Four Candles is a name on the rise….
UK-based artist and DJ Four Candles, whose real name is Kris Brown, is recognized for his innovative approach to dance music that avoids fleeting trends. After working with industry legend Nick Muir, his artistic break came on Bedrock Records. Follow up productions found their way onto some of the most respected imprints, from Selador to Afterglow and Tenampa.
His recent Balance release, ‘On the Fence’ (featured below in Q+A), is one of the standout moments on the recent Balance presents Dave Seaman and Quivver compilation. It’s a unique production rooted in the progressive sounds of yesteryear but updated with a contemporary twist—a sound born from staying artistically true to oneself.
On this excellent mix, Four Candles builds the energy with artisanal ease. Alongside original productions from Donato Dozzy, Spencer Brown and Kamilo Sanclemente, you’ll also find exceptional takes by Four Candles on tracks from Leftfield and Sasha.
Tracklisting
1. Leftfield – Melt (Four Candles Bootleg)
2. Frankie Vertigo – Almost Heaven (Gai Barone Extended Remix) (My Secret Agenda)
3. Tantum – Contact High (Original Mix) (Meanwhile)
4. Daesmith – Predators (Original Mix) (Keep Thinking)
5. Yonsh – Connect (Original Mix) (RKP)
6. Four Candles & Sean Harvey – Vertigroove (Original Mix) (Keep Thinking)
7. Kamilo Sanclemente – Theia (Original Mix) (Balance)
8. Spencer Brown – Stereo Afterglow (Original Mix) (Bedrock)
& Four Candles – Don’t Talk About (Original Mix) (Bedrock)
9. Donato Dozzy & Anna Carcagno – Parola (Kabi Private Re-Shape)
10. David Calo – Death Interference (Original Mix) (Selador)
11. Four Candles Vs King Unique – Inner Radiance (Four’s Edit) (Natura Sonoris/diviine)
12. Four Candles – Inner (Original Extended) (diviine)
13. Four Candles – Hidden Beauty (Original Mix) (Tenampa)
14. Four Candles – Sebe (Original Mix) (diviine)
15. Juan Buitrago & Enzo Paradiso – First Time (Sean Harvey Remix) (Mango Alley)
16. Sasha – Belfunk (Four Candles Bootleg)
17. Moderat, Keinemusik – More Love (Rampa &Me Remix) (Keinemusik)
BALANCE SELECTIONS Q+A
Name: Kris Brown
Location: Lincoln, UK
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Alias/Producer name: Four Candles
Labels affiliated with: Bedrock, Balance, Keep Thinking, Selador, Tenampa, Afterglow.
My last 3 releases:
What music did you listen to as a child?
My introduction to music really began in the living room of our family home in the early nineties. Almost every night I would spend time listening to music through my parent’s hi-fi stack, which had a tape player, CD deck and a record player on top.
My dad had Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ album on CD which was a regular listen, but he also introduced me to other styles of music from his vinyl collection, including Queen, The Shadows and Dire Straits.
When was the first time that you realised that you liked electronic music?
It wasn’t until I started raiding my sister’s CD collection that I discovered a new found love for electronic music from the likes of Leftfield, Fatboy Slim, Massive Attack, Faithless & more. I started making ‘mix-tapes’, by recording my favourite tracks from her collection to cassette, alongside any tunes I thought were cool from the radio!
I also started noticing the soundtracks on computer games that me and my mates would play; we thought we were the bee’s knees when we realized you could play the audio from Playstation game discs on a HiFi system…
Looking back, one of my favourites was the ‘Total Drivin’’ soundtrack. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube you can still listen to it in all its glory:
When was the first time you saw a DJ in a club?
My first proper clubbing experience was around 2004. I became a regular at Planet Angel, a rave held at Southwark Street Arches in London, though sadly the club is now closed. It had such a great atmosphere with a mixture of trance & house music, vibrant and friendly clubbers, and ‘that underground feel’ about it.
