The Kids Are All Right: Krafty Kuts

To breakbeat or turntablism fanatics, Krafty Kuts (born Martin Reeves) is a must-see act. His name says it all. Perfecting mixes packed with techy cuts and scratches is a skill acquired from more than 20 years of DJing and almost 18 years of producing, all of which kicked off in the late ‘80s, following a DJ competition win at age 12.

His funky break mixes are constantly evolving, covering a wide spectrum of tastes drenched in old-school classicss, soul, hip-hop, funk, jungle, garage, glitch-hop and more. A fine sample of his work is a podcast he produced at the Red Bull Thre3style World Finals, where he judged and hung with the likes Qbert, Jazzy Jeff, D-Styles, Skratch Bastid and Shortkut.

“Watching children grow up and teaching them all your own traits is one of life’s truly great experiences.”

“Music is my life. Every day, I listen to artists like James Brown, ‘80s and ‘90s golden-era hip-hop and electro,” Reeves says. “This helps inspire me to do my DJ mixes and write music in the studio each week. Over the years, influences have been DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Cash Money, Afrika Bambaataa, James Brown, Kool & the Gang—from 1969 to 1974— Fatboy Slim, Egyptian Lover, the Freestylers, Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Parliament Funkadelic. As you can see, all things funky!”

These days, he keeps the vibe alive in his motherland by promoting nights around the UK and running the record label Instant Vibes with manager Abel Reynolds. Recent followers abroad will appreciate releases like his 2012 album Let’s Ride, which won Breakspoll Best Album in 2013, while longtime fans cherish Reeves’ older sounds found previously upon Finger Lickin’ Records.

On the personal front, he doesn’t let his fame and reputation go to his head. Upon meeting Reeves, one immediately senses his humble state of being. Deep down, Reeves longs everyday for his family at home. Through planning and organization, he proves that having it all is possible.

On his homestead in Shoreham-by-Sea, just outside of Brighton, Reeves makes special time for wife Katie-Lou and their four children, including three boys—twins Billy and Harry, and toddler Tommy Jo—and baby girl Rosie-Ella. Both parents work hectic schedules; Katie-Lou owns her own makeup and hair business. With the assistance of family and babysitters, they manage to make it work.

We chatted it up with Reeves, who gave us an in-depth look into the life of all things Krafty.

How did you fall in love with dance music?
I was originally a breakdancer. We used to run a club every week where we would practice, back in the day. By chance, someone brought in some turntables, and I had a go at DJing and was instantly addicted. Within weeks, I was scouring through record shops and car-boot sales looking for funk, disco, hip-hop… that perfect beat. It was like my whole life changed overnight. I would make mixtapes every day and became totally obsessed with buying and collecting music.

Were any of your family members into music?
Not at all. There is not one person I know in my family that has a musical background, so I guess I am the first!

What artists do you and your kids love?
I have so many, but I at the moment I love Kill Paris, Wuki, Feed Me, Jimi Needles, Grandtheft and Marten Horger. As for my children, they all obviously like my music, but my son Billy—who is studying music technology at college—is really into the deep house scene. He loves Oliver Heldens, Dismantle, Dusky and all the big UK house DJs; whereas Harry, his twin brother, loves a bit of everything, including electro, drum & bass and breakbeat.

When you play your music—or anyone else’s—do the kids dance or sing along?
They all love it when I DJ and totally get into the vibe and have been to quite a few of my shows and festivals around the world. They have even been onstage dancing in front of 20,000 people. My 19-year-old son Billy is a really good DJ and has been practicing now for a few years. He seems to have picked up the knack from his Dad! He loves it.

You think they’ve all got music in their futures?
All of my kids love music, and I can see one maybe two of them getting a career in the music scene. The youngest one, age five, is extremely good at football, so maybe his path is possibly down that field. They love listening to music, and when we go on road trips, the music is pumping heavy out of the speakers. I think my daughter will be into dance music, for sure.

“Half of Australia knew who my kids were, and they were instantly famous. The following year, they danced on little stages on either side of me at Bondi Beach.”

Are there instruments in the home?
If you classify turntables and CDJs as instruments, then yes. I have four CDJs, three mixers, two turntables, and a MacBook Pro with Cubase and Ableton set up at home. I have a proper music studio where I write my tracks. I don’t want my house to be where I work as well, but I do a lot of research and all of my records—about 10,000—are in my record room with all my equipment. I would imagine when TJ gets older, he will want a guitar or drum kit or piano, so if we get a bigger house then we will be buying some proper instruments, for sure. Billy often spins on my CDJ Nexus editions and practices his DJ sets, and I love listening to him. He has a totally different style to mine, but still very energetic.

If your child wants to be a DJ, will you encourage or discourage them?
I am already doing this with Billy. I am not going to tell every promoter to book him but will definitely help in pointing him in the right direction. I have already given him good advice in learning to be a good warmup DJ—but also, when the time is right, to take center stage.

When will you allow them to go to their first rave?
The twins are already doing this and just came back from their first holiday abroad. They went into some of the biggest clubs in the world, like BCM, where I managed to get them and their buddies [on the] VIP guest list. They got to meet Example and Oliver Heldens and had a great time. I trust my boys to be responsible, and I have always allowed them to be themselves and experience life in the way I did. I don’t wanna hold them back but also do not want to give them money all the time. They need to work and learn the same way I did to appreciate money. But I have helped them a little along the way, like any good parent.

Do you have any helpful advice to those who are already working in scene and want kids?
Having a child is the best thing that can happen to anyone, and watching them grow up and share my experiences and special moments has been wonderful. My kids have seen me play at some huge festivals and also met some incredibly talented people. Also, all the amazing cities we have traveled to across the world make this job the best ever. My advice would be to be organized, plan ahead, and make sure that your journeys are child-friendly. Good hotels with extra beds and a few road trips along the way help you bond and share the simple things in life. Being organized is the most important aspect, and taking holidays in between hectic schedules can really help with stress.

Are there any special moments that stand out with your children at a festival or in the studio?
About 12 years ago, when the twins were six and I was playing a huge festival in Sydney called Field Day. They wanted to be onstage, and one of the other artists grabbed them and held them up to the crowd of 20,000 who knew these where my kids, and the whole place erupted. They both started dancing, [and] that was it: Half of Australia knew who my kids were, and they were instantly famous. The following year, they danced on little stages on either side of me at Bondi Beach with “Krafty” and “Kuts” T-shirts on; it was a wonderful experience. They were signing autographs and getting their photos taken. It was crazy.