High Klassified Details

“Spacey & trill.” That’s how High Klassified describes his music. Although the descriptors might appear a tad strange, the recipe is unquestionably a winning one. This member of the city’s burgeoning Piu Piu movement spread his excellent single “London Flexing” far and wide last summer, and he’s now recognized as the rising star of Montreal’s electronic scene.

High Klassified’s secret is simply that he doesn’t chase after fleeting trends or tastes. “I do practically what I want, musically speaking,” he confirms. “I try to incorporate sounds and techniques that are different from what other beatmakers do.” Clearly, his compositions have struck a chord, as he’s on this year’s Igloofest bill. “It’s an honour; I’ll have the opportunity to share my art with my city!” he says with pride.

He describes his city as conducive to creative encounters and inspiration. “Since I first met Colin Musoni, the main founder of the Alaiz crew, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with a wide assortment of inspirational folks, people who share my passion,” he explains. Montreal is also the home to Piu Piu, “a sort of abstract boombap that has become a movement”, he argues. If High Klassified’s sound doesn’t quite fit into that checkbox, he nevertheless considers himself a full-fledged member of the movement, alongside the city’s other DJs.

And yet, this Laval-bred beatmaker’s main influence is even simpler. “My principal influence is life; everything I see on any given day. As a matter of fact, I consider myself a caricature of the real world, a caricature that you’ll find on TV or on the street,” he describes. “I like to be cartoon-like about what I notice to the point where it becomes unique, both musically and socially.” Unique is a word that marries itself quite well with his music, with his Flexury EP being an excellent case in point.

These days, High Klassified is aiming to go beyond the music. His objective involves putting images to words “in order to reach an increasing number of people.” His most recent track “Final Fanthuggin” marks a clear step in that direction. His yearning to “perform outside of Montreal” is also coming into sharp focus, as High Klassified is fielding booking requests from across the Atlantic. In other words, it’s only the beginning of High Klassified’s adventurous path.