If Kim Young iLL hasn’t been on your radar, he would be now, and even i you still haven’t heard the name, you would’ve heard his music somewhere on a dance floor this last few months. His latest release alongside Duv Tales has been lighting up dance floors recently all over Oslo, and as a DJ he’s been a presence in some of the city’s favourite DJ booths, including his regular spot as the frontman for the club concept, UNTS
His no stranger to the Jaeger Mix either, having made a previous appearance on the mix series. That one featured some tracks du jour, lighting up the DJs playlist at that time, and while House music remains central to his approach for this edition, he touches on elements of breakbeats and minimal soundscapes across this session. Kim Young iLL brings streaks off summer through this mix, recorded back in May, setting a tone for a busy season ahead for the UNTS resident.
Hey Kim. It’s been a while since your last appearance on the Jaeger Mix. What have been some of your personal musical highlights since?
Hey, thanks for having me back! Since last time it must have been the release of our very first 12” Pressing.
The UNTS b2b session with Truls & Robin at Storgata. When I was warming up for Skatebård in Jakob kirke with Morning Beat was a 2022 highlight. I also have to mention, Musikkfest last summer when I did a Live show with Duv Tales and GIGA.lou at Dattera til Hagen was a lot of fun. Not to mention the last party at Jaeger a few weeks back when I played b2b with Duv Tales at the Frædag party.
You’ve been a consistent presence in Jaeger’s booth too. Is there anything in terms of DJing that is particularly spurring you on of late and what club concepts are keeping you busy?
I still run my club night at Storgata 26 with my good friend and fellow DJ, Antoine Hajj which we also bring to Ingensteds from time to time and we are always open to collaborating with new people and venues! Besides that, it’s mostly club gigs here and there. I’m also really looking forward to the collab we are doing in combination with the web3 summit in Berlin where I and Antoine are teaming up with Berlin-based Jarle Bråthen, Alexander Skancke, and US-based Holosoundsw at Urban Spree on the 10th of June for an all-nighter.
Recently, you’ve recently teamed up with Icelandic DJ producer Duv Tales for a record on Mhost Likely. How did that come about and were there any specific ideas for this record before you started?
We wanted to make a new EP and started to jam out new tracks. We had an idea of making something for dancefloors. But as always we set no rules and started jamming out new ideas until we had some new music we both enjoyed playing.
I’ve heard a couple of cuts from the record permeating the dance floor at Jaeger too. What have been the reactions around this record like for you and is there anything that you’ve taken away from the experience into making music?
We have gotten a lot of good feedback from listeners and DJs. It seems to me that making house tracks with Norwegian lyrics with a hint of good mood has been enjoyed at dance floors all over the city and many other places.
We also made it to the staff pick at Bikini Wax Records in Berlin, which felt nice.
What else is on the horizon for Kim Young iLL in terms of making music?
Duv Tales & Kim Young iLL is a project I can’t see an end to. Duv Tales is a very special person to me as we always have total freedom in the studio, alongside a strong relationship that feels like family. The vibe we have when we hit the studio is just too much fun to ever stop. We are currently working on some new ideas, so there is something happening in the future. When it comes to solo projects, I have not been able to cook up much lately, the focus has been gigs, but summer has hit us and I feel the energy of the sun is making me inspired to hit the studio and see what comes out of it.
Let’s get into the Jaeger Mix. As somebody that plays in Jaeger’s booth often, did you have to adapt your approach for the sake of the recording?
On this one, I had a few tracks I really wanted to drop in there but also let the room guide us as we had a good party going on when I entered the cockpit. I tried to make a mix that was more focused on the situation than keeping the same energy throughout the mix.
What were some of your musical highlights for this mix?
In this mix there are a few tracks I find really interesting, has a nice calming but energetic nerve, you get if you follow the mix from head to tail. The tracks from Locklead, Insectoscope are two current favourite tracks. But I have to admit they give me a really good feeling.
Last time you were here focussed on playing House, with tracks you enjoyed playing that summer. What was the theme this time around? It’s still largely House music, but do you feel that your tastes have evolved between the last time and now, and what are some of your current influences when DJing?
House music is still going strong for me as always. Lately, I’ve been a bit back to minimal and electro-influenced soundscapes and some more heavy breakbeat tracks. At the same time, I`m always a sucker for a good bass line.
Thank you Kim, and see you at the next one…