Leading up to their much-anticipated EP release, K.L.O. makes their way back to the United States this week! Returning after an incredible run of shows last year, the multi-faceted powerhouse is slated to push new boundaries in 2024.
With a brand-new EP on the way, we were fortunate to chat with Lone Drum and Osmetic of the powerhouse trio in anticipation of their upcoming US trip. Throughout the tour, some of our most talented producers in the space are joining them in support including Duffrey, pheel., and Crawdad Sniper.
Ultra Mysterious
Hailing from Beirut, England, K.L.O. is preparing for a busy upcoming spring including performances in Chicago, Detroit, Denver, and Texas. With production input from Kursa, Lone Drum, and Osmetic, K.L.O. set themselves apart from day one with a unique approach to modern production.
- 3.15 The Point – Chicago, IL
- 3.28 TK Lounge – Tampa, FL
- 4.05 Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
- 4.11 Short Mountain Distillery – Woodbury, TN
- 4.19 El Volcan – St. Louis, MO
- 4.20 Warehouse on Watts – Philadelphia, PA
- 5.25 SILO – Brooklyn, NY
On stage, Osmetic and Lone Drum feed off one another with Osmetic on track selection and Lone Drum loading cuts and samples on the fly as they feed off one another throughout the set. Between their years of expertise and crate digging, there’s always something fresh on the next beat.
With recent breakout performances at events like Tipper & Friends and Secret Dreams, K.L.O. is set to break new territory with their upcoming set of stops, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store. Their long-anticipated return to Denver is preceded by a December 29th, 2022 show where we saw them sell out The Black Box as part of a historic 4-night run.
Breaking New Ground
The tour will culminate with an EP release and a new date for Cervantes Masterpiece. K.L.O. partnered with Lost Horizon’s Funktion One sound system for one of their biggest headlining events yet at the storied venue. All previously purchased tickets for this event will be valid for the new date.
Leading up to their trip across the pond, we had the opportunity to catch up with Lone Drum and Osmetic as they prepared for one of their biggest endeavors yet. We can’t thank the guys enough for taking the time to chat.
RB: For many group projects, each member has a strength they bring to the table. What would you say yours is, and how does that influence your workflow as a team?
Lone Drum: I’ve been into 90’s hip-hop for as long as I can remember and the main genre of music I fell in love with as a kid, all I wanted to do was be a scratch/battle DJ.
So when we started the project I had the idea to scratch all the sounds we’d created, like the heavy bass sounds, drums, melodies, and anything we could chuck into Serato basically.
I think this really put a human feel back into the sound design. The hooks started flying out and we never looked back. We use this in every tune we’ve made even if it isn’t that prominent in all of the tracks. As for the live shows, I think it has a similar effect, scratching vocal samples gives the audience something to watch and also makes them feel connected with the performance.
Osmetic: I’ve been making music and DJ’ing for over 25 years now, so I know how to work a crowd and what works with a crowd. I’ve also heard a lot of music. I think we all bring a different approach to the table and we all like different things musically so that influences the sound we create together.
RB: Do you find it challenging to divide commitment between your solo efforts alongside the group?
Lone Drum: I think it is great to have different projects to work on. When we meet up to work on the K.L.O. project we take a big chunk of time out to get together and really smash out an album or EP, so I don’t feel like it clashes too much with our solo projects. I always leave the sessions with so much inspiration, so if anything I think it makes my solo work better and sometimes faster too.
Osmetic: Same. We’ve met up and made all the albums that way really, so most of the time I spend outside those periods is prepping for shows. That is a whole job in itself. I also don’t put any pressure on myself to release much solo work these days. I’m always working on new music but I’m not in any rush to do anything with it. Although, I have just finished a new EP.
RB: In many spaces of bass music, inspiration is often taken from overseas and adopted here in the US. For the upcoming EP, you’ve flipped the script – which stateside artists have impacted your sound on Ultra Mysterious?
