I recently got the opportunity to interview the new production duo Nicola Robinson and Izaak Gray aka Earthboogie. Their music is somewhat unique, combining eclectic elements of international music with electronica with sounds of African Disco, ambient cosmic, classic house and straight-up disco. This May they released their debut Mr Mystery EP on Leng Records (LISTEN HERE)
INTERVIEW
Where did you get your inspiration for your debut release – Mr Mystery?
N – The debut release was our first EP as well as the first taste of our sound. We fused NuDisco, Afro Disco and cosmic music, which are our main musical passions and inspirations.
I – I try to visualise my friends having an amazing time. I get inspired from science fiction and psychedelia. I also love crate digging and following the threads of musical ideas through time and space into different countries, eras and genres. In doing that there is a lot to learn about humanity, society and the human auditory complex. For the energy itself to make the release happen, my inspiration comes from Nicola.
What is your message?
N – Positivity, Dancing & Happiness
I – Earthlings! Take us to your discotheque.
What effect would you like to have on your audience?
N – We have a custom built Earthboogie Soundsystem which we setup as quadrophonic to give a 360 degree sound experience. We want people to get loose and enjoy a mindful music experience
I – A moment of inspiration, a sense of wonder at the universe.
You are both professional DJ’s – How has this impacted your sound?
N – Definitely, we have a wealth of experience playing to different demographics, it’s allowed us to make music and target different vibes from cocktail bar to clubs.
I – Being a good DJ means working with peoples preconceptions and level of understanding. Music is a set language of interlinked languages with shared common phrases (hooks, riffs, motifs etc), grammar (arrangement, time signature, rhythm), tropes and quirks. It’s not sensible or useful to expect everyone to understand highly complex phrases beyond that which they might already know, or to be deliberately obscure, if you believe that music itself is a medium, and you don’t want to alienate your audience (there’s enough alienation in the world). However it’s right to expect an open mind from an audience, without which you can’t create counterpoint and relief, and real movement.
What events do you have lined up for this summer?
N – We played at General Public at The Yard Theatre last month, then Electric House in Notting Hill followed by a vinyl take over at Martello Hall 8th July. We are hosting a monthly event at the new Nine Lives cocktail bar and we’ve also got Earthy Measures in our diary for 22nd Sept with Mr Bongo. We will be updating all our events on our Facebook page HERE.
Quite a few more TBC.
Where can we find your EP?
I – Love Vinyl, Phonica in London, Piccadilly Records in Manchester, Beatport, ITunes, Juno and Spotify, and all the usual online suspects.
What are your plans for the future?
N – We have an album finished, which we will be releasing at the beginning of next year, in the meantime we have some great remix and EP collaborations.
What was the last thing that made you stop and stare?
N – An insanely beautifully dressed woman at Chiltern Firehouse last night, it had the most incredible print a and flowed as she walked, basically girl crush moment : P
I – A previously fancy but dull Mercedes with every inch decked out in multi-coloured ornaments off Old Compton Street with all the seats full of laughing people. My science brain thought ‘that will really mess up the aerodynamic design’, then I thought ‘the aerodynamics are bullshit, it’s the pleasure of driving with friends that’s the best bit about cars anyway’.
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