Contributing Writer
Based in Asbury Park, New Jersey producer Danner has been moving from strength to strength with a string of successful releases under his belt since 2021. As his latest track ‘KMD’ comes out via Issues, we sat down with Danner to discuss the record and more.
Hello Danner, and welcome to Music is 4 Lovers! How is your year shaping up so far?
Hey what’s happening! I think the year’s been going well! My latest release KMD will be my fourth on the year and I’m really stoked on that. It’s been fun to see my releases start get more and more traction.
Your new record ‘KMD’ is set to come out via the Issues imprint towards the end of this month. What can you tell us about this record?
This release is special to me. When I started learning how to produce back in 2019 I made Issues one of my main target labels to sign to. At the start of the year, I decided to make it a priority to make a tune that they’d pick up. I paid a lot of attention to the records being released on the label along with tunes that Detlef was playing in his live sets to help with my sound choice and arrangement of the track. I had found the vocal on YouTube and wanted it to have an old-school rap battle kinda vibe to it.
A lot of your tracks feature American vocal snippets or samples. Is this just a quirk of where you get your samples from or do you like that this gives your music an American identity?
In all honesty, I’ve never given that too much thought. I’ve always tried to make tunes that have their own unique identity and make sure that I, as a producer, have an identifiable sort of sound/vibe. I choose my vocals/samples with a simple question…does this vocal/sample actually make the song better? If the answer is no, it ends up in the bin.
This is your first release on Issues, how did you end up releasing on the label?
Issues was one of my main target labels when I started out producing. In 2022, I started sending them some demos with no luck. I can’t remember exactly when in 2022 it was but I came across a video on Instagram of Detlef playing out a demo I had sent weeks before – Low Level – and I was absolutely floored. That record got picked up quickly after, by Dateless for his Label – Thanks for Sending. When I saw the video of Detlef playing that tune, I knew it was time to focus on getting signed to Issues. I think I sent them something like 10 tracks or so until KMD finally hit the mark.
Your discography is mostly made up of dance floor bangers, with big chaotic breakdowns and show-stopping drops. What is it that draws you to making these types of tracks?
Ah man this is going to be a long-winded answer.
I grew up listening to and playing in a punk rock band and listening to punk / hardcore music. That genre is filled with heavy breakdowns and is generally very raw sounding. I think my records definitely reflect those roots. When I set out to make a record, the tracks I’m drawn to as a reference typically have those types of elements and structure. So it’s definitely a reflection of my influences.
I’m really focused on standing out from the crowd and having my own identity. I want to make sure that my tracks have those memorable moments where people can hook onto a sound, vocal, drop or whatever so my tunes have that staying power over time. Also, I just want other Producers / DJ’s to reach for my tunes when they are playing out and having fun tunes always helps, right?
You’ve DJ’d in many cities, all across the US. What’s your favourite state to play in and why?
Philly is it for me. That city is very special to me. I went to my first underground parties there and I got booked on my first party ever at The Ave. Thanks to Josh and his team there for giving me a shot. The Into the Groove crew has always been so gracious and their parties are insanely fun. The whole vibe in Philly is on point.
Who are your main musical inspirations?
I have such a wide taste in music this is hard to pin down. The Doors are my favorite band of all time. Punk bands like H2O, Alkaline Trio / Hot Water Music / NOFX are always on wherever I go. Producers I’m really into right now are the likes of, Blackchild, Prok | Fitch, Classmatic, Latmun, Wheats, Iglesias…..the list goes on…. The talent in my area is also so stacked it’s really motivating – guys like Ky William, Jeff Sorkowitz, Kamino, and Hyde.
If you had to shout out an artist whose music deserves more attention, who would that be?
That’s an easy one – James Wyler. His style and production is next level.
Finally what else can we expect from Danner in the near future?
It’s wild to even say this, but I’m already thinking about 2024. I have the first release lined up for January and it’s time to fill out the calendar. I’ve set some very lofty goals for next year; I had four in 2023 – would like to hit 8 for 2024. Aside from that, I have a few surf trips lined up and looking forward to playing more parties!
Danner’s ‘KMD’ is out now on Issues.
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