Lone Drum: There are so many good artists out there at the moment, but for me, I’d say it’s the people who I hang out with while stateside. Chris Karns has been my scratch/DJ guru for many years now, his technical knowledge of turntables, mixers, and even Ableton setups is incredible and I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from him.
Also, artists I’ve been doing collaborations with like Schmoop, and Alejo I think are doing some really cool stuff at the moment. Lots of people inspire everything you do as an artist and to be completely honest the 2 blokes I work with on the K.L.O. project are my biggest.
Osmetic: I’ve been lucky enough to release some great artists and music on my label Colony Productions and a lot of that has influenced what I like. Resonant Language and Alejo both play great sets. I wouldn’t necessarily say they have influenced the sound of the new EP but I feel like the sounds complement each other.
RB: How has the evolving atmosphere in the US bass scene impacted your approach in production and otherwise?
Lone Drum: As trends and sub-genres evolve, I find it crucial that we stay tuned in to the scene, making sure that our music remains relevant and resonates with the audience. I feel that we are always trying to do something new to keep up with the ever-evolving scene but keeping our unique sound and style has always been important to us.
Osmetic: I like to hear what’s happening but I also know what I like and just because something is new doesn’t always mean it’s better. It’s interesting hearing things from the past getting a return too. As time goes on I hear that more and more.
rB: We picked up on several samples layered throughout the EP, notably ‘Bustin’’ in ‘Cut & Dip,’ does the sample help drive the creative process for the track, or is it something you hear along the way?
Lone Drum: The sampling process is an integral part of our creative approach. In the case of ‘Cut & Dip,’ the inclusion of the ‘Bustin” sample was something we just thought was super rad and would have added in after the tune was created, this is when I personally get to add some of my scratch flavor on top of the tunes we make.
I have a huge folder of hip-hop vocal samples and acapella. Rasco is one of my all-time favorite MCs so I’m always squeezing some of his dope vocals into the music, so big up Rasco on the vocal sample.
Osmetic: When we made the slow mode album we were just grabbing handfuls of records out of my collection and skipping through them taking snippets. It’s all one thing that leads to another with sampling, it’s a fun way to work. If you dig you can find gold sometimes.
It’s incredible to see how your experience and passion for music has shaped your approach to production and working as a group. You’ve also got a unique performing style rather than the traditional B2B, could you provide some detail on how you work together on stage?
Lone Drum: Our on-stage approach I’d say is all about having fun really, making decisions in real-time, chatting about what tune is next, keeping each other updated on bpm’s, the crowd/vibe, and cracking the occasional joke.
Each of us brings a unique live element to the performance too. I love improvising all my scratching and selecting different scratch samples on the fly to keep it fresh for us and the crowd.
Osmetic: Essentially I play the music and Ben cuts as far as what’s going on. The way we have things set up is very flexible in terms of what we can do to manipulate sound and we are able to just do it all on the fly so it’s a fun time and it’s different every time.
You mentioned show preparation can be a job in itself. What is something you’ve learned throughout the years that remains constant in your workflow? Is there anything you’re doing differently for the upcoming tour?
Lone Drum: For me, it’s all about practice. Even though I don’t do routines, repeating scratch patterns and learning new combos is one way I keep myself prepared, also searching for new sounds and samples to cut up. over the years we have defo solidified our setup.
Osmetic: I’m always on the lookout for new music and making music to put the sets together. I like to just try out different mixes, and edit tracks. Making one shots. I like to play sets at home leading up to shows, just playing around and seeing what works. Digging.
How does it feel to get the opportunity to present your latest work to a crowd like Texas Eclipse? Does this make it an ‘extra-special’ performance from a sentimentality standpoint?
Lone Drum: Oh for sure, I can’t wait to play the Texas Eclipse. I’m so proud of what we’ve archived over the years and being able to play to such a huge amount of people will really be amazing.
Osmetic: I’m really looking forward to the Texas Eclipse. Can’t wait to see what it’s all about.
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Written by Omid Eghbal and Devin Dees