Family members : Kay (kaybar007)

I knew Kay since the time I joined Classic Album Sundays a few years ago. I had to meet Colleen's Joyous friend and, let's say it out loud, a great person all around!

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1) Hi Kay! I'm so happy to have you here on the Balearic Breakfast blog as you've met Colleen several time over the years, following her on her musical adventures, including Classic Album Sundays! But first, can you introduce yourself and tell us about how you got into music?

Hey there Artur! I’ve known Colleen for about 15 years. We first met at a housewarming party and became friends the way people often do – through our kids and living near each other. I’m embarrassed to say I knew her for a couple of years before I actually heard her DJ. Our friendship evolved to include holidays, walks and competitive BBQing. Once we did an 11-hour drive and talked non-stop about everything from music to menopause – basically solved all of life’s mysteries and still had miles left to go.

I moved to London in 1999 from New Zealand, the same year that Colleen arrived from NYC. I was already DJing back in Wellington, and that grew out of working in radio and collecting records, mostly chosen for any hilarious cover art as I was into lounge music and soundtracks, the kitschier the better.

What got me into music initially was my dad, who was an avid collector of 7”s for his Wurlitzer jukebox. Pre internet this meant garage sales and buying job lots from the classifieds. He unearthed a few treasures and had briefed me to keep an eye out for a couple of elusive tracks that would probably be easy to find online nowadays.

2) How did you discover your passion for blending records together, what were the DJs that got you hooked?

I was lucky in the 90s to be in Wellington, New Zealand – about as far from the rest of the world as you can get, but buzzing with good music. Despite the geography, locals knew how to throw a party, and thanks to a few die-hard promoters we had some touring DJs passing through. (NB New Zealand is three hours flying time from Australia, it takes a lot of effort and cost to bring DJs over from the US and Europe.)

My first gig outside of radio came when a friend roped me into soundtracking a fashion show in about 1992. From there I found myself behind the decks in bars around town, probably because of my oddball mix of lounge, hip hop, and dance music.

The DJs who left their mark on me back then were people like Tom Thump, Clint Smiley, Mark Farina and the Fonky Monks (A NZ collective made up from Mu from Fat Freddy’s plus Leon Surynt, Matt Morrell & Cian O’Donnell) – all of them weaving eclectic house and soul/funk sets that made me realise how wide the spectrum of “good music” could be.

3) You did a nice mix for Balearic Breakfast on the show's 233rd episode. How did you select the records you wanted to play? Can you tell us more about this whole experience and how it felt in the end?

As ridiculous as it sounds, I never actually thought Colleen would ask me. When she comes over for a BBQ, I usually just stick on a random playlist, she’s only ever heard me play out once. So when she did ask, I was flattered. I knew I had to dig deep into my collection to find tracks I genuinely loved but that hadn’t already been played on the show.

I pulled together more than two hours of music, ranked everything by BPM like the nerd I am, and then ruthlessly cut it down to an hour. I’ve got a bit of a reputation as a massive Depeche Mode fan (34 live shows so far), so of course I had to include a track of theirs. That Kruder & Dorfmeister edit of Useless is probably their most Balearic moment, so it felt right.

I played it “live” style, which basically means “mistakes included at no extra cost.” I made one obvious f*ck-up when I got distracted, but that’s entirely on brand for me. I was chuffed to include House by Kindness and Get A Move On by Mr. Scruff – both total belters and both BB firsts.

And while we’re on Mr. Scruff, is now the time to mention that 21 years ago I actually won a competition to find his biggest fan? They flew me to Sydney to see him play at a funk festival. Lovely chap.

4) Balearic Breakfast is celebrating its 5th anniversary this september. Time Flies! I know it's a hard question (laughs!), but if you had to pick up just a few memories from things that happened during the show, songs that were played that got you in an emotional state (both happy or sad), anything that hapenned thanks to the show, what would it be?

The most emotional show for me was Hop Burns & Black on March 18 this year, just a week after our dear friend Justin had died. They put together a tribute set that completely undid me.

Most of the time I catch the playback instead of the live stream. Rob Calcutt has even compiled this mammoth 252-hour playlist of just about every track that’s ever been broadcast, so I often just throw it on shuffle and let it surprise me. (He’s looking to migrate it soon since Spotify’s fallen out of favour – funding war drones while refusing to pay artists will do that.)

When I do manage to join the live sessions, the sense of community is always gorgeous. Recently I met some of the BB family at We Out Here and they were exactly as warm and brilliant in real life as they are online.

5) Lastly, what are the last few artists you discovered in the "Balearic" realm that really impressed you?

The most Balearic album in recent years, for me, has to be Jim / Love Makes Magic. It honestly sounds like someone fed AI the entire Laurel Canyon back catalogue and said, “Now give it a Balearic twist.” (For the record, JIM is an actual human – from Crazy P – there’s no algorithm involved.) And every remix? Sublime.

These days I find myself tuning in more to producers and remixers than the original acts – especially when they bring an old track back to life or give a fresh spin to a new release. Ray Mang’s entire output, Late Nite Tuff Guy, Luxxury, Psychemagik, Greg Wilson, the Idjut Boys,Todd Terje, The Reflex, Crooked Man – all endlessly inventive. And of course, Colleen’s Cosmodelica remixes are just next-level.

Take her rework of The Cure’s And Nothing Is Forever. I can’t say I loved the new album, but her remix transported me straight back to my teenage self, all moody and obsessed with layers and melancholy. The Cure were my band, I finally saw them live in 1992, but I’d seen Public Enemy live the same week and realised that I preferred the energy and aliveness of hip hop over guitar bands who stood virtually motionless.

Btw, anyone’s welcome to come and find me on IG, my account is private because my kids cringe at my life but please request a follow: @kaybar007

Thank you so much Kay!