Kaytranada has always been a groove master, knowing exactly how far to push into something cerebral and spiritual, owning the space between introspection and movement. But it took him a long time to get here. Over the course of his first three feature-heavy albums, the Montreal-raised producer evolved from behind the boards as a producer to curator to full-on main act. Now, he is very much the star of the show on ‘Ain’t No Damn Way!’, his first-ever album with no original features, one that proves he can stand tall alone.
Across the 12 tracks, laid-back snare thrums, fizzing synths and a buoyant computerised xylophone lull you into a boogie. And just when you think you’ve got it, a quick fade out, stutter or pause jolts you back into motion.
Songs like ‘Championship’, ‘Target Joint’ and ‘Backstabs’ demand movement. Sometimes it’s a triumphant dancefloor moment (the heroic strings-inspired synths and scatting trumpets on ‘Blax’), or a poised sip to the ziggy chimes and lo-fi nature of ‘Good Luck’ or ‘Home’. One of the best nuggets from the album is the closer, ‘Do It (Again)’ – Kaytranada’s reimagining of TLC’s ‘Let’s Do It Again’ – flipping the sultry song into a supersonic, hedonistic trip.
There are some dips in energy, though. The album’s lead single ‘Space Invader’ isn’t the triumphant curtain-raiser some might expect. The crunchy, Roland TR-808-style handclap and gleaming, elastic synths do tug your limbs into motion. But, it’s another heavily-sampled refix – this time of Latrelle and Kelis’ 2002 gem ‘My Life’ – which we’ve seen Kaytranada do over and over again, losing its mystique. Then, there’s some fatigue while listening to the slower tracks like ‘Shine Your Light For We’ – turning his laidback style into something mind-numbing, but these moments are pretty rare.
Kaytranada has changed the face of dance music. It’s hard to go online and hear a snippet of jazz or soul-influenced music without someone describing it as “Kaytranada-coded”. ‘Ain’t No Damn Way!’ goes a long way in proving why Kaytranada remains the scene’s most influential conductor, tightening and loosening the groove with tiny gestures: a clipped snare here, a sudden synth swell there. Without special guests this time around, he doubles down on what he does best: directing the dancefloor with precision, patience and pure instinct.
Details
- Record label: RCA Records
- Release date: August 15, 2025
