Exclusive Interview: Dr!ve & Bowser

This week’s Artist Spotlight features two up and coming Djs/producers from Switzerland, who have been preforming at clubs all over Europe. Dr!ve played in major HipHop and Electronic bands before setting up his independent project DR!VE. Dj Bowser is renowned for his live mixes while being one of the most booked Hip-Hop/Electronic Dj’s in Switzerland. In 2014 he is to play over 7 major festivals in Switzerland alone. Their latest track which is a groovy, Nudisco song called Close 2 You and it is out now on iTunes. We had a little chat with these guys and here’s what they had to say.

What made you want to start DJing/producing?

We just didn’t feel like the kind of music we would like to Dj was being made or accessible to us so we started producing. And as Bowser is playing in clubs all the time, it is a great way of trying out new songs and tweaking them if they work. So if you come to one of our parties you will inevitably hear some unreleased song and we always appreciate the feedback from people.

 

Who is your biggest influence(s)?

A-Trak, this guy is the real deal, he comes to the place, checks out the crowd and then plays his sets accordingly, while remaining his musical integrity. He doesn’t just show up with a fixed playlist. You can really tell that he’s coming from a HipHop background in terms of his technical abilities but he is producing and Djing house music. We really appreciate the craft that goes into Djing and Producing, we use mostly analog synths and rather simple production tools and try to have a hands on approach.

 

Whats you’re favorite record of all time?

Thats a really hard one but if it come down to what left the biggest impression on us in terms of influence it would be all those old french house classics.

 

What was your favorite party of all time that you have played?

Bowser: Some of the greatest nights I had in Club Achill in Javea Spain.

 

Who do you want to collaborate with in the future?

Right now we are keeping it in our camp and work with people we now, but we are always open to do remixes or collaborations with people.

 

What’s the most embarrassing thing thats happened to you at a show?

Bowser: Basically my mate Dj HiGH.Fi was asleep backstage, and we were booked the whole evening so I couldn’t leave the booth. The club was packed and there was no way for me to get to the loo. So I had to relief myself under the turntables in a cup, trying to not pull a face. This was then even more embarrassing when the waitress came and asked whether I was finished with the cup…

 

What do you like to do when you’re not working on music/DJing?

Bowser: Screenprinting, Dr!ve: I work as a graphic designer and I also like to get out and experience things completely unrelated to what I do. Galleries, Concerts etc. I feel like all those influences will show in your work.

 

What is your opinion on the current EDM scene?

EDM scene? Is this a drug scene?

 

What do you think about all these “frauds” in the EDM scene using ghost producers, buying likes and purchasing their own tracks on Beatport?

In terms of buying likes and purchasing your own tracks, we are not sure how sustainable this trend is in the long run. And it might also be counterproductive for people actually trying to find good music online. But we hope this will start to challenge how the internet or search engines work by just looking at the traffic a site generates, as this is obviously a sign that these numbers are easily faked. But instead look more at who creates influential and original content and give back power to actual tastemakers.

 

Is there any upcoming releases/shows we should keep an eye out for?

Our new single Close 2 You is available now. This is the second original collaboration between Producer Dr!ve who resides in London and Dj Bowser from Berne Switzerland. We also have free downloads and remixes on our Soundcloud.

Dr!ve – Facebook | Soundcloud

Bowser – Facebook | Soundcloud

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