“Sorry for keeping you waiting man but the landlord just popped on by. You see I’m living in this really nice area which I wouldn’t normally be able to afford so I have to keep a good relationship with my landlord and just chat with him whenever I can. He’s actually a really nice guy, I don’t get a chance to talk to him much because I’m always touring.” Martin Reeves better known to the breakbeat world as Krafty Kuts explains. An affable and gracious man, it is evident that Martin likes to keep people happy. Whether it’s his landlord or thousands of screaming punters, the instigator of the ill type sound is a self proclaimed crowd pleaser. With his trademark style of classic funk, block hip hop, party breaks and rolling drum n bass, Martin is very excited and all set to turn heads as he cuts loose down under. ITM’s palu gets the low down.

It’s always interesting to hear quirky stories about DJs getting discovered. In Martins case, his very first introduction to the turntables led him to the finals of a DJing competition. It was then that this bright eyed young man realised that his destiny was behind the decks. However, as most established artist will tell you; to make it in the industry you have to know the right people. Martin certainly had the skills and talent but being chums with Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) was certainly nothing to sweep under the rug. “I used to be really good friends with Norman Cook, or Fatboy Slim many years ago, this was when he wasn’t so fat. Anyway, I made a track and decided to give it to him so he can play it at a party and he did, and the record labels heard it, liked it and became very interested. Everyone was thinking ‘Who’s this Krafty Kuts guy’. After that I started getting booked for more gigs and landed a few residencies.” With residencies in Brighton and guest spots at Scala, Fabric, Heavenly Social Electral Works and many more celebrated night spots, Martin was making waves across the world with his inimitable style of funk that was guaranteed to get any party started.

Fast forward a few years, slap on a new record label (Against the grain) and chuck in some successful projects and you have a vague idea of where Krafty Kuts is at. His latest project however is one which is closer to home. With Fuzzy at the helm, Martin and Sydney breaks fiend, Q45 are mixing the new Fuzzy breaks CD. What can we expect? “Expect funk and lots of it. The project’s going really well. Central Station is doing all the licensing work and is the force behind it. When people listen to it, I don’t want them thinking ‘Oh that’s ok’. I want them to be totally blown away! I always put a hundred per cent into everything I do so hopefully it’ll show on this CD.” Of course, along with mixing the Fuzzy breaks CD, Martin is also traveling down under later this year with a crate full of fresh records and a mission to wow the crowds. Although, apparently this mission is one which isn’t too difficult to accomplish, he shares. “In Australia, everyone seems to truly appreciate music for what it is. Take for instance Field Day where all these people come and just give credit where it’s due. Australians are more laidback and could listen to breaks or house when they go out and wouldn’t be so picky. They can appreciate a fat groovy bass line and a broken beat. Meanwhile in the UK, they’re still a bit blasé about breaks and there’s a lot more musical snobbery. That’s why we love coming to Australia.”

Although Martin has established quite a large fan base in Australia, he’s not the type to sneer his nose up high and rush off backstage with his Evian water bottle and lemon scented towels. He’s down to earth and is always open to learning new things. “I’m not like one of those big superstar DJs who think they know everything. You can always learn new things. Take for instance when I was down in Australia in July, I was so impressed with Phil K, Ransom and Kid Kenobi. These three can teach a lot of people so much.” But what if Martin was donning the teacher’s hat instead? What advice would he give to all the starry eyed aspiring artists? “I say be original. Do something different to get noticed. Don’t just do it because it’s cool. Also, know what style of music you like. I know a lot of kids who think ‘Oh, I’m going to be a big Drum n Bass star’ and go out and buy all these records and then suddenly decided they like house music better. Listen to music. Learn about music, and always have fun.”

Fun is definitely one thing we can predict will occur at a Krafty Kuts performance. But apart from that, it’s hard to predict what else Martin has install to keep the feet moving and the temperature soaring. His style is constantly evolving. Previous sets have seen Martin unleash an assault of bleeding bass lines tinged with disco sounds and electro influence. Who knows what Mister Kuts is cooking up this summer. “I just throw all this hip hop, funk electro, drum n bass into a pot and mix it all around. It’s kind of like cooking in the kitchen. You just need the right ingredients, correct method and hopefully it’ll taste good.”

Curious to see what Krafty Kuts is dishing out in kitchen this summer? Check out the tour dates below

Krafty Kuts
Brisbane: 33 1/3 at Family Thurs Dec 19th
Perth: Breakfest, Thurs Dec 26th
Melbourne: 33 1/3, Tues January 31st
Sydney: Field Day, Weds January 1st
Gold Coast: Summafieldayze, Sat January 4th
Hobart: Syrup, Fri January 10th
Adelaide: A Break in Traffic, Sat January 11th
Canberra: Twisted event at The Globe Fri January 17th