confessed: “This song is about letting the wrong person into your life, about loving someone who is dangerous. Intense love can feel like a fever, but a fever is usually a sign of a deeper infection. It’s ultimately a kind of ruinous attraction. It talks about being sucked into a noxious relationship but because it looks so beautiful and the attraction is so powerful, it becomes an almost poetic and beautiful one-way ticket to failure.”

Watson is no stranger to the international dance music scene. One of his latest releases titled “Major Games” was signed by Diplo and released on his label Higher Ground, and he was booked for Coachella 2020 (which has been rescheduled to 2021 due to the coronavirus).

His tour schedule over the past four years included playing at a multitude of festivals and parties throughout the USA, South America, Australia and South Africa and he currently has around 600,000 Spotify monthly listeners, as well as previous releases on Universal, Atlantic, Ultra and many more labels.

I caught up with him last week.

The new decade means:

A broader view of the music world and new directions to branch out into.

Fame is about:

Keeping your head on straight while enjoying the incredible journey.

Retirement will happen when:

Whenever it needs to; I’m still young and it still seems a way off!

What does music mean to you?

It’s the deepest form of creativity for me, and a way to lose yourself for a moment to appreciate the time, effort and intelligence put into a piece of work.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your work?

This is a toss-up between the actual creation process and watching the faces of people absorb it at a club/festival.

Any funny moments on stage:

That time that PHFat introduced me to the crowd as a famous bass artist from Portugal, or something to that effect.

Which living person do you admire most and why?

Probably my dad, who made a living off of doing what he loved while keeping a fun attitude towards everything and helping me on my journey into the music world.

What is your most treasured possession?

I don’t really have a single most treasured possession, I try not to take anything I have for granted and appreciate all I have.

It’s your round, what are you drinking:

Keep it simple with a beer, or a tequila and pineapple juice.

Dream gig to do:

Coachella, next year, since Covid-19 spoiled this year’s plan.

What makes you stand out?

I guess the end-product of my music being quite a unique blend of my influences over the years.

Nicknames:

Does ‘Golden Boy’ courtesy of my wife count?

If you were not a musician, what would you do?

Well, I’m a video editor too so I guess that’d be happening full-time.

Pick five words to describe yourself?

Not really a morning person.

What song changed your life?

“Switch – A Bit Patchy”. That really helped me focus my sound.

What is your favourite word?

‘Discombobulate’ is kinda fun.

Favourite fashion garment?

Trusty black tee.

Top of your bucket list:

Northern Lights; visit Iceland.

Your greatest achievement:

Getting the opportunity to play Coachella in 2020. But ye, 2020 had other plans!

What do you complain about most often?

How busy I am, even though I manage to get it all done anyway.

Happiness is:

Different for everyone but, to me, it is being around the people I love and doing the things I enjoy most.

On stage, I tend to:

Drink sips of beer after bass drops and open my mouth unnecessarily when I get excited.

The best life lesson you have been taught:

Set yourself up for financial security - save money while you earn money.

Where would you like to be right now?

Probably in the bush, or in one of those ocean houses on stilts in Bali or something.

Wishes and dreams:

To be remembered as someone that contributed to something useful, whatever that may be.

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