PUBLISHED July 1st, 2017 06:00 am | UPDATED August 19th, 2024 02:39 am
Kenneth Francis started listening to the artistes like Smokey Robinson, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green at a young age and his love for all things soul, funk and early Motown has enforced the artistry and versatility of the DJ he is today. He recently teamed up with Anand and Ramesh (both of them are also Singaporean DJs) and started Beatroot, a collective created to redefine fine lines between organic and electronic vibrations from the South Atlantic.
In this edition of City Nomads Radio, he shares with us his latest happenings, the reason for creating Beatroot and his all-time favourite record.
It’s been awhile we heard from you, what have you been up to?
Yes it has, I’ve been doing my rounds in the entertainment circle in Singapore and some regional slots as well. I’m currently in rotation for Potato Head Folk, Kilo Lounge and CE LA VI.
What’s your earliest memory of music? Do you come from a particularly musical family–or how did you get into it?
My earliest music memory was my Dad playing Sleepwalk ( The Shadow’s Version) on his acoustic guitar when my sister and i were young, to put us to sleep. Dad is a multi instrumentalist and plays the piano, guitars and drums.The music genes were probably from him! His record collection of motown, soul, funk and other genres played a huge part in my influences and music today.
When did you begin going to clubs?
I guess I did what most teenagers would usually do – snuck into clubs hoping not to be carded at the door. If my memory serves me well, it should be The Club at The Marco Polo Hotel in the 80s. The building is no longer around and I must have been about 16? But there were tea dances during that era as well, which catered for underaged teens.
What’s the longest DJ set you’ve ever played?
My longest DJ sets would be at Cafe Del Mar in Singapore. As a resident DJ then, we would play a 7-8 hours sets. I used to be so tired after that but it was all worth it going through the journey from noon to beautiful sunsets. Oh, and we played outdoors too!
If you had to listen to one record for the rest of your life what would it be?
There are so many from organic to electronic… But if I have to choose one, it will have to be So What by Miles Davis. Something about the bass line and horns that soothes the soul.
We heard you started a collective with Anand about a couple of months ago. Tell us more.
Yes, Beatroot! We have done three parties to date and it has been a nice journey. Ramesh was actually the one who came up with the name. Anand and I just thought that it was time to push our eclectic sounds out to the masses, curate our own musical journeys and promote our very talented pool of live musicians and DJs. Our aim is to infuse organic and electronic music together with art, visuals and live musicians.
Besides music, what other hobbies do you have?
I used to go out on trails and the road with my mountain bike but I’ve stopped ever since my injury. I’m quite a big sneaker fan too but I’ve become more selective on what I collect these days. No more splurging like what I did back in the day; it’s not so healthy for the wallet!
Do you think it’s difficult to educate the South Atlantic sounds to the current music scene in Singapore especially the music punters are predominantly house and techno music lovers?
I would say that it’s a challenge to get the music punters out of their comfort zone and to move to a different beat. In the end, it’s all about familiarity and the people you feel comfortable with, the venue plays a big part as well, the space and how it makes people feel. I would love to see a future where no lines are drawn by punters for any music genres, just happy people with happy vibes. And that to me, is what Beatroot is all about.
When can we expect the next Beatroot party?
You can catch the next edition of Beatroot at The Great Escape on 8 August 2017.