The Midway Music Festival takes place tonight, and though [Keys N Krates](www.keysnkrates.com) might not have the celebrity status of fellow performers Pretty Lights and Curren$y, they will arrive at the Midway Expo Center with every intention of bringing the house down.

The three-piece ensemble is composed of drummer Adam Tune, keyboardist David Matisse and Jr. Flo on turntables. The band’s genius stems from the fusion of breakbeats, samples and synths, resulting in a genre-mixing collage of trap hop, electronic and dubstep with a large emphasis on bringing enough bass for everyone’s face.

**[MOVE]** You’ve received much acclaim for your energetic and intuitive live performances. How do your goals and motives for your sets change based on the type of venue you’re rocking, if at all?

**[Flo]** For the most part, we try to stick to doing our own thing regardless of the venue. However, we’ve been finding that a lot of the festival crowds like the extended, drawn-out jams, so we have been extending grooves, making some of our compositions build slower to suit that context.

**[M]** Who are some of your musical progenitors, and how have they shaped your sound? Are these influences rooted in a deep personal connection to a specific type of artist?

**[Matisse]** All three of us are music fans. We listen to everything from Prince to Meek Mill. We take influences from our favorite bands, our favorite rap beats, our favorite pop music, etc. The influences are vast.

**[M]** Who are some of the artists who have shared the stage with you, and how does performing with different musicians change or amplify your sound?

**[Tune]** [We’ve] played with so many acts — from Bassnectar and Nadastrom, to Kid Cudi and Timbaland, to jam acts like Lotus and Eoto. Going on tour with Lotus for a month really taught us how to jam and vibe out stuff out more. That was huge for us.

**[M]** How do the creative processes differ between composing an original piece of music and constructing a remix?

**[Flo]** It’s not much different at this point, to be honest. Usually things start with some kind of sample or source material, and then we jump off from there and freak it and build in it. If we are doing a remix, that particular song is our starting point, but we usually take it to a place where it could debatably considered original music.

**[M]** Do any particular songs or performances stand out as memorable? If so, why are they special?

**[Matisse]** Playing with Bassnectar was insane.

**[M]** What should listeners expect from your upcoming appearance at the Midway Music Festival?

**[Tune]** Banging beats that you can’t believe are being played by a band right before your eyes.

_Check out these classic Keys N Krates remixes before hitting Midway tonight:_
[Zed’s Dead x Omar LinX — “No Prayers (Keys N Krates RMX)”](http://soundcloud.com/keysnkrates/zeds-dead-x-omar-linx-no)

[Adventure Club — “Rise & Fall (Keys N Krates RMX)”](http://soundcloud.com/keysnkrates/adventure-club-rise-and-fall)

[Keys N Krates x U.G.K. — “Front Back In the Rain”](http://soundcloud.com/keysnkrates/front-back-ugk-vs-keys-n)

_This interview with Keys N Krates was conducted via email._