After a long hiatus from making music, Kneptunes stopped by to chat about his artistic journey and the launch of his new label, Fortunes.
Canada has long been a hotbed of talent for artists in the electronic music scene, and Kneptunes is one of the latest turning heads. Hailing from Waterloo, Ontario, he’s showcased his craft by dropping off tunes on labels that include IN / ROTATION, House Call Records, House Views, and Confession. Early standout tracks from Kneptunes like “Rainfall” and “Faith” helped set the tone for the intricate house style he champions, while he’s also provided remixes for the likes of Wuki and Sebastian Knight.
Last year, Kneptunes took a hiatus from the scene as he focused on his health after experiencing burnout but now he’s back and better than ever. Not only does this Canadian have multiple tracks due out on the horizon, but he’s gearing up to launch his newly minted imprint, Fortunes, to act as his new home as he continues his rise through the scene’s ranks.
Looking to gain more insight into Kneptunes’ journey, we caught up with him to discuss his recent music pursuits, including the launch of his label Fortunes. Listen to his exclusive guest mix and read on for the full conversation.
Stream EDMID Guest Mix 418 || Kneptunes on SoundCloud:
Hi Kneptunes! Thank you for chatting with us today. You have some exciting news that I’m eager to hear more about, so let’s dive right in!
Hey! Thanks for having me. Yes! I’m very excited to announce that I am starting my own imprint – Fortunes – after a long hiatus from writing original music. I stacked up a few releasable tunes and realized that the labels I’m on are currently releasing tech house mainly, and that just isn’t me.
I had the idea to start a label for a few years now, and the timing just seemed right. I feel like I’m coming back in style with a diverse discography for 2024 and giving my sound a permanent home. My first self-released tune on my imprint will be out on all platforms on April 26!
That’s awesome! Can you share with us your journey into music? What sparked your interest initially and led you to pursue electronic music specifically?
I’ve had a passion for music and entertainment for as long as I can remember. I started drumming and learning music theory when I was 10, joined my school band, and eventually stumbled upon dance music which led to being a DJ in high school. I fell in love with making music and was making beats on my beatpad by the time I was 18. I ended up going to school for Studio Engineering, which amplified my passion for the music industry and music production.
I went through phases of production – I started by making hip hop instrumentals for rap artists and trap music on my beatpad to making dubstep and finally landing on house music because it became my favorite genre throughout the years. It was also the most challenging genre for me when it came to production and mastering my engineering skills. I know I’ll be making EDM, dance music, whatever you want to call it, til I die!
Your music strikes a balance between depth and danceability. Could you shed some light on maintaining that balance while crafting your tracks? Are there any specific techniques or philosophies you adhere to?
I guess my goal was to always make music that can be enjoyed beyond the dancefloor—midnight drives, working out, or just chilling with friends, whatever—but also fit it in a club set. Lately, I just want to make music that’s catchy and energetic. I’m trying to let my creativity flow and not cut it off by aiming for a specific sound or trying to please labels or an algorithm. Expect a lot more diversity from me moving forward.
As a producer based in Waterloo, Ontario, how does the environment influence your creative process compared to major entertainment hubs like Los Angeles or New York? Do you find that it cultivates a unique perspective or presents more of a challenge in networking and exposure?
Well, it’s definitely a bit trickier to navigate the music industry living in a smaller town, but luckily, Toronto is a short drive away, and I try to make it out to gigs and events as much as I can in the big city.
My biggest opportunities came from reaching out to my favorite artists online. I encourage all small/new artists to send their tunes and ideas to your favorite artists and like-minded artists in the scene. I always thought I might come off as annoying to people I look up to, but now we talk often, and I have gotten a lot of advice and opportunities from them because I kept reaching out, kept sending demos, and didn’t get discouraged.
The power of social media and the connections you can make on the internet can make your location irrelevant to your success if you stay consistent and build your brand properly. Gigs and opportunities will start stacking up if you can do that, and most importantly, never ever quit.
Social media plays a crucial role in modern music promotion. How do you navigate your presence on social platforms?
I’m honestly concerned with where things are going with music on social media and apps like TikTok, and I think most artists agree. I understand these apps and trends are important but I won’t risk my musical integrity and creative process for the sake of social media presence.
I will always try to make the right content consistent, but it has to feel genuine and creative to me. If it feels cheesy or unnatural, I won’t participate in the trend or that specific way of promoting music. I try to be genuine and focus on myself and my brand in hopes that people love me for me.
Music is the core and most important aspect of any artist’s brand, so I try to focus on that. If I find fun and creative ways of presenting my music online, I will definitely make an effort to create distracting, eye-catching content for my followers.
Congratulations on the launch of Fortunes! What inspired you to start your own imprint, and what direction do you envision for the label in the future?
Thank you! So, since day one of Kneptunes, I had the idea of building my own brand, including my very own label, but I thought the best way to gain some traction and get some gigs was to get my songs signed to well-established labels.
For the first few years of my career, I aimed to make music for specific labels and follow production trends to get my name out there. I got signed to almost every label I wanted to sign with, and it didn’t do much for my career. About two years ago, I felt super burnt out and not as passionate about making music. Labels weren’t too responsive to my demos, and I had no control over release dates when I got the tunes signed. I guess it ruined my creativity and passion for the industry.
After a long hiatus from music and kind of stepping back from the scene, I realized that labels and writing music for labels were my issues. I had to let my creativity flow and go back to making what I love without any boundaries, like genres, sticking with a specific BPM, or following trends. I realized it was the perfect time to start my imprint and do my own thing.
Once I release a few of my own tunes in 2024, I plan on collaborating with artists and signing their tunes in 2025 if everything works out. A lot of work goes into building a label, and I’m doing it alone, so I want to take it one step at a time and self-release a few of my own tunes before I take on other artists’ music.
Balancing the responsibilities of running a label with your personal music production can be demanding. How do you manage these dual roles effectively without sacrificing quality in either area?
Lots of planning! I have a few tunes stacked up to be released this year, which gives me time to make some music and plan releases for 2025. It’s a bit stressful; it’s all very new, but I am now in control of my music and when it gets released, and that’s very freeing. I am learning things every day to further my music career and hopefully build my imprint into a proper label one day. I encourage all artists to self-release and maybe even start their label eventually. Take control of your music! If I can do it, you can too.
Reflecting on your journey in music so far, what would you consider your most significant accomplishment? Could you share the story behind it and how it has shaped your artistic vision and career trajectory?
Reaching one million streams on a single platform (Spotify) was pretty significant to me. It was at the end of 2023 when I was getting back in the studio and planning out 2024. I don’t have a big discography of original music, and I was still a bit nervous about getting back into the scene after a big hiatus, so it was great timing.
It made me realize that if I set big goals and take them one step at a time, I can do some pretty cool things with my music. I have to be dedicated, focus on my music, and keep setting new goals until I’m where I want to be in my music career.
Lastly, what message or aspect of yourself would you like your listeners to understand or connect with through your music? What do you hope they take away from your artistic expression?
I’m just a dude trying to make good music for others to enjoy. If my music can make you dance or happy or even distract you from the world for a minute or two, I’ve done my job. I make music as a way of escaping, and creating something from scratch is one of the only things that makes me genuinely happy, so I’m hoping the end result of my production can do the same for others.
My music represents my emotions and stages of life. Some are energetic and angry; some are happy and uplifting. I hope people accept me for who I am and accept the diversity in my music as I grow and evolve as a person and as a music producer because I’m here for the long run!
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