Wax:On News | Harry Benson Catches up with Eskimo Twins |
1. Hello guys, how are you enjoying your summer?
Yeah, really enjoying it thanks. We’ve been doing tons of shows and producing lots. The festivals are fun, it’s nice to play outside in the sunshine now and again.
2. What were you up to this time yesterday?
Yesterday we were in Ibiza waking up from a long night at Reclaim the Dancefloor with Switch, Boy 8 Bit, and Doorly.
3. Where's the best place you've played this summer?
That’s a tough one, we’ve played some really fun shows last few months. Evolution festival in Newcastle was amazing as we’d never DJ’d in that kind of environment before so we were a bit nervous. It turned really well though so we were on a bit of high after that! Kendal Calling and Secret Garden Party were wicked festivals too, playing after Erol is always a big challenge but we reckon we about pulled it off. Reclaim The Dance Floor has been amazing also, we’ve had some really good nights there! Playing after Boys Noize was immense, as was yesterdays. Think our favourite so far was the first we did though with People Get Real, Chase & Status and Doorly though, everything just seemed to go right for us and we had a really good set. Our trip to Scotland was also great fun. So in answer to your actual question: too many to pick an outright favourite.
4. Any particular festivals your fond of?
At Secret Garden Party we played a set on a gold painted tank, Evolution was a wicked setting, and Kendal Calling had a brilliant crowd. We’re already looking forward to next summers festivals
5. The new EP is quite different to your last, it definitely shows signs of progression and begins to really showcase the Eskimo Twins sound, who and what were your influences you on these tracks?
It’s a progression sure, but we don’t see it as a million miles away from the last EP. There’s still a noisy club banger on one side and a slightly deeper, retro techno piece on the other! We’ve developed as producers since that record was written so there are things we don’t do any more, but hopefully we’re starting to carve out and refine our own sound.
Lots of different things influenced these tracks. Judas was one of the first songs we ever started writing together so it has been around for rather a long time and it’s gone through many, many different permutations. The final version therefore has a whole host of different ideas from different periods in there; minimal techno, 70’s disco, back through spacey psychedelia, all of which is drenched in analogue synthesis – something we obsess over rather a lot.
Droid has it roots in our love for rock, metal and acid really. It has a very driving, chugging bass rhythm, just like all good heavy metal guitars should sound! We wanted to take the raw brutality of rock and apply it to a dance floor without sounding too cheesy, or making it un-danceable. In a way it’s the antithesis of Judas, in that it’s so incredibly noisy and in your face, but hopefully this demonstrates our love and enthusiasm for different forms of electronic music.
6. Justin Robertson and Matt Walsh are brilliant producers in their own right, did you always have them in mind to remix the tracks?
Yes, Justin is a great DJ and producer. We’re really into his Deadstock 33’s stuff and it was great when we heard he liked Judas and wanted to a Deadstock version. We’re repaying the favour with a remix for him soon too. We’ve known Matt for a while and love his sets and productions too. His remix of Judas has been getting support from some great DJ’s and sounds amazing in a club setting.
7. Where do you hope to see yourselves in a year's time?
Still making music! Probably with longer hair and a bigger beards. There’s no great ‘master plan’ really, as long as we are writing music, being asked to do remixes, putting out records and playing awesome shows we’ll be a whole lot more than happy.
8. Who are your hot tips for this year in music?
We’ve just completed a remix for Everything Everything, they are a really exciting band. Their arrangements, chord progressions and rhythmic changes are really interesting and intricate. They’ve been getting plenty of hype already in the press but we’re sure they will have a very good year. Clouds from Scotland are going to do big things, everyone should check them out. Azari and III have been producing some great music and we’re looking their album on Turbo. Big Mister Doom, a glicthy electronica duo from Leeds are doing some really interesting stuff and Simian Mobile Disco’s new dark techno work on their delicacies label is great too
9. The 80's or the 90's?
Either? Both? No idea. We were born in the eighties so from that irrationally conceited point of view, it is obviously the clear winner. It also had acid house and hair metal. But then, the 90’s had grunge, nu metal, trip hop, ‘big beat’, good breaks, and the onset of puberty. We prefer synths from the 80’s. Let s stick with the 80’s shall we?