STREETLIFE DJs

How did it all begin for you?

Not sure if you mean how did we both initially get into DJing, or how did Streetlife DJs come about, so I'll answer the latter, its easier! I was working as a record label manager/A&R man, and had a residency at Home (London); Louis was producing house music at his own studio and also DJing. We were mutually introduced, and production was something I wanted to get into, so we hooked up and did some remixes for the label. That was 10 years ago.

We then went on to have our own tech/prog label called POD recordings, which we closed in 2003. We were both incredibly bored of house music at the time, took a break for a year, and came back with Streetlife DJs and a new sound. The Soulwax & French explosion really inspired us into new areas musically.

What characteristics define a Streetlife DJ set?

Well there really are no rules to it as far as we're concerned, I guess its because we don't want to be put into one particular box. The nu-wave electro/techno sound is really big for us, but we don't limit ourselves to just that. We try to make it more interesting than just playing the latest Justice, Boys Noize or Soulwax records. Digging into the past and switching genres is commonplace in a Streetlife set. We do loads of special re-edits which we mostly keep for ourselves.

We also lift loops acappellas & riffs from old tunes to lay over the top. It’s about layering sounds and building energy. We both come from the Sasha/Digweed school of thought; tight mixing and good programming is important to us, but that's not something you would necessarily associate with other DJs on our tip, a lot of them are pretty crash bang wallop!

Pete Tong has described you as a cross between Soulwax ,Sasha and Coldcut. Do you feel this is an apt summary?

I guess it's a fair interpretation, and we're extremely flattered by it. All 3 have been and still are hugely influential to us. Sasha was even one of the 1st people to pick up on what we were doing, and signed us to his Excession agency a couple of years back. (As it happens, it wasn't really the right place for us and we moved on, all on good terms I might add). But we're forever grateful to him for that because it really helped kick it all off for us.

Are there any artists that have heavily influenced your production style?

The works of Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards, particularly as Chic, have been a big influence for our more recent productions. Since we've signed to Kitsune (Paris) our records seem to be moving towards a more French disco sound (a la Crydamoure & Roule), with big string sections & funky live basslines, but still retaining that contemporary nu-wave electro/punk vibe. Rodgers & Edwards have been big heroes of mine since Good Times (one of my all time faves), they've made a whole bunch of timeless records I can tell you, from Chic & Sister Sledge to Diana Ross & Carly Simon. But more recently, I don't think anyone is doing this stuff as well as Justice; those boys really are phenomenal. They blow me away every time. And all the recent Soulwax output has been outstanding, SebastiAn & Boys Noize likewise.

What's been your favourite production work so far and why?

We seem to finish every new record we make and go, yep, we've moved up a gear with that one, and that's gotta be a good sign (but we'll let you lot be the judge of that!). But yeah, I really think our latest record (We Love The Disco Sound) is the best thing we've ever made, and it came together quite easy without any headaches. Its a lot more of a mature sounding record than our last single Gunn Crime. Its one for the laydeez! Looks as though this will be our 2nd single for Kitsune due late summer.

But looking back over 4-5 years of output, there's a few that stand out as our faves. Queen Machine (the Queen/Goldfrapp bootleg) got us a lot of props inc. Sasha Oakenfold & Soulwax, the CSS Lets Make Love remix is a fave, the Cazals To Cut A Long Story Short remixes for Kitsune, and also Gunn Crime which initially got us signed to the label.

Your remixes are well known - when approaching a remix, do you have a particular method that you follow?

I guess it all depends on what parts you get given in the first place. We try not to take our remix too far away from the original record, and we don't just take on anything, we've really gotta like the record to kick off with. But there has to be something within the original that grabs our attention, something that makes you go yeah, we can do something with that. It could be a vocal, as synth part, even a drum pattern. And then it’s all about taking those parts and initially, building up a lead groove that we're happy with, a groove that would fit into our DJ sets alongside other stuff that we're playing.

That could be something quite noisy & banging, or something much funkier & kitsch. I think that's the important part, establishing what you want to achieve from the remix before you start, knowing where you want to take it. And then you go on from there, trying out different bits from the original to see what works and what doesn't. It's very much a trial & error process for us. You know when its right and you know when it isn't.

Do you prefer to remix, or create your own tracks from scratch?

Remixing other people’s music is good fun, and you can learn a lot from seeing how different people have constructed their tracks, and it can be financially rewarding too - we all gotta pay those bills right! Its really cool when you get positive comments from the artist that you've just remixed, that’s probably the most rewarding part of it, but I don't think it comes close to making your own record from scratch and then playing it and seeing people go nuts, or hearing it on the radio. That really is tiptop.

What's the weirdest situation you've found yourself in as a result of your DJing?

Weddings! People think that because you're a professional club DJ, you can do weddings. Well, let me tell you from someone that knows from experience, you cant! I advise you never to agree to it because it'll turn into the biggest head fuck you can possibly imagine. I've succumbed twice in 20 years of DJing, both times as favours to friends, and I've sworn I will never ever do it again. No matter how deep you dig into your collection or how many you borrow off your old man, the brides 80 year old Aunt Flo will never be happy, and she won’t be afraid to tell you so! Swerve it. At all costs.

Do you have any advice for people looking to increase their profile?

People used to say that starting your own night was the best way, and I suppose it does help, but its bloody hard work to get something going these days with all the competition from more established nights and the power of the big name guest DJ etc. So, I’m going to say two things here. The 1st and most important is without doubt production work. Making your own tracks or remixes is vital, but then getting them out there for all to hear is just as important. And that's where my next suggestion comes into play. The internet...It's a magnificent thing; it's a free worldwide promotion tool, so use it! It's been vital in our progress, from posting new tracks, bootlegs & remixes on blog sites, through to our Hot Mix 100 podcast series, where we upload a new mixtape every couple of months.

We started doing that just over a year ago, and we've now had over three quarters of a millions downloads, with almost 100 000 regular subscribers. That's a big audience! And wherever we go in the world, you get people coming up and saying hey the latest hot mix rocks! You really don't realize how far & wide you are connecting with people until things like that start happening. Its quite surreal.

And finally.......complete the sentence "The Streetlife DJs do not believe in......

Letting ones laptop do all the work! (and ghosts!)