2-man DJ band and Euphonic label owners
I’ve been following these guys for the better part of a decade. I first wrote about them 11 years ago and have helped them celebrate 15 years… 20 years. Now, 25!!! I’ve also had the chance to interview them several times.
Kyau & Albert are on the road again, this time celebrating 25 years. Their tour will bring them to Los Angeles on Saturday, July 30. I’ve not been to AVALON Hollywood yet, but know Sheryl and I will be there hands in the air dancing all night long. They are actually going coast to coast this month:
- July 15 NYC / iBoat @ Pier 15
- July 16 Miami / Treehouse
- July 30 LA / AVALON Hollywood
It has been three years since I last interviewed the guys, so I reached out to Ralph to coordinate another short Q&A. Enjoy!
25 years… When you guys started, did you ever think you’d make it this far?
Ralph: Of course not! As a teenager you can’t think in decades. But it was my dream to become professional producer since I was 15 years old. Never wanted to become a DJ. So in the first years, we just did live acts.
Steven: So it was already clear to me that I would always make music. But I never thought I would do it as my main profession for so long. But that’s really cool and we’re very thankful for that.
How has your sound changed over the years?
Steven: We have always liked beautiful melodies. It never had anything to do with genres. So the feeling remains the same, but the genre adapts.
Ralph: That’s right! Melody first. Of course our taste has changed a bit, but overall you can see a certain sound going thru our productions from beginning until today.
You will be in LA on July 30. Have you played AVALON Hollywood before? I’ve not been, but know it will be an unforgettable night of dance music!
Steven: We have played at AVALON many times in the last 10 years or so. It’s a very unique club and the nights were always amazing there.
Ralph: Happy to be back in LA and celebrate our 25 year anniversary with many long term friends and fans.
You will be joined by John Grand and Kristina Sky. Can you tell me more about their work and why you decided to take them with you on the road?
Ralph: We know Kristina Sky since almost 20 years. I think we first met her in person in 2004 or 2005. Actually she was the one, who booked us to LA for the very first time, knowing us and our label Euphonic Records before from the time she was working for a record shop and ordering vinyls from Europe. We were all so young then, I think she was still in college this time. Kristina has such a musical knowledge, knows so many releases, has a huge library of music. Unbelievable! Kristina is also the intro voice of Euphonic Sessions, which is our monthly radio show, not many people know that she is the voice.
Steven: John Grand is a Euphonic artist from California. We know him since a few years now. John is also known for being the mastermind and singer of the band The New Division. And by the way, John and Kristina just did a remix together for our big classic “Are You Fine”, it is not released yet, of course this remix will be played at AVALON. The remix is a banger!
This has nothing to do with the tour, but can you tell me more about your set in Löbau, Saxony, Germany? That tower looks amazing!
Ralph: We did a video set in the city where we both were born. We performed the set on the top of the last preserved cast iron tower in Europe. I always walked up the hill, as it is 15 min from my parent’s house. The tower was built in 1854 and named after a King of Saxony, it’s on the top of the highest point in this area. You have a great view from that spot, and on good weather days it has an amazing view into all directions, even until the Giant Mountains and to the Bohemian mountain range in Czech Republic.
Steven: Yes, that was also something very special for us and an incredibly beautiful atmosphere. The feedback of this set was amazing.
Your new single “Pigments” is out now. Tell me more about that release and are you planning another studio album anytime soon?
Steven: It is one of the many tunes we created in COVID times. At the moment we are not planning to do a special studio album, more release singles step by step. But at the end of the year there will be an 25 Years album with the best remixes of our biggest tracks. Planning to the tracklist in August.
Ralph: And we have a couple of new unreleased singles ready, to be released on both Euphonic and Anjunabeats in late 2022 and 2023. Some of the new tunes we will test at AVALON on the 30th.
On a tour like this, are you playing the same set every night, or do you switch it up from one city to the next?
Steven: We only have a few key tracks that we always play. Great tracks work on every floor, but the set is never the same every night, also because of different set lengths that need a different build up.
Ralph: The set is always different. It is quite often a mood thing.
How are things going over at Euphonic Records?
Ralph: Still releasing three-four singles every month, on both labels; I mean Euphonic and the deeper imprint Euphonic Visions. I love to work with artists, some are so young, they could be our kids now. It is great to help them and see them growing.
What else can you tell me about Kyau & Albert and this impressive tour you’ve been on?
Steven: We are happy that we can celebrate our anniversary with our fans. It’s so nice to finally play live again. Above all, we really missed testing new tracks. You just can’t replace that.
Ralph: True. I missed a lot playing in front of people. Germany’s clubs were almost two years closed! I also missed being in the States. In March 2020 we got our new visa and had a proper tour planned, then came COVID, couldn’t fly anymore until December 2021 which was quite frustrating.
This isn’t your first time hearing this… But thank you. I still give the artist the last word. Go.
Ralph: Thanks for the interview questions, Ricky! We’ll definitely have a beer or two together at AVALON.
Steven: Yes, see you there!
For more information about Kyau & Albert, go to:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | SoundCloud | YouTube | Instagram | Spotify
Well, there you have it. Kyau & Albert are on the road celebrating 25 years. It is on my bucket list to meet these guys. And I can’t wait to do it right here in my backyard later this month. I’m excited to see Kristina and John, too. It promises to be an unforgettable night celebrating 25 years. Here’s to the next 25!!!
