Kutmah + Lefto at Gretchen / Friday, 22.01.2016

Left-field hip-hop DJ/producer Kutmah (Justin McNulty) was born in Brighton, England, but at the age of 12, he moved – with his Egyptian mother and Scottish father – to Hollywood, California.

In the early 2000s, he became part of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Web radio collective Dublab. His abstract productions were first issued in 2006 via the Japanese compilation The Sound of L.A., compiled by Dublab’s Carlos Niño, and a nine-track 10″ EP released on Poo-Bah.

http://https://youtu.be/6d5f1eORT4I

In May 2010, U.S. Federal agents unexpectedly removed him from his home, due to complications with his immigrant status; he ended up serving two months in a detention center. While incarcerated, he made 39 drawings that, after his release and deportation to the U.K., were collected as Two Soups & a Honeybun and showcased at a number of exhibits.

Kutmah issued a series of limited mix CDs titled The New Error in 2011, and in 2012 he compiled the second volume of the Brownswood label’s Worldwide Family series. The disc featured vintage and recent recordings from Tadd Mullinix, Dakim, Dibiase, Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, and Kutmah himself.

http://https://youtu.be/c5xCuFT18Rs

As one the most important tastemakers Europe has to offer, and affiliated with labels Brownswood, Blue Note, !K7 Records, Stones Throw and Jazzy Sport, bearded early riser LeFtO is consistently a couple steps ahead of your average early adopter. He doesn’t wait for the next thing to land on his lap, he actively seeks it out, therefore just take a peek at his playlists on Belgium’s foremost national radio station Studio Brussel which received compliments from Rough Trade Shops and Gilles Peterson.

LeFtO is forever moving forwards but always got an ear in the past. Famed for his gloriously eclectic dj sets, he switches effortlessly between hip hop, funk breaks, neck-snapping beats, future bass, south-american influences, bruk riddims and some wild african rhythms. He’s not only a deejay and producer but also curates his own stage at the Dour Festival and his own nights in Gent in collaboration with Democrazy.