Keys N Krates

Keys N Krates may not have invented the trap-rave banger, but they perfected it right out the gate: The Toronto trio’s 2013 single “Dum Dee Dum” is among the era’s most infectious and unforgettable anthems, a perfect mixture of hard-hitting drums and sly sample play. The trio of drummer Adam Tune, turntablist Jr. Flo (Greg Dawson) and keyboardist David Matisse got their start as a live act in the late 2000s, but “Dum Dee Dum” sealed their reputation in the studio, paving the way for a steady string of releases on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label. Keys N Krates have increasingly tested the limits of their sound, pushing into drum ‘n’ bass with 2015’s “U Already Know” and R&B with 2018’s “Do What U Do”. On their 2021 single “Brazilian Love Song”, they cut up piano-driven Latin house with half-time percussion breakdowns, while the same year’s “Pull Up” is a hybrid of deep house, dembow and hip-hop. It’s not so much that they’re uninterested in genre; it’s just that genres aren’t evolving fast enough to keep up with Keys N Krates.