Photo: Liam McRae
Kaytranada has one the Polaris Music prize 2016 - the Canadian equivalent of The Mercury Prize.
For a country with a small population, the talent on the shortlist was extraordinary. Kaytranada's debut album, 99.9%, stood out like a diamond glittering even brighter than the other greats though.
The album, released via XL Recordings, includes a stunning collaborations with the likes of Little Dragon, AlunaGerorge, Craig David and BadBadNotGood. It's 15 glorious tracks of synthetic and organic instrumentation that weave in and out of genres to craft something Kaytranada can proudly call his own. He recalls the greatness of producers who've gone on to have decades long careers like DJ Shadow.
Kaytranada, real name Louis Celestin, was raised in Montreal, and is still only 24 and given the number of high profile artists that want to work with him and the quality of what he's put out there's no doubt he's set up for a life behind the decks, spinning the world into heady euphoric moods on dancefloors, and producing albums that people will consume at parties and on their own at home. His music is so good and he deserves every penny and more of the $50,000 dollar prize.
Here's his reaction post win:
wow this shit is crazy
— KAYTRA (@KAYTRANADA) September 20, 2016
Probably the second favourite on the bill would have been Grimes, who's not actually won the prize before despite having won Rough Trade album of the year of all the countries put together. Meanwhile, Pup were an outsider who would have been deserved winners as they're one of the most raucous bands on the planet with an extraordinary amount of punk-y energy and with strong melodies interwoven into all the chaos.
Here's the full list of nominees
Black Mountain, IV
Basia Bulat, Good Advice
Grimes, Art Angels
Carly Rae Jepsen, E•MO•TION
Jessy Lanza, Oh No
PUP, The Dream Is Over
Andy Shauf, The Party
U.S. Girls, Half Free
White Lung, Paradise
Winner: Kaytranada, 99.9%
