Big Chill House: Radioclit & Altered Native's "Womp Power"
Disco Of Doom Exclusive
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 02 September 2008
Interview
Big ups mates for your top notch music production and taking some time of your hectic schedules to answer a few of our silly questions. So tell us about your DJ duo the "Disco Of Doom", how was this concept spawned and what are your intentions? Tom Real: The concept was spawned out of our wish to move ourselves forward and show there’s much more to what we do than simply ‘breakbeat’. Everyone loves to put tags on things and as we’d been making breaks, everyone thinks that is all you do. There also reached a point in our minds where the ‘breaks’ sound had lost its direction and was no longer the inspirational force it once was so we decided to get the message out there showcasing what we do and are listening to, we decided to start a monthly on demand radio show on Samurai.FM. This coincided with a time when we both wanted to develop what we do together as we had never really DJ’d out together much and so decided to give the whole project the Disco Of Doom name.
The Rogue Element: In terms of our intentions, we just want to feel as though we have the freedom to write and play whatever we want, and given the eclecticism of the radio show we think that expanding the concept into a project will facilitate that. Obviously another of our intentions is to RINSE IT PROPER. So your debut Disco of Doom EP is out on Passenger with three killer electro tracks (The Click, Loud & Clear, The Click–Zombie Fuckers Mix). How was the crowd reaction so far when you played it live on the dancefloor–are you both pleased with the outcome? Tom Real: Massive! I like to think there’s a mixture of styles within each release which will help join the dots for previous fans of our breaks sound (ie the BIG basslines!) yet open doors into different scenes with it[‘s four to the floor sound. Loud & Clear has been getting excellent responses on the floor with it’s mad build up whilst The Click just seems to send the floor mad!
The Rogue Element: Yeah it's been going down really well, although surprisingly the mix by the mysterious Zombie Fuckers is getting the best reactions for me....
Do you live near each other to be able to output your wicked productions? Tom Real: We used to live together which to be honest was a bit much, seeing Ben’s smiling face every morning was enough to put me off my morning cereal! Seriously tho, Ben’s in East London and I’m down South, we’re both busy with individual projects so it’s actually really hard to find studio time and it needs planning months in advance!
The Rogue Element: Yes indeed we used to cohabit; however after Tom tried to molest me for the eighth or ninth time I contacted an appropriate organisation and they helped me find the courage to leave. Now he can't come within 100 yards of me unless there is a Pioneer CDJ1000 or an Apple Mac in the immediate vicinity.
How did the Zombie Fuckers get to be chosen to remix, "The Click". And how did you meet up with the Zombie Fuckers? Tom Real: It was a dark and stormy night and Ben and myself where doing some research into necrophilia. We were hanging out in the local cemetery and we noticed these pair of decidedly dodgy looking characters, after a quick fondle we hit it off and the rest as they say is history!
The Rogue Element: I honestly cannot add to that answer, except to say; before you judge us, know that said research was VITAL for the continued survival of mankind. We did it for you guys.
How did you mates first meet up in the first place? What's the story here? Tom Real: Ben moved into my flat, did nothing but smoke weed all day and use my studio equipment whilst I went out and got a real job. I’d come home after a hard days yacka and Ben would be stoned in my bedroom learning how to layer basslines and make his drums phatter. I moved out shortly after.
The Rogue Element: Tom's brother Ed used to manage a band that my two best friends were in and through that unsavoury crowd we used to mingle at appallingly depraved London squat raves in the early 2000s, many of which still haunt my dreams. After a year or so we ended up moving into the same house in South London and frankly I've never been the same since. To be fair I think Tom was secretly glad to actually have another living being in his bedroom that did not require a bag of oats and a regular brush down.
How do you chaps work on tunes together? Is there a creative process somehow or you two just bang the tracks out with your writing and production experience? Who does what really? Tom Real: It’s kinda like the idea behind Disco Of Doom. We both get together and play each other new music we’re really excited by and decide a direction to move forward within it. Their is no formula, no specific ‘sound’ (apart from Ben’s turbo production!) Each track is basically a slice of what we’re listening too and excited by at that point in time.
The Rogue Element: In terms of roles I have historically done most of the hands-on engineering, with Tom telling me to stop adjusting things by half a dB etc etc and get on with it - but Tom is starting to get his mad skillz in effect so soon I willl have to start making my own tea and go out to get Maryland cookies and Jaffa cakes myself. On a serious note, Tom's really the only other person I work with regularly as we have a very good understanding and just have similar ideas of where we want things to go - we very, very rarely have unproductive days when we book time in.
Is there a personal favorite track out of this EP? If so why? Tom Real: Mine is the Zombie Fuckers Remix, we had such a laugh that night in the cemetery, it brings me nothing but arousing thoughts day in, day out!
The Rogue Element: I actually really love Loud and Clear, although we wrote it about a year ago so I did actually get to a point of overkill with it for a while. Now, however, we have been to counseling, the passion is back and our relationship is blossoming again.
