Kreative Nativez is a Music Producer & DJ duo hailing from Lusaka, Zambia.
As childhood friends that joined their talents at the beginning of 2017, Kreative Nativez showcase their love for house music influenced by Afrohouse, Afrotech, and Deep House as well as Retro Soulful house music.
Kreative Nativez are currently independent & continue to release music on various international labels such as Madorasindahouse Records, Deep Root Records, Sneja Recordings, Union Records & more.
We sat down with Kreative Nativez to talk about their latest release “Shalimar”, musical influences, studio setup, and more.
Hey! It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How has 2023 been for you so far?
2023 is shaping out as an exciting year for both us and the Kreative Native tribe. Our new releases have been receiving tremendous support from Shimza and Black Coffee during their international sets at festivals and streams have also been amazing. Except for new music from us and shows.
Congrats on the release of your new EP «Shalimar» on My Other Side of The Moon. What was your inspiration behind this record?
As artists and musicians, we don’t take the release of any project lightly, so the Shalimar EP is the music we a proud of as the Kreative Nativez. The EP is a collaborative effort, hence the inspiration and ideas were a team effort so each person involved contributed their strength. The inspiration is our culture, conversations, and the challenge of creating quality music It was a wonderful opportunity to work with artists and musicians we respect. The battle was to show and prove involves harnessing admiration for someone and expressing our love on an Afrohouse and Afrocentric-driven track to tell a story, which James Sakala delivered exceptionally well.
You have collaborated with Animalic Drum, James Sakala & Lu Lu for this release. How did you connect, and what was your experience working together?
Our work connected when we worked on a remix of Animalic Drum which was a success, on the hit EP “Amigdala EP “ released last year on My Other Side of The Moon. This prompted work on an explosive original. James Sakala has been someone we have worked with over the years on some originals and remixes, we asked him to listen to the instrumental and he loved it instantly, we quickly scheduled studio time, and in a few takes he wrote and recorded ‘Shalimar’ and the rest is history.
How did you first get into Music Production and DJ’ing?
We were first friends and brothers before we became a duo. Dj Blocks and Tryybo went to the same high school and both shared a love for music. In 2017 the group played its first gig officially as the Kreative Nativez, and we have been playing as a duo since.
What are some musical influences that you believe have shaped your sound?
The drums & bass are our biggest inspiration, our sound represents who we are as people, our stories, and our experiences. We express emotion and messages from our hearts to the ears and souls of our listeners. People who have inspired and influenced us over the years include Manoo, Atjazz, and Dj Cleo, to name a few.
Can you name some of the instruments or plugins that you believe define your sound?
We produce without any formal training. We use the piano and Rhodes.
Synths: Diva, harmor, sounds spire, nexus, and analog lab by Arturia.
What has been your highlight gig so far this year?
Playing alongside Dj Bongz and Desire at The Beefeater Pinknic was huge, our first major gig of 2023.
How do you define success? Is it strictly about numbers, or is there more to it?
Success according to us, is making music we enjoy and seeing people vibe and connect with it as they listen and stream it and move their feet to it at our shows. Converting one fan at a time to the house genre and culture.
Now that «Shalimar» is out, what is next for Kreative Nativez?
Except for even more music, good vibes, and shows.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer our questions, is there anything else you would like to mention before we go?
Thank you to each and everyone following our journey as we tell our stories, thank you for the love, your support is valuable. Tell your friends to tell a friend… The Nativez Are Coming!!!
Follow Kreative Nativez on Soundcloud / Instagram / Facebook
Animalic Drum, Kreative Nativez feat. James Sakala – Shalimar EP is out now on My Other Side of The Moon
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