Kansas City’s Electronic Prodigy Cale Parks Sets the Groundwork for Crispy Reds
June 6, 2024 | Eric Tullis
Honored by the crafty hands of time, Cale Parks, birthing from a daring fib about his DJing experience, has found his niche in the thriving dance and music scene of Kansas City. Over the years, his distinct style, stemming from his association with Aloha, his experience as a drummer for multiple rock outfits, and his inherent sense of melody has led him to become one of the most adept DJs and music producers in the region.
From Bars to Clubs to Crispy Reds
“In New York, bars are open from 10 a.m. – 4 a.m, so I would be on for six hours straight,” says Parks. “That’s the best school you can go to.” After proving his mettle in New York City, the nomadic artist found roots in Kansas City after meeting Austin Goldberg, DJ and co-founder of NOMADA, rekindling his dormant DJ skills.
Few years after his migration, Parks was recruited by the KC-based performance art collective Quixotic to perform alongside Goldberg. The experience opened PARKS to a new set of music lovers who found solace in house and disco. His journey then saw him become a part of KC’s powerful dance DJ group, servicing dancefloors in various spaces throughout the city.
Reviving Park’s Solo Releases
Serving as an eminent music producer, Parks has made his mark in the industry with remarkable releases on a renowned electronic music label, Have a Killer Time (HAKT). His significant release includes the vinyl-only Diego Maradona EP, released in 2015, and the 2013 single “N1,” a stunning blend of melodic spacewalk and nu jazz keys, remodeled explicitly for dancefloors by the French duo Paradis.
Reflecting on his early releases, Parks realized his potential in DJing. He appreciated the flux and adaptability offered by Balearic House, an open-format style specific to Spanish islands that allows DJs to experiment with house, disco, funk, afrobeat, and more. Parks, not one to exclude melody from his music, emphasised how Balearic is defined by melody, percussion, and unique samples that give it the tropical house vibe.
A Sneak Peak Into Crispy Reds
This progressive approach defined the inspirational grounds for Park’s latest treasure- the five-track EP, Crispy Reds, his first release on the Barcelona-based house and disco label, Apersonal Records. Early this year, Parks released his solo single “Planet of the Year,” more of an easy-breezy lounge groove meant for creating an ambiance and tone for his upcoming EP, Crispy Reds.
For Crispy Reds, Parks executed an “across the pond and beyond” tactic, using experience and knowledge from diverse, international sources to perfect his artistic sound profile. Drawing inspiration from the Berlin-based house music label Toy Tonics to getting the EP mastered by Italian audio engineer Federico Fontana, Parks’ global approach resonates elegantly in Crispy Reds.
The upcoming release of Crispy Reds gives a tantalizing glimpse of a dance frenzy, with a blend of house music from Kansas City to the Balearic Islands. It’s a testament to Park’s esoteric and flexible style, inviting everyone on the dancefloor to shake, twist, and turn with Care Parks’ rhythmic beats.
Details of the Release Show
The release party for Cale Parks’ Crispy Reds is set for this Friday, June 7, at In The Lowest Ferns, featuring other emerging talents such as Dansclvb, Bodmon, and General Slime.