How did you hook up with Passenger recordings? Tom Real: I’ve known Brent Aquasky for a good few years and used to feed him hot new tunes I was picking up and he shared my enthusiasm for new and exciting music, regardless of the genre. He was liking what me and Ben were doing for Functional and asked us to remix Rob Le Pitch and then pretty much immediately after Noisia’s Gutterpump. When he was working on his ‘This Way Up’ album he asked if we’d like to contribute a tune and ‘Machine’ was born. I like the Passenger Records guys, they are very open minded and not afraid to take risks!
The Rogue Element: Yeah Passenger run very closely with the whole DoD ethos so they were an ideal label to go with. Crucially, they also pretend they like us on a personal level and tell me how awesome I am every day (I had a clause put in the contract) - this is important.
What has been your craziest gig so far? Please tell us something crazy... Tom Real: As Disco OF Doom I think it was a UK club called Hoodoo in Nottingham, it was one of the first gigs we did, it was their first birthday and it was a complete sell out. We came on after Elite Force and smashed the place apart, really being able to play whatever the hell we liked which is well, what Disco Of Doom is all about! As Tom Real and The Rogue Element is was either one of our two Glade festival performances, being stood infront of thousands of people going bonkers to your sound is absolutely crazy!
The Rogue Element: Yeah Hoodoo definitely wins so far. Out of the Glade performances I would have to say that the second time round was the better crowd and slot as we closed the tent, but I will probably remember the first time a little more fondly as I was so young and so full of hope for the world and not dead inside with my spirit crushed.
List some of your favorite electronic producers (past/present): Tom Real: Popof, Fake Blood, Swen Webber, Simian Mobile Disco, Miles Dyson, Rekorder, Soulwax Proxy, Machines Don’t Care, Modeselektor, Moguai, Mike Monday, Boy 8 Bit., Lutzenkirchen, Audio Bullys, Drums Of Death, Don Rimini, Drop The Lime, Crookers, Chemical Brothers – these are all Disco Of Doom favourites!
The Rogue Element: I tend to find that I go for individual tunes more than producers - on one hand there isn't really anybody whose work I consistently go crazy for, but then I could also say there are a great many producers who have written stuff I love - to many to list here. My all time biggest influence, if I had to name one, would probably have to be the Chemical Brothers though. Obviously there are a great many artists I respect on a technical level as well - all of the names Tom mentioned would definitely fit into that category. What does your studio consist of? Tom Real: A Macbook Pro, Logic 8 and a pair of Alessis MkII Monitors!
The Rogue Element: I have exactly the same at home, but I also rent a studio out the back of a factory in East London where I've got a treated room with a Mackie desk and HR101 monitors. It's nice to wake up and have the option of working from home or elsewhere I find. We don't use hardware, although I wouldn't say no to a decent compressor to be honest.
What are you using to produce nowadays? Logic audio? Live ? Cubase? Tom Real: It’s all about Logic 8 on the Macbook Pro, I was running Logic 5.5 on the PC but when Rogue upgraded to Logic 7, then 8 on the lappy I begged, stole and borrowed to match his upgrade cos Logic 8 is quite frankly the nuts!
The Rogue Element: Logic 8 is by some way the best thing that's ever been created for making electronic music, in my opinion - definitely worth switching to Mac for.
What do you guys drink when you go out giging? And are you guys regular pub drinkers? How much can you drink? Can you drink and perform smashed? Tom Real: There is nothing big or clever about drinking lots kids, so don’t do it.
The Rogue Element: I like to start off with a few cans of Cally Special Brew outside the 7-11 and relax by swearing at complete strangers, and later in the night I like to switch things up a bit and pour methyllated spirits into my eyeballs. Moderation in all things, it is said.
What helped inspire you lads to keep up the work and production on your EP? Does weed help you in anyway? Tom Real: Both Ben and I are clean living, upstanding members of the community our bodies are temples and both regularly practice yoga and meditation. The inspiration comes from hanging out in graveyards late at night and fiddling with dead bodies.
The Rogue Element: I found that when I used to smoke weed I wrote shit music, and when I stopped I became good. Some people claim to find otherwise, and fair play to them. What inspires me is GIRLS and COLD HARD CASH MONEY although I seem not to get prolific success in either department, it must be Tom fucking with my game. For inspiration I rely on masochism - I self-flagellate with a birch stick and attach electrodes to myself if I feel I am letting myself down. The funny thing is I do exactly the same thing if I think I deserve a bit of a treat!
Whats going on this summer for you two? What is your most anticipated gig coming up in the near future? Tom Real: I’ve had a fucking blast this summer, I’ve DJ’d at three of the phattest parties on this planet – firstly KaZantip Festival in Ukraine, a 5 week beach festival which takes place throughout August and part of September followed by the Boom Festival in Portugal followed by the Burning Man festival in Nevada Desert... My next most anticipated gig will be the moon!
The Rogue Element: My summer's been great as well although I have been working loads - but since I would be doing my job as a hobby anyway I can't really complain....
Shout outs: Bigs up to my mum, every time. Brent and team Aquasky for putting up with us and all the ladies and gents who come down to our shows and support our music! Plus God. Mephistopheles. Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Bela Lugosi.
The Disco of Doom will be released on Passenger Records, September 8th.
