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What are your thoughts on Dallas electronic dance music compared to the rest of the nation; do we have our own sound?
Richard: Yes. Dallas has a lot of soul in its music. I think it comes from being in the middle of the country and the drum & bass is especially crazy because of the heat.
Jeff: Yes I think we have our own sound depending on what kind of music you're speaking about. Every town has its own sound; it's all about how you interpret it. Richard & I pride ourselves in having our own sound.
Do you think Dallas producers get the recognition they deserve?
Dallas is home to a lot of good talent. Some go unrecognized and some get much praise...when they move.
Who/what inspires you musically and why?
Big bird, grass, kittens, long walks on the beach, scary spiders, Gary Busey's teeth, Goldrush coffee, that first poop in the morning, that burn you get when you take a big gulp of Coca-Cola, snorting thumb tacks, knowing that some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them, HR Puff N Stuff, our mothers, George Bush's intellect and Homer Simpson…"D'oh". Oh yea, and our studio.
Do you listen to any non electronic dance music? If so, what do you listen to?
Jeff: Well, I really haven't had a CD player in my car for quite some time nor do I have time to sit down and listen to much music other than what I play out. Honestly, I listen to a lot of talk radio; I'm sure that sounds lame.
Richard: When I'm not listening to drum and bass I'm pretty reminiscent. I listen to classic punk rock, 80's new wave and industrial.
Name your top two tunes (I know, this is hard).
That's not really a fair question. Are these our favorite two tunes of all time or this week?!
If we're splitting hairs,
Jeff:
Blame "alpha 7"
Illogic & Raf "could it be"
Richard:
Photek "freeway 2000"
Big Bud "way of life"
What is the best thing about producing or DJing?
Jeff: They're both quite different in their own ways. The thrill I get from DJing is that of controlling the crowd. Feeling their energy, feeding off of it and throwing it right back in their face. With producing, it's the satisfaction of creating something from scratch, playing it out and having people react to it. It's a great feeling to have people like something you've made and not even realize it's yours. It's a way of expressing yourself through music and a way for people to see into your soul.
Richard: Djing is a way to let loose and play the records that you spend all of your money on. Producing gives you a small glimpse into the world of the producers that you play at gigs.
What was your favorite event to play at? And why?
Jeff & Richard: The first Progression Sessions at Decibel, in 2000. We both looked up to them for so long, and to have the opportunity to play with them as peers was the beginning of an ongoing friendship.
Any gigs/ releases coming up you'd like to list?
Well of course, Mick's Bar every Monday. Progression Sessions will be back on Friday October 22 at Lizard Lounge. Release wise, in September a remix we did for JT Donaldson will be released on Dallas' Grab Recordings.
What do you think of the current state of the Dallas scene? And what do you think we can do to improve it?
Richard & Jeff: Dallas is in a transition right now. Money is tight everywhere and bar & club owners have to do what they have to do. It sucks since there is no underground scene anymore. Everything is based upon bars & nightclubs, everything ends at 2 or 4am and no one really gets to hear the stuff that can't get played in those venues. Back in the day we had a place to express ourselves with whatever style of music we wanted. Now we're limited to parameters set by bar & club owners as to how far we can take it or what we can play. In the past, the only way to bypass this problem was to create our own scene by throwing free parties strictly about the music, called renegades. Now they're a jailable offense. We might be able to improve our scene by incorporating the local talent that exists in Dallas. Everyone is always trying to import talent to make a show good, when in most cases the locals are much better. If we could come together as locals to support a scene for locals by locals, I think things could change. You can't have a scene without support.
What do you see in other music artists do that annoys you?
Richard & Jeff: Selling out, buying in & rims that spin!
Do you want to thank anyone?
Whenever this question arises someone gets left out and gets their feelings hurt. The list would be way too long; you already know who you are anyway. We would however like to thank everyone who has supported us at Mick's Bar throughout the years, as well as our parents who stuck by us and supported us even though they thought it was a little strange.
Do you have anything else to add?
We would like to thank DDM for giving us the opportunity to finally speak our minds. Oh yeah... We don't wanna sound gay or nothing, but we think unicorns kick ass!!!
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