Contributing WriterMad Motel is the brainchild of Derek Kamm, aka Kidislive, an American producer raised on Long Island who has been DJing and producing for almost 20 years. He has previously worked with Wareika and Henrik Schwarz on Visionquest and ran his own Local Raider Records, but now branches out with a new project which will combine music and visuals in the world of micro house, minimal techno, and experimental electronica. We sat down with Kidislive to discuss the release of his new EP, Mad Motel, and his experiences as a DJ.
1. Hi Derek, thanks for sitting down with us today. How are you doing?
Doing great, grateful for the endorsement, and have been busy working on my vinyl project coming out this year
2. Break You Heart is your first release on your new label, Mad Motel. Can you tell us about these tracks?
Of course… Beak Your Heart is the type of track that scores your life story nicely. I think most people can relate to the words. Either being the one who broke someone’s heart or had their heart broken, the track came along nicely during production, and all the sounds just fit well with one another. Monsters R Us is more of something I would want to hear in an afters environment on big powerful old dusty speakers where I can enjoy that hypnotic groove it creates, Ussy Bop I actually made fairly quickly in the sudio, there is not a lot elements to the song but it just grooves very well, an ideal ibiza brunch track with party people taking in the vibes.
3. You’ve previously worked with Wareika and Henrik Schwarz on the Visionquest label and run your own, Local Raider Records. How did that inspire you to start Mad Motel?
Well, as far as working with Wareika and Henrik Schwarz, at that time, many years ago, that was the biggest deal for me EVER. I was living in Berlin, and 2011 was just a magical time there. I had made friends with all the right people there, especially the crew at Renate. Local Raider Records was started, but lacked a clear vision at the time for me, it was a fuzzy time period as I was juggling a lot of different businesses, and the math wasn’t making sense. Now with Mad Motel, I have a very clear vision as far as what I want to create, and I feel my voice as an artist is more defined, and I plan on using my new imprint as a launch vehicle for my own personal work, plus different edits of my work. Possibly release solo artist releases down the road, let’s see.
4. You’ve been DJing and producing for over 20 years. How has the music landscape changed over the years, and how has this impacted you as an artist?
When I was living in Brazil in 2010, there was this mystique of international DJs playing local parties. I feel that has left now that the world is more interconnected on social media. The whole cell phone record revolution has its pros and cons, as there are certain epic moments in the history of our scene that can’t be relived without seeing it; however, there is still this amazing vibe of no-cell phone parties like Berghain that keep alive the old aesthetic of the original ravers.
5. You grew up in Long Island, a place that’s been home to many successful artists. What was the music community like growing up in there? How did it influence your work?
The Long Island scene, to me, since day 1 has always missed the boat, not including the Hamptons or Montauk, which is a different scene all together. From my earliest memories of partying, you had to travel to NYC in the 90s to experience the sound and energy at places like Sound Factory, Tunnel, Twilo, and Limelight to really convert. Then, eventually, those clubs changed, and so did city politics. That’s when you had the birth of NYC warehouse parties in Brooklyn with the Blackmarket Membership crew. This was a special run during the 2000s. Blackmarket was bringing in all the upcoming talent from overseas and showcasing their sets in illegal warehouse parties; it was magical. Now you have a bunch of splinter cell parties doing the same, which is good for the industry.
6. You’ve played all across the globe. Where is your favourite place to play? How do you prepare for your shows?
Brazil, for me, is always magical. The people are wired and programmed to party hard and party long; it’s in their DNA, and it’s in mine as well, as I am half Brazilian. Preparing for shows is different now then back in the day, where back in the day most of my sets were vinyl. So, really spending time with my records and knowing how they all mesh with one another would allow me to experiment with new combos in a live scenario. Now most of my sets are with CDJs and it just makes things so much more faster and easier to experiment more, as I can see BPM and wave size of the audio, also being able to loop on the spot with tracks that are sub 5 mins, there is just so much more you can do on the fly these days with less tedious preparation and more on the spot improvisation, which is fun.
7. What are some of your favourite releases from this year?
Damiano von Erckert has been on fire for me lately and seems to be dialed in on every track, along with Jimi Jules, he’s a phenom in my opinion. Lastly, Gerry Read is an enigma to me, so talented, and a dear friend of mine.
8. What artists can we expect to hear on Mad Motel in 2026?
In talks now for some edits with Gerry Read, Dave DK, and Paula Tape. But primarily, most of my own work, as I have a lot to release this year coming up, some of my best work.
9. It’s been great to chat with you today. Do you have any plans for the rest of the year?
Just spending time in the studio relentlessly finding the next groove, and time with my two little beautiful sons and wife.
