DJLarge

Kiinjo is Feeling Good: Los Angeles-based DJ Kiinjo is the disco house manifestation of renowned super producer Grandtheft. The man has worked in music for his while life.

“In high school, I played in bands and made beats,” he says. “But my actual job at that time was as an organist at a church. So I guess music has been serious since I was a teenager haha. I DJ’d my way through college and have been fortunate to make a living with my songs and shows under various aliases since that time.”

The Kiinjo sound, he says, is “fundamentally fun dance music with warm energy.”

“It’s organic and I think it feels nostalgic and futuristic at the same time,” Kiinjo says. “It’s influenced heavily by New York and Chicago house classics, French Touch, disco and all kinds of soulful dance music from around the world.”

Kiinjo feels electronic music has gone in a corporate direction.

“The festivals, Vegas and the mega-clubs are such big business and, through the pandemic, these entities swallowed a lot of the indie promoters and small clubs too,” he says. “This promise of mainstream money and fame has attracted a lot of folks who are in it for just that. Over the past 6-7 years, this has made for a lot of copycat music and people trying to manufacture quick viral hype. However, this has also forced artists, promoters and dance subcultures to dig deep and strip it all back to the roots of local scenes with underground parties. This has also encouraged DJ and producers to get creative to stand apart from the corporate scenes. This is so good! There is also this kind of global pollination of all different world club musics – the sounds this produces are super exciting and it’s great to see some of these rhythms getting more shine right now.”

Kiinjo’s latest release is the “Make Me Feel” single.

“‘Make Me Feel’ is actually the name of a fun dance party I started in Toronto,” he says. “It’s all disco, house and other classics. I’ve been working on bringing that to L.A. and will be doing one at Kiss Kiss Bang Bang December 7. The song is a kind of theme song for the jam! It’s the second release I’ve done with Chromeo’s label Juliet Records.”

Looking ahead, Kiinjo has plenty planned for the rest of the year.

“For music, I have another single coming on Australian label Sweat It Out, a single with Keys N Krates on Nervous Records and I’m doing a limited-run 7” record with Nick Bike’s vinyl label,” he says. “For L.A. shows, September 30 I’m doing a set at a really dope night market in DTLA called Mama’s Mercado Nocturno. The next day, I’m playing a massive show at The Shrine Outdoors Oct 1 with Purple Disco Machine, Chromeo and Duck Sauce… This is a dream bill for me! December 7 is Make Me Feel x Stereo Punks at Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in Ktown. I have some tour dates including 2 Canadian shows supporting Folamour in Montreal (October 26 and and Toronto (October 28).”

Kiinjo is Feeling Good: Kiinjo’s “Make Me Feel” is out now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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