NZMM Artist Profiles: Montell2099
Just a kiwi kid from Katikati whose unbridled creativity continues to redefine the use of percussion in electronic music.
Writing these NZ Music Month Artist Profiles, the goal has been to highlight young Kiwi artists who have all the tools to become the pinnacle of their chosen genre, not just in Aotearoa, but internationally. I struggled to narrow it down to four artists whose skill, vision, musicianship and creativity transcended their perceived level of “success”. Montell2099 was the easiest choice out of them all. This guys production is unique, indescribable, admired by the giants of electronic music and, dare I say it, revolutionary.
The 22-year-old producer probably owes a lot of his knowledge to the fact he grew up in small-town Katikati. In 2010 his grandfather installed Fruity Loops on their family computer to distract Montell, who was apparently a bit of a nuisance. He learnt everything he needed from YouTube tutorials, the same way any young genius does. Eventually moving to Auckland, studying production at MAINZ is where Montell says he made his biggest improvements as an artist, surrounded by others with a similar mindset.
As I said in the intro, Montell2099’s sonic style is indescribable. The man himself resorted to “tickles your ears” and “makes your brain all fuzzy” in a short 2017 doco that Red Bull produced. It’s probably the aptest description, especially for tracks like space or baebae. These songs quickly gave Montell a large online following all over the world. His wildly creative percussion is referenced by many and it’s showcased in its truest form on these tracks.
Over the past couple years Montell2099 has gone from strength to strength. He released a Lorde-approved remix of Green Light with Sachi and then linked up with international star 21 Savage for his ‘debut’ single Hunnid on the Drop. That track led to Montell perform several US shows, and eventually got the coveted Mr Carmack treatment as well. 6 months ago he dropped SUSU, a track that EDM acts had been playing out (and continue to play out) at festivals, to a raucous response. Add to that some stellar remixes of Migos Bad & Boujee and Post Malone’s I Fall Apart, and all your bases are covered.
It’s not hard to imagine that, in 25 years, Montell2099’s sound will be cited as a major influence in the creation of a new lane in electronic production. But for now, you can appreciate its excellence on Montell’s Soundcloud, just the place it should be.
