By Christopher Manson
In 2021, after a decade of soldiering, local resident Kayden Michaels found his life and military career turned upside down by a vehicle accident. Now the Army veteran crafts EDM (Electronic Dance Music) from his home studio in Laurel Hill.
He creates tracks like “Magnetized,” one of his latest, to “process trauma and inspire everyone in our Panhandle community.” Michaels describes that one as “melodic garage music with soaring synths and raw emotion.” In other words, perfect for the Emerald Coast’s beach vibe.
“This genre is a bit tricky,” says Michaels. Before he joined the Army as a combat engineer, he played with bands. So why EDM? “It’s the only music that’s given me peace.” When he first got his ears around Paul Van Dyk’s seminal album Seven Ways – a gift from his sister – Michaels realized he had found his musical calling. “I knew I could never leave this music. It connected more than any other. It gave me goosebumps, and goosebumps is why I do it.”
German Van Dyk is “one of the most iconic EDM producers in the world, as big as you can get,” Michaels says of his greatest influence. “He had to smuggle his sounds when the wall was up. He puts everything he has into every second of his songs, and that’s what I wanted to do.”
At 25, Michaels was attending school and performing in small clubs around Brevard County. His military service helped fund his passion for EDM, and in 2015, he was picked up by “blended genre” label Alien Records. “I produce different forms for them.” He’s built a fan base with his productions and participated in lots of “remix contests” in the past year.
Michaels’ independent work has landed on SoundCloud, a platform he calls “very easy and streamlined. For up-and-coming artists, it’s easy to get your music out there.” And he’s not dealing with music biz middlemen while collecting a “decent” amount of royalties from his music.
He currently creates out of a 200-square-foot room that he’s been piecing together for the short time he’s lived in the area. “I just got a digital audio workstation where I make all my beats, rhythms and chord progressions.” Michaels continues to fine tune his drumming skills, and hopes to learn violin next. “It’s such a beautiful instrument.”
He’s a classic rock addict, too. “My mom was heavily into the Beatles and Elvis, and she’d always be dancing in the kitchen. I don’t think I ever went through a day where there wasn’t music.” The 40-year-old is a fan of music spanning the 1930s through the 1960s and is not ashamed to name Ella Fitzgerald as his all-time favorite singer. “Her and Doris Day.”
The artist is currently on the lookout for a live environment where he can share his music. “I see a lot of stuff happening with the EDM scene in Pensacola and Panama City,” says Michaels. “I haven’t seen it in Fort Walton Beach and Destin, but I’m told it’s there. I’m looking forward to getting out there.”
Discover more – lots more – at kaydenmichaels.com. Michaels is also on Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube.
