Since 2010, Kantor – previously 5 & A Dime – has made waves with his innovative brand. From being crowned the Dance Dance Revolution Champion of the World and developing his iconic DDR Launchpad to performances alongside Kendrick Lamar and Steve Aoki, the artist has had a wild ride of a career. Following the launch of his brand overhaul and release of “Sonic,” Kantor makes good on the promise of a dark, emotional, and powerful sound. Read the full interview below:
EDMSauce
The Dancepad is awesome, how did your idea to intersect a launchpad with a DDR-inspired pad emerge?
Greg
Appreciate it! The idea started in 2013 after I came off tour with Kendrick Lamar and Steve Aoki. When I was 14, I was the inaugural world champion of Dance Dance Revolution Extreme (8th Mix) and it has always been a large part of my life. After seeing Madeon‘s original launchpad videos, I put two-and-two together and realized that the same idea could be accomplished using DDR pads if programmed correctly. A good friend of mine, Guy Dupont, was the first person to know about this idea and helped me conceptualize how we would go about programming the DDR Launchpad. Between 2013 and 2018, however, I wanted to focus on original production and to make sure my music would stand out on its own separate from the DDR Launchpad, which is why it took a while for me to release the idea.
EDMSauce
What was your first exposure to the music industry?
Greg
My first exposure to the music industry was in 2010, I was a freshman at Lehigh University and my first show was at Boston College opening for Curren$y. A year later I signed to my first booking agency.
EDMSauce
What artists are currently on your horizon?
Greg
plumpy, PEEKABOO, LICK, ilo ilo, and ZABO.
EDMSauce
What brought about the brand name switch?
Greg
Well, I was 5 & A Dime for 9 years, and the entire brand was based on childish nostalgia, specifically music I listened to growing up. I knew that if I wanted to showcase my new original sound as well as the DDR Launchpad performances, then I would have to do so utilizing a new name. Kantor was a simple choice for me since it not only is my last name (thus being personal), but it has musical significance. Kantor literally translates to “a singer in the temple”.
EDMSauce
What are your main goals going into the new year?
Greg
My main goals are to release over 12 originals this year, release several new DDR Launchpad videos, perform all over the country, and have some great official remix releases.
