Kevin McKay (musician)


Kevin McKay, is a Scottish DJ, electronic musician, record label owner and record producer now based in London.

History

McKay studied at The University of Strathclyde from 1989 to 1995. One night in 1991 while DJing at the University's student union he met Andy Carrick. The pair subsequently began collaborating on music together. Three years later McKay secured £2000 of funding from The Princes' Trust to release their music on his Muzique Tropique imprint. McKay continued to DJ in Glasgow throughout the 90s & 00s, holding residencies at clubs like Sub Club, The Tunnel, The Voodoo Room and The Apartment, promoting parties and inviting DJs like Francois Kevorkian, Roger Sanchez & Deep Dish to Glasgow.
In 1997 McKay founded Glasgow Underground Recordings. In the early days the label released music by Romanthony, DJ Sneak, Ashley Beedle, Milton Jackson, Mateo and Matos, Jersey Street as well as productions by McKay himself. Since its relaunch in 2011, the label has featured artists such as Basement Jaxx, Camelphat, Claptone, Danny Howard, Dixon, Illyus & Barrientos, Mihalas Safras, Kaz James, Flashmob & Optimo.
In 2001 McKay began working with Duncan Reid, a club promoter from Glasgow, who had previously hired him to DJ at The Tunnel. Reid was recording music as Linus Loves. McKay initially signed a track of Reid's to Glasgow Underground.
In 2002 McKay met Myles Macinnes better known by the stage name Mylo, founded Breastfed, a record label & publishing company, and signed Macinnes to it. In the same year he began producing the Linus Loves releases.
In 2003 McKay produced and mixed the Linus Loves single "Stand Back". It was a cover version of the 1983 Stevie Nicks' song. The track peaked at No. 31 in the UK Singles Chart in November 2003. McKay produced all of the Linus Loves output from 2002-2005.
Between 2004-2006 using the pseudonym Kevin Kennedy, McKay co-produced and mixed all of the Mylo material released on the Breastfed label including the UK-platinum album"Destroy Rock and Roll", the UK #3 hit "Doctor Pressure" and UK top-40 singles "Drop The Pressure", "In My Arms", "Muscle Car" and "Destroy Rock and Roll" As well as his A&R and production work on the album, McKay was also responsible for running the label, managing all the UK release and world-wide licensing. As such, he secured a joint-venture deal with Sony and a publishing administration deal for Mylo with Universal Music Publishing.
In 2008 McKay signed Grum and a year later set up the Heartbeats imprint to release his music. Alongside Grum's manager, McKay A&R'd the album "Heartbeats" and all Grum's singles on the Heartbeats label from 2008-2014. As with Mylo, McKay ran the label, managing all the UK releases and world-wide licensing
In 2011 McKay re-launched Glasgow Underground Recordings. The label had been largely inactive since 2004. After years of collaborating & producing for others, McKay began concentrating on his solo work. His "Club World EP" was his first release under his own name since 2001's "Freak Action". Andrew Rafter of described those releases in 2011 as "warm, perfectly executed house." McKay's remix of Romanthony's "The Wanderer" reached number 14 in Music Week's Cool Cuts charts on 19 May 2011 and was described as a "brilliant rework".
In 2013 McKay entered the Beatport charts for the first time with his single "Ease Your Pain" on Stefano Ritteri's Congaloid label. The track peaked at number 23 in the Deep House chart.
In 2014 McKay released "Goin' Freak" on the Berlin-based label OFF Recordings. The single was supported on BBC Radio 1 by Pete Tong and reached number 4 in the DMC Buzz Chart and number 42 in the Beatport Tech House chart. At the end of the same year McKay began a collaboration with Toolroom Records. Their first release together was a compilation of Glasgow Underground's releases from 2014. As well as this, McKay released singles on Exploited and Noir.
In 2015 McKay continued to collaborate with Toolroom Records, releasing a single "Check It" that peaked at number 49 in the Beatport Deep House chart and a further 5 albums including a retrospective of Glasgow Underground's catalogue from 1997-2007, a best-of for the year and compilations celebrating the annual dance music events in Miami, Ibiza and Amsterdam.
In 2016 McKay returned to Glasgow Underground with the single releases "What You Gonna Do", "What U Want", "Balance Work" & "The Oooh Song". McKay continued to have his music supported on BBC Radio 1 with Annie Mac playing "What U Want", Pete Tong playing "Balance Work" and Monki playing "The Oooh Song". After two years of featuring in the charts on the DJ download stores, 2016 was the year McKay' reached the top of the charts with "The Oooh Song" reaching number 1 on in May. Both it and "What U Want" featured in the Traxsource.com Hype Chart for the year.
2017 saw McKay continue to expand the genres he produced releasing Progressive House as well as creating the genre-themed mix albums "Callisto" and "Callisto Volume 2" for Glasgow Underground. In addition to this style, he also released House and Nu-Disco. As well as singles, McKay released his first solo album, on his own label, a move that prompted to hail his Glasgow Underground imprint "a haven for great house music." He also featured in the end-of-year charts at with the site naming him #19 in their top 100 House producers of 2017.
In 2018 McKay focussed on his House sound. His releases were now regularly featuring in the Beatport House charts and with "Get Get Down" he began entering the Beatport Main Chart. He also hit the Main Chart with his remix of Start The Party's version of the Donna Summer classic "I Feel Love", a release that was supported by international DJs like Monki & Carl Cox. His releases continued to be successful on Traxsource.com, his collaboration with CASSIMM, "Love On My Mind", reaching the #1 spot in May. His previous support at BBC Radio 1 continued with DJs Annie Mac, Pete Tong, Danny Howard and Monki all supporting his releases. In addition to his own work, Glasgow Underground's releases were also featuring in the Beatport charts and in May they scored their first Beatport Number 1 with Andrew Meller's version of "Born Slippy". Shortly afterwards they were to become only the second label in the store's history to command both the #1 and #2 spots on the chart when PAX's "Electric Feel" joined Andrew Meller at the top in June. Meller's release would go on to be the store's #3 best-selling track of 2018.
The success of his recent House releases meant that by early 2019, the Beatport measuring site rated Kevin McKay as the #2 House producer, world-wide, for the previous 12 months.

