The road weary members of Keys N Krates are huddled together on a couch in a remote part of their trailer. Having performed in Denver the night before, they have just endured the coldest performance of their existence: a January outdoor jam met with double-digit wind chills in the heart of Old Montreal. Keyboards froze up mid-show. Waist-high heat lamps adorned the stage providing little relief. Their drummer, Adam Tune - accustomed to performing in his socks - desperately sought footwear reinforcements. By some stroke of luck, the promoters of the event actually had thermal socks. Their post-show adrenaline would now be used to keep their core temperature up (and to endure a retrospective of their career to date with us).

Justifiably, in the middle of the interview, Adam Tune stands up to pour himself a stiff drink.

"Has being on the road help forge your sound?" I ask.

"No," Tune replies. "But it's fucking made us miserable!"

The retort gets chuckles, and the break from the monotony of questions and answers helps his fellow musicians, keyboardist David Matisse and DJ Jr. Flo, get back into a jovial spirit.

Breaks from the mundane are an important part of keeping Keys N Krates one of EDM's most fascinating acts. Since 2006, the trio has created a groundswell of fans worldwide who have embraced their live renditions of house, trap, and every sub-genre in between. Instead of bowing before the solitary DJ perched on his dais, legions of fans join Keys N Krates as they channel the rock gods and go ape shit together. They are as much Electric Lady as they are Electric Daisy.

-Jr Flo

Matisse sees that as a great advantage. "We're smiling. We’re connecting. We're talking. We like to think our audience gets to know us after our sets versus those who don't show their personality on stage." To Keys, the feeling is mutual. "We really thrive off of that interactive connection with the fans."

The formula to Keys N Krates' success lies in the fact that it was never instantaneous. The groundwork had been continuously laid for years. Jr. Flo, an award-winning turntablist, sought to present music in a different light. He saw the potential of forging DJ sensibilities with a live band. He eventually linked up with Matisse, a classically trained keyboardist and R&B singer, and drummer/producer Adam Tune.

Their first releases were deconstructed remixes of Aaliyah and Michael Jackson standards, where Flo would cut up the vocals, Matisse would add synths, and Tune would beef up the drums. It was a definite paradigm shift and breathed new life into old classics. National interest was piqued, but a signature sound eluded them.

Matisse explains, "People knew us from our remixes but couldn't put us in a category, so we were fooling around looking for a fit." Around 2012, the emergence of a new form of music presented the group with a great opportunity.

"When trap music came out, we were like, 'We can totally do this.'” The template of an 808 clap, high-pitched vocals, and a bass-laden breakdown translated well on stage and in studio. Subsequent projects Lucid Dreams and Solow featured singles such as, "Follow You Down," "NowImGunnaChange," and the infectious "Dum Dee Dum." Their catalogue was growing, as was their audience.

Adam relished the moment. "We always wanted to have that feeling where we drop our own track and there's no sample of anybody else's. That's the goal. That's the winner."

Jr. Flo shares the sentiment, "Thinking about it, it's been a long tipping point. We've gone to new markets and have sold out the venue, which is crazy because we used to play to crowds of, like, thirty people. We're an act with music that we really like and stand behind. People buy tickets to see us play our weird music."

With growing fame, however, comes unexpected attention from unexpected sources.

“I never thought we’d see our stupid faces on TMZ.,” Jr. Flo says, lamenting their “viral video” moment.

To set the scene: a raucous Keys N Krates performance in Tampa, Florida becomes pandemonium thanks to a naked woman first jumping on stage and then onto Jr. Flo’s back. The woman continues to prowl around, eluding management and security alike. The video hits the social networks and gets picked up by infamous gossip-mongers TMZ. Adam, Flo, and Matisse are soon interviewed by Harvey and company.

Collectively, the whole band wishes it never happened. “On one hand it was great,” observes Matisse. “But you can never make it a permanent thing.” Jr. Flo puts it in a practical perspective. “It’s a weird position to be in. As a band, we can’t have a bunch of girls on stage with us. We have too much going on. But if girls jump on, how can you react without being a party pooper?” (It would soon be revealed that said streaker was a serial offender, having popped up at several events before and after Keys N Krates for her share of the limelight.)

When the crowds leave and the hoopla dies down, Keys N Krates will always know that square one of what they do resides in the music. To experience the highs is awesome, but the next night could always be a potential flop. It is all part of the continuum for them.

When they return to their native Toronto, they take the collective experiences from the road and bring them back to their studio. Their rehearsal space is their bread and butter, where they bang out ideas and try to modify existing ones to ensure their live experience stays impossible to duplicate. The Keys N Krates experience is one of a kind, and they work hard to keep it that way.

-Jr Flo

“We started up Keys N Krates because it was innovative,” Matisse exclaims. “And that’s why we keep doing it. Sometimes we’ll have a set that’s so dialed in we can do it backwards and forwards. The crowd would love it, but we’ll be like ‘I’m bored.’ We have to do something different. That’s the only enjoyment you get: from continually exploring and trying new things.”

Those things might include Matisse interacting with the audience, individual solos throughout the night, and prolonged ambient interludes that tease out their most anticipated songs.

Matisse describes their sets as “a difference pace.” Jr. Flo prefers to call it “giving no fucks. The cream rises to the top. It’s about who can create a connection with the crowd. It’s about engaging.”

Entwined in that train of thought is the idea of staying ahead of the curve. Electronic music, overall, is a dominant force in today’s sonic landscape. The sweet spot of staying edgy but not too far left and catchy but not poppy, of invoking a reaction but not going for cheap thrills, is a constant moving target for the group. They remain diligent in their hunt for that “new new.”

“As soon as it becomes a little mainstream, you have to be fully on to the next thing,” says Tune. “Which is why you always have to keep reinventing and pushing it,” adds Jr. Flo.

Their latest project, Every Night, is similar to previous works but goes further to ensure that it is as appealing over stadium speakers as it is through ear buds. “I’m not a fan of music that I can get into at a festival but can’t listen to at home,” explains Adam. “It has to be good for both environments.”

Given their track record and penchant for new sounds, Keys N Krates could be plotting for the next big thing already, if they’ve had their fill of what’s currently out. “At EDM festivals,” Jr. Flo explains, “every act is trying to do the same thing. They want an hour-long peak. We can do that our own way.” Matisse is in step with forging these new paths: “That allows us to stand out, 100%. It’s more difficult to do what we do, so we get a lot of respect from that.”

Keys N Krates fans worldwide eagerly anticipate their next break from the mundane.