The name KEMAL has been popping up everywhere in recent months. At Classified, the area was packed, at REBiRTH he was added at the last minute to close the REBORN RAW stage, and next week he will be performing no less than three times at Intents Festival. But behind that sudden hype lies a story that began much earlier for this first Turkish uptempo producer.
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In PLAFONDDIENST, KEMAL explains that he started producing at the age of 12. Not with hardstyle or uptempo, but with all kinds of music. “I was just making beats: drill beats, afrobeats, and just everything in between,” he says. House, future house, and dubstep also made their way through. The first spark was ignited when he saw Martin Garrix on Jeugdjournaal (a Dutch news broadcasting show for kids). “I thought: yes, I want to do that too.”
From Martin Garrix to uptempo and slowtempo
It wasn’t until years later that KEMAL truly came into contact with the harder styles. He discovered hardstyle through a collaboration between KSHMR and Headhunterz, but the switch to uptempo only came after his first parties. Stop de Boot, in particular, proved to be decisive in this process. “It all started with uptempo from Stop de Boot. That’s when I was completely sold.”
Yet, KEMAL ultimately did not choose the standard route. While many artists threw themselves into bouncy uptempo, he realized he wanted to do something different. “What if I set my kickchain to a slower tempo?”, he wondered. That experiment grew into the slow-tempo sound with which he now stands out: hard kicks, energetic melodies, and a recognizable vibe.
Three sets in 1 weekend during KEMAL’s Intents debut
That independent course seems to be paying off. Tracks like Classified vs Overdrive and HASAGI with Akimbo have already surpassed a million streams, while his schedule is filling up rapidly with major festivals. “It’s moving very fast,” KEMAL admits. Nevertheless, gratitude predominates. “I want to thank every fan personally. The appreciation I’m receiving right now is simply overwhelming.”
With bookings at Intents Festival (three times in one weekend), BKJN Festival, Dominator, and TITANIUM, among others, that independent course seems to be paying off more and more. Check out the episode of KEMAL in PLAFONDDIENST now on all streaming services.
Footage via KEMAL