Discography

YearTitleLabelPeak Chart Position
1999Don't Turn Your Back On MeUnder The Countern/a
2001Freak ActionUnder The Countern/a
2011Club World EpGlasgow Underground
2011Witness The Deepness Glasgow Underground
2012The RushesGlasgow Underground
2013The Best Things In Life Are Free Glasgow Underground
2013Body Talk Glasgow Underground
2013Ease Your PainCongaloid23
2014Goin' FreakOFF Spin42
2014Club Trax OFF Spin87
2014Club Trax OFF Spin27
2014Everything's A DreamExploited
2014Handz Clappin'Noir
2015Check ItToolroom49
2016What You Gonna DoGlasgow Underground90
2016What U WantGlasgow Underground
2016Balance WorkGlasgow Underground
2016The Oooh SongGlasgow Underground
2017Shooting Star Glasgow Underground9
2017Get A RoomGlasgow Underground54
2017The Love ForeverGlasgow Underground34
2017Dark Train Glasgow Underground11
2017Crazy About YouGlasgow Underground80
2017Everybody Get On The FloorGlasgow Underground49
2017You Got Me DownGlasgow Underground50
2017Losing You Glasgow Underground61
2017The Beat Goes On Mother Recordings21
2018Freaky Dancers Glasgow Underground37
2018Time Keeps On Slippin'Monoside
2018Schoolyard DazeNervous Records62
2018Greece 2000 Glasgow Underground18
2018The Oooh Song Glasgow Underground
2018Love On My Mind Glasgow Underground13
2018Get Get Down Glasgow Underground3, 14
2018Save Me Glasgow Underground17
2018Get On The Floor And Dance Glasgow Underground75
2018Crazy About You Glasgow Underground27
2018Delta House Blues Glasgow Underground12
2018Love RightsGlasgow Underground25
20184 Ur LoveGlasgow Underground44
2019Move Your Body Glasgow Underground11, 77
2019The WayGlasgow Underground38
2019Raw Beat Rawsome Recordings32
2019Bram Stoker Glasgow Underground11
2019Feel ItGlasgow Underground23
2019Such A Good Feeling Glasgow Underground14
2019Come Together Glasgow Underground67
2019Hallelujah Glasgow Underground24
2019Fever Called LoveGlasgow Underground67
2019Technologic Glasgow Underground17, 71
2019Hold Me CloserGlasgow Underground71
2019What About Us Glasgow Underground22

YearArtistTitleLabel
1999Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Volume 2Glasgow Underground
2000Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Volume 3Glasgow Underground
2001Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Volume 4Glasgow Underground
2001Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Presents Summer BreezeMuzik Magazine
2002Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Volume 5Glasgow Underground
2004Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Volume 6Glasgow Underground
2014Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground 2014Toolroom
2015Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground 2015Toolroom
2015Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Amsterdam 2015Glasgow Underground
2015Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Ibiza 2015Glasgow Underground
2015Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Miami 2015Toolroom
2015Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground 97:07Toolroom
2016Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Ibiza 2016Glasgow Underground
2016Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Miami 2016Toolroom
2017Various ArtistsCallistoGlasgow Underground
2017Various ArtistsGlasgow Underground Ibiza 2017Glasgow Underground
2017Various ArtistsCallisto Volume TwoGlasgow Underground
2018Various ArtistsCallisto Volume ThreeGlasgow Underground
2019Various ArtistsHouse Music All Night LongGlasgow Underground

YearArtistTitleLabel
2003Linus LovesThe TerraceBreastfed
2004Linus LovesThe Love EPDiscfunction
2005Linus LovesBene & AngelaBreastfed
2005Linus LovesThe Victoria Principle EPBreastfed
2006Linus LovesNight Music Breastfed

YearArtistTitleLabel
19944AMPrelude To The Storm EpMuzique Tropique
19954AMUnderwater Blues EPMuzique Tropique
1995Muzique TropiqueGlasgow Underground EPJus' Trax
1995West Coast ConnectionRollerball EPMuzique Tropique
1996American IntrigueBrazilia EPMuzique Tropique
1996Communication XDuality Muzique Tropique
1996Communication XDuality Muzique Tropique
1996Urban RevolutionGospel Song / Back 2 BlackMuzique Tropique
1997Muzique TropiqueSoul Cruising EPGlasgow Underground
1998Muzique TropiquePhasers Set To Funk / Midnight In AtlantisGlasgow Underground

YearArtistTitleLabel
1997Sixteen SoulsOn My Mind / Late Night JamGlasgow Underground
1997Studio BlueJust A Mood / Shona's SongGlasgow Underground
1997Studio BlueCantina Scene / AquamanGlasgow Underground
1997Studio BlueLost in Edinburgh / A Dub For MarcGlasgow Underground
1997Harri & Studio BlueGolden Monkey Theme / Surprise RepriseGlasgow Underground
1998Second-Hand SoulBar Blues EPGlasgow Underground
1998Sixteen SoulsStrange Girl EPAlola
2002ModemWannadoGlasgow Underground
2006MashSomebody's Property Glasgow Underground
2007Dada LifeVote Yes Prestel
2007Just FascinationThe Rain Prestel