Despite his association with hip-hop hitmakers, High Klassified’s own sound is a bit more experimental. His latest album, Ravaru, appropriately features collaborations with artists from his aforementioned homeland of Quebec to his newly conquered territories in Europe, still featuring all of his trademark weirdness. 

His success as a DJ has meant countless nights on the road that might have been otherwise spent in the studio. He has a studio in his home, so this alternate workflow took some getting used to – it also meant that most of his album was completed on a mobile device. 

“I’m kind of always on the road. So I actually had to learn to work more mobile,” he says. “Since I started using the iPad and shit, and my laptop and my AirPods more, it’s my new thing. I can make beats on the go.”

A habit formed out of necessity has become a common practice. More than just an avenue to put the finishing touches on something, it has been an integral part of his process.

“ I feel like it’s helping me because I feel like I need to be in a very comfortable zone when I get into the creative phase of the song,” he explains. “I feel like 50 per cent of a song is creation and the second 50 per cent is more of a technical side, and the technical side to me is the less fun part. Having the chance to do it the mobile way is very accurate to me.”

High Klassified is proud of this project; it still represents him while diverging from his past sounds. Ravaru means Laval (his hometown) in Japanese, the title being a nod to his love for video games, science fiction, and Japanese culture. 

The creation of this project started with “LomeLaval,” its first record, which became integral to the direction the album would ultimately take. High Klassified was drawn to designing something more tailored to his personal interests. 

“I wanted to make a whole project with beat switches, because I’m kind of getting tired of listening to the same song for three minutes. I was like, ‘How about I make music the way I consume it?’” he says. “ So I wanted to do a whole album with beat switches. I think there are three beat switches on the project. So that’s pretty much it. I really wanted to make the easiest, most consumable music.”

High Klassified’s expansive production is something his fans expect from him, which means that the journey to achieving that high standard sometimes takes a step away from the iPad. In a unique blend of personal preference and self-awareness, he explains why working mobile isn’t a good fit for everything. “ My trademark is having big knocking drums, right? So I’m more comfortable doing drums on big speakers. When it comes to the drum part, I like being in the studio with good speakers, but everything technical or melody-wise, I definitely do it on the iPad.”

Mobile production sounds like it’s here to stay for High Klassified. In fact, he has already started working on future projects on the iPad. 

Even with what some would perceive to be technological limitations, his career has taken him far beyond the area where he grew up – but his love for Quebec grounds him. Ravaru is already his most successful solo project to date, but his idea of success is very specific. He has his eye on a Felix Award, an achievement that honours music in Quebec. He has been recognized through his collaborations, but never on his own. 

“ I’ve been known for so long in Quebec, but I’ve never really won a prize for that,” he says. “One of the reasons why I’ve done a full French project is to benefit from this Quebec love. I’m really looking forward to a win for this project, it’s way more accessible to everyone. I feel like there’s something for everyone in it.”