Dirtyphonics by edjent, 07/27/09 01:39:36

Words by: Tom “Medicine Man” Strayhorn and Greg the WeRm

Everyday Junglist: Your connection with the legendary Shimon is quite a big one, and releasing tracks on his label Audio Porn is no small accomplishment...How did this connection originate? Also, tell us a little about what it is like to get the attention of such a big name producer.

Dirtyphonics: Everything happened pretty fast. We were friends with Tali and we gave her one of our tracks, “French Fuck” which she immediately loved. She then sent it to Shimon who called us the very next day saying he wanted to release it on his label. It obviously was a good day for us ! Yes Shimon is a big name producer but on top of that he's a real nice guy, real easy to work with and real fun!


EDJ: Dirtyphonics is made up of such a talented and fresh group of artists. How did all of you meet and come together to form what is considered to be one of the hottest groups of producers in DnB?

DP: Before we met, we all were already making music. Some of us were playing in metal bands or producing hip hop, electro, movie scores, etc. Playte and Capskod who where in the same art school met Pho in 2004 and Dirtyphonics was born. A few years later, Pitch In and Youthstar joined the crew.


EDJ: Who's idea was it to create such an original live act? And, how long did it take for you guys to become "fluent" with one another while performing such complicated mixes in front of massive audiences?

DP: We all played in live bands before we met so it was only natural for us to play our tracks live all together on stage and being able to improvise. We're like brothers and know each other inside out so it makes it easier to communicate and act very quickly on stage. It obviously took a lot of work and time to create and still does as the Live is constantly evolving...


EDJ: It's obvious to anyone who's ever seen you guys perform live or seen a YouTube video of you guys performing that Dirtyphonics comes firing with an arsenal of sonic weapons!..Share with us your choices of equipment such as drum machines, programs, production software and plugins that make your songs and performances so unique.

DP: In the studio we use analogue synths (ie: MS-20), computers filled with plugs etc... On stage, we use turntables, cd players, MPCs 4000 & 1000, Moog filters, a Kaos pad and a DJM 909 filled with effects. At the end of the day, equipment does count but what's utterly important is what you do with it, the way you use it.


EDJ: "The Secret" featuring Tali's vocals is such a HUGE tune and I'm sure everyone would enjoy hearing the "behind the scenes" story on the process of creating this future classic. Also, what is it like working with Tali?

DP: The Secret was written and produce very quickly. Tali came over to Paris to spend some time with us. We knew we all were gonna hit the studio at some point and when Tali heard the instrumental she got inspired right away. The next evening, the song was recorded! Tali is really clever and talented, she knows how to work efficiently -writing lyrics and melodies- , it seems so natural to her! We've been working on a new track with her recently so keep your ears opened.


EDJ: It is no "secret" that you fellas draw much inspiration from many different types of music. "Vandals" can be considered a masterpiece in how you were able to combine Electro House and Drum and Bass in the same track..the transition into DnB is mind boggling! Did you guys visualize this song turning out this way when you first began creating it, or is this just the way it ended up at the end?

DP: We're influenced by lots of different genres and we like to create bridges between DnB and other styles. When we started writing “Vandals” we knew we wanted to do this time switch, we just needed to figure out how to do it technically. We created the track around this concept and the result is what you hear!


EDJ: "Quarks" has gotten the attention of everyone who hasn't been paying attention and took many people by surprise. Was this a totally original sound you created or were you inspired by something specific to create this tune?

DP: The first idea was to blend DnB with Dubstep and we wanted to find a clever way to do it. As we were working on the first drop, we had the idea of of going halfstep which gave us the opportunity to mix the DnB and Dubstep vibes all together. We also wanted to have a “real” Dubstep part that goes back to DnB to give DJ's the option of playing the track in both genres sets. At the time, we didn't know how people would react to the track and we're pretty amazed by the impact “Quarks” had.


EDJ: Name a few of the Drum and Bass producers who have inspired each of you the most. Also, are there any artists outside of DnB who inspired you musically?

DP: In no particular order : Subfocus, Shimon, Logistics, Soulwax, Daft Punk, Metallica, Mr Oizo, Wagon Christ, Reso...there are so many!


EDJ: What are some of your favorite places that you guys have played?

DP: Solidays festival in France, Cabaret Sauvage in Paris, Innovation In The Sun in Spain, Mainframe in Vienna ...


EDJ: Is there any specific track that you would like to make a Dirtyphonics remix of? Are there any specific producers you would find it personally special to work with on a song?

DP: We'd love to remix “Brown Paper Bag” from Roni Size, Rollin' & Scratchin' (Daft Punk)...
As far as people we'd like to work with, obviously all the ones that inspire(d) us as well as Dizzee Rascal, Justice, Quincy Jones, John Williams etc...


EDJ: What is the scene like in France? What sounds/genres would you say are most popular there?

DP: Obviously Electro and Hip-Hop are very popular, Dubstep is definitely getting a lot of attention and the Drum and Bass scene is pretty healthy. We're blown out to see how crazy non-DnB listeners get when we play the Live.


EDJ: Tell us a little about each of you personally... dayjobs; hobbies; long term goals etc.

DP: We all have the same long term goals, but individually, here's a glimpse:

Playte wakes up every morning with the energy to conquere the universe,
Pitch In uses any means possible to make girls shake their booties,
Capskod is the mysterious one,
Pho's a complete nerd when it comes to machines and technics,
Youthstar is a crazy animal and you never know what's gonna happen with him!


EDJ: What "classics" do you usually take with you when playing on tour?

DP: “Planet Dust”, “Game Over”, “Bodyrock”, “Together”, “Brown Paper Bag”, “Boots Are Made for Walking” and all the Dirtyphonics tracks are always in the bag!