Kenny Larkin started off in techno’s birthplace, Detroit, hooking up with Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva. Releasing, “Azimuth”, one of the most original techno albums to date sent his music career into overdrive. He has since returned to his first love, comedy, but is set to release two more albums this year, which should shove his music back into 2004’s limelight. Úna Mullally caught up with him in LA before he plays two Dublin dates.
Úna: How are you?
Kenny: Great, just eating a pizza-pizza. Thai chicken and peanuts - really good.
Úna: You’ve done an awful lot since it all began in the early 90’s, musically what’s changed for you since then?
I’ve definately evolved. Now, I’m coming out with a way wider range of influences other that just techno. It still all pins to that electronica side of things, but the 2nd album I’m releasing this year is definately the revolution in that step. It’s so different - people haven’t heard anything like it, and it spans so many musical genres.
Úna: ‘The Narcissist’ as a name for an album - what does that mean to you?
Kenny: I know people are gonna ask me about the name and ‘oooh, why did he call it that?’, but it’s mainly a joke because over the last couple of years, I haven’t really been interested in electronic music. SO, instead of doing music people expect me to do, I’m doning something I like myself. Usually on an album, you’ll have a justcouple of tracks that really mean something, but this album is a collection of tracks that I love.
Úna: It’s kind of ironic that techno began in the States yet most of it is exported to Europe. Is there even a scene in the States worth playing to?
Kenny: No. The scene has never got to a point where I wouldn’t need to travel. In fact, it’s worse now than ever. In LA, you can forget about going to a club to hear good house music - it’s just all this cheesy shit that they’re playing now. I mean, hip-hop is so strongly influenced by electronic music. Now, a lot of hip-hop stuff is an electro track with a beat over it. As for house or techno here, they just play the cheesiest stuff. I prefer to travel to other countries to play. Then again, if you’re accepted at home, you’re doing something wrong! I had record companies shut door after door in my face, so I knew I was doing something good!
Úna: How did your metamorphis from DJ to stand-up comedian happen?
Well stand-up before music was my dream. I was doing the comedy clubs in Detroit but the music took off much quicker. But now, I’m in LA working my way up in the comedy clubs again, the same way everyone else has to do.
Úna: What’s harder then, DJing to a bad crowd, or doing stand-up to a bad crowd?
Kenny: Oh, the comedy. I mean, to get up on stage and tell a joke that you wrote and that means a lot to you and then noone laughs...I mean, you gotta take that personally! Actors can get up and read Shakespeare, and the crowd might hate it, but the actor didn’t write it, so they don’t think that he, personally, is shit. Comedy’s different. You need the laughter to keep you going.
Úna: Would you prefer to be remembered as a comedian or a DJ?
Kenny: Ooh, hard question. It would be harder though if you had asked me to be remembered for music or comedy..
Úna: OK, pretend I asked you that...
Kenny: OK. Well gee! That’s a hard question - how did you come up with that?! I love both comedy and music, they mean a lot to me, but I think I’d pick comedy. Well, no, fuck it! Both of ‘em. Why not?
