Live Nation: KAYTRANADA review
Kevin Celestin, or KAYTRANADA, defines the notion of a modern musician. The Haitian-born, Montreal-raised artist’s career was launched through SoundCloud, when a remix of Janet Jackson’s “If” gained widespread popularity. Since then, the 23 year old electronic producer’s fame has soared, particularly since the release of his long-awaited debut studio album; 99.9%, with the universally acclaimed album going on to win the Polaris Music Prize for the best full-length Canadian album. And we were lucky enough to seem him do his thing at Metro City on Saturday night.
Featuring a diverse selection of tasteful tracks spanning funk, jazz, soul. R&B, hip hop and disco, including collaborations with a number of fantastic artists such as Vic Mensa, AlunaGeorge and Anderson Paak, the rapid rise of Kaytranada has hardly come as a surprise. Indeed, it was Glowed Up, the result of Kaytranada and Anderson Paak’s time together that first introduced me to Celestin’s celestial beats. With the beautifully complimentary artists compiling a track that highlights both of their strengths.
Aptly named 99.9%, Celestin’s music possesses a constant, consistent sense of radiant calm, as if he’s never quite putting in maximum effort, yet the results speak for themselves. Regardless of genre, his beats don’t confront you. Rather, his trademark relaxed demeanour speaks through his music, with the atmospheric music passively easing you into an up-beat, yet chilled out mood.
Metro City was the perfect venue for the fun and groovy vibes being emitted. The multi-layered labyrinth meant you were always able to find a good view of the stage and some space to loosen up your limbs and really enjoy the soulful sounds of Kaytranada. From here, the funky producer will continue to tour Australia to spread good vibes. With the tracks he already has at just 23 years of age, Celestin is well on track to forging a long and prosperous career. For fans old and new, it will be exciting to watch him grow as an artist and to see what pleasurable beats continue to be produced from this pleasurable dude.
