The Akai MPC: A Closer Look w/ Toronto’s Fresh Kils (Producer / Performer / Engineer)

Toronto-based producer, performer, and engineer Andrew Kilgour a.k.a. Fresh Kils has an impressive resume that boasts collaborations with a wide array of top-notch musicians and performers, from Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest to the Buena Vista Social Club. Young Kilgour was introduced to hip hop music early in his life and has become an accomplished producer and performer with superb skills and a deep understanding of rhythms and sounds.

His appreciation of sound led him to study audio engineering and learn to use the Akai MPC1000 to produce and perform. The MPC1000 is a 64-track sequencer with extensive sampling, storage, sequencing and sound manipulation capabilities, broadening the use of the instrument beyond just beats and rhythm tracks. Fresh Kils recently stopped by Dubspot NYC for a brief interview and performance; in this video, he talks to Dubspot instructor Raz Mesinai about using the MPC1000 in performance and production, chopping samples, beat programming, and working with MCs and vocalists. Check out the dynamic performance at the end with MC Relic.