Belonging Through Beats
From the vibrant shebeens of South Africa's townships to eclectic venues across Europe, DJ Kyle Andries has built a career that knows no boundaries. Now based in Bournemouth, Kyle's music spans multiple genres, each deeply tied to his cultural roots. In this interview, we delve into his experiences with the theme of belonging, exploring everything from cultural identity to fostering inclusive musical spaces.
In your role as a promoter and DJ, how important is it to you that your audience feels a sense of belonging at your events, and what steps do you take to create that atmosphere?
I started throwing parties because it took me many years to find the crowd who enjoyed a similar vibe to me. I loved the era of strawpedoing £1 bottles of VK at Lava Ignite (now Cameo) on a Monday student night just as much as the next millennial - it was formative to understand what life in Bournemouth is like. But I wanted to hear more than Sex on Fire and Mr. Brightside on a night out.
I'm not native to the area so I took a lot of inspiration from the events that took place in cities like Chicago, Detroit or New York in the eighties - where marginalised communities (mainly black and gay) were driven to hosting parties in dangerous, off-piste places as mainstream media shunned black music (see 'Disco Demolition Night' on Wikipedia). It's important to me that people attending my parties feel safe and welcome, no matter their age or demographic, so I try to ensure that the venue and the team I employ are on board with - and understand - that ethos.
Tell us about what it was like for you growing up. How did your childhood shape your love for music?
South Africa is known as 'the rainbow nation', so it's very colourful. I grew up in the townships, so a predominantly non-white environment. There, we had a movement called 'Pantsula' which is a tradition of dance which had a heavy political edge to it, given the country's history. In addition to that, my mum encouraged my siblings and I to take Ballroom and Latin dance classes, and before I knew it, I was a regional champion and competing on a national level by age 10. When I look back, I think it was inevitable that I'd end up in this position and sharing the varied styles of music that I do.
How does your South African identity influence your feeling of belonging in the UK music scene?
I won't bore you with the many identity crises I've gone through when it comes to my nationality and race, but if you search in enough places, you soon find out the human experience is all the same. The UK and South Africa aren't too dissimilar - the various jazz dance movements from London, Broken Beat, Kwaito, UK Funky (a more tribal offshoot of UK Garage) and Afro House run parallel to one another. Same same, but different.
You've had residencies at venues like 60 Million Postcards and Camden Bar, and played across Europe in cities like Paris and Amsterdam. What has been your most memorable gig, and why?
I've been quite lucky to share music in many places and alongside many of my idols but it's quite hard to beat recency bias - my DJ set at We Out Here 2024 will stick with me for a while. Closing a festival stage on a Saturday night with my business partner, Justin Cambray, and seeing so many familiar faces in the crowd was very special to me - it felt similar to the first parties
we threw in 2017 at the old Buffalo Bar spot in Winton.
My favourite, though, was probably in September 2018 at London's Bermondsey Street Festival. Playing music for seven hours, vinyl only, on my own. I hadn't had anything to eat all day but I felt like I was being fed by the music and energy from the crowd. Pure adrenaline. It was busy throughout, people of all ages and backgrounds. The soundsystem was immense and I got to play Blast by Esa - the most asked about record in my collection and one I've become known for closing the really good parties with.
Website → kaaaaaaandries.club
Instagram → @kaaaaaaandries