At 3am they would stop the music, briefly. I can still remember those moments – the sound of a digeridoo would begin playing for a few minutes, whilst fresh fruit was shared between the dancefloor. Then the music would fire back up, and we would get back to it and party on until sunrise. It was a tribal experience in the heart of an urban landscape, and I loved it!
Which producers/artists/acts inspire you?
This is some question! I really try and listen to a wide variety of music for personal enjoyment, and also to help spark new ideas in my productions. I find it incredible how we can be subconsciously inspired to write a sound or style we’ve found pleasure in listening to; almost as if by osmosis.
Anyway, at the moment I find myself listening to a lot of ambient music. One that stands out to me is Laurel Halo. She has the ability to draw on so many emotions, often dark and melancholic, before evolving into a flourish of uplifting, harmonic goodness that really resonates.
What was the last album that you downloaded/purchased?
Haha… I’m going to sound like a Laurel Halo fanboy here! I picked up her latest ‘Atlas’ LP from Bandcamp recently, and I’ve been waxing lyrical to everyone I know to get their ears on it!:
What is your current production and DJ set up like?
I use a mixture of Ableton for production and Studio One for mixdown/mastering, as I like to separate the process as much as possible. Externally, I have a Waldorf Iridium, Elektron Analog Rytm II, Digitone and an Eventide Space pedal, all of which get used in almost every production. Everything else is ‘in the box’.
In the studio, I DJ using CDJs and an Allen & Heath DB2, alongside the Elektron Digitone & Analog Rytm. This setup serves as my ‘lab’ for creating my initial ideas, as well as a fun place to add on-the-fly extras and edits of my tracks for more traditional DJ sets. It’s also the core setup for my live performances, which is an area I’m refining alongside my first artist album.
What releases do you have on the horizon?
I’m really excited to share that I will be making my debut on Spencer Brown’s ‘diviine’ imprint in the coming weeks with a new EP called ‘Inner’. This one means a lot to me: Spencer’s ethos for creativity and his passion for putting music before everything else is a real breath of fresh air. I took my time delivering three tracks that would work in different settings, and I am really happy with the results.
Additionally, I have a two-track collaboration with Sean Harvey on my own Keep Thinking imprint, which has been heavily supported by John Digweed in his recent Transitions shows. I’ve included one of the tracks in the mix. Finally, alongside my first album, I’m also working on new collaborations with two other artists which will be announced a little later this year!
Where can we hear you perform?
I’m back in Manchester soon for the return of the Progmatic at Kable, headlining alongside Balance’s very own Jody Barr. Tickets are available here. I’m also on the digital airwaves with DI.FM on the second Friday of every month from 7-8pm (UK).
Tell us more about the podcast you made for Balance?
This mix was created with CDJs and the DB2 mixer alongside the Analog Rytm, which I had programmed with samples and stems from both recent and upcoming releases.
Although recorded live, the vast majority of time for this set was spent in curation.
For this mix, I’ve made sure it’s not just about the latest tracks, but a balance (ahem!) between my own productions, a couple of cheeky bootlegs which nods back to my roots, and also music that still deserves to be digitally ‘dusted off’ every now and again.
My Recommendations
The top track in my DJ set currently is:
Moderat are my favourite German electronic group, and this collaboration with the Keinemusik crew is a stunner:
If I could recommend only one of my tracks for you to listen to it would be:
Probably one of my collaborations with Randall Jones, ‘Mindgrooves’:
If I could recommend only one track for you to listen to it would be:
The last movie I watched that I really liked:
Killers of the Flower Moon
My favourite TV show:
Parks & Recreation
My favourite holiday destination/hotel:
It may sound cliché, but I still love making perennial pilgrimages to Ibiza. The past two visits we’ve found a stunning getaway near Santa Gertrudis de Fruitera, which is off the beaten path and in a tranquil, beautiful spot amongst the olive fields.
