Make A Dance
We sat down with DJ duo Make A Dance to talk musical influences and the city's place in their work. Ben wears the Made in Japan Grande Shirt in Royal, Josh the x Tomas Gittins Type 2+3 Hemp Denim Jacket and Made in Japan Crown Chino in Beige from TDR. They spoke about how they shape each other's sound in the studio, and why TDR means "Totally Dreamy Radicals" to Ben and "The Dankest Record" to Josh.
Who are you and what do you do?
Ben: My name is Ben and this is Josh and we are in the DJ duo called Make A Dance. We also have a record label; we run parties and just general fun guys.
How did Make A Dance DJ, duo, record label, general fun guys start?
Josh: I started in lockdown really. We were in a bubble and we made music. Then it's like, this is good, let's put it on vinyl press the record. The record sold out and they say the rest is history.
Where are we today?
Josh: We're sat in Next Door Records 2 today. Next Door Records are really good friends of ours, we do parties with them and couldn't have been anywhere more fitting really.
How do you each carve out your own personal sonic style and how do you make that work with one another?
Josh: I pretty much produce all the music like I'm actually on the computer. The thing that makes it more like a mad tune is Ben will bring in sounds and depending on who's sat next to you, kind of trying to impress the person who you're with. So what I make when I make records with Ben is often different to when I'm sat on my own or if I'm sat with someone else.
Ben: I think also both me and Josh have a lot of musical influences based in the same place. But then also actually we have a lot of musical influences based in like completely different areas. I always refer back to this thing about it's a feeling, not a genre. So it's like it can be anything that like pricks our ears and excites us. And I think if you look at our back catalog of music, it's pretty varied.
What sort of role has London as a city played in your career?
Ben: It's something I definitely take for granted, like the fact that I was born and raised in London and I've had this city at my disposal my whole life. Like what a privilege it is that it's got such a rich heritage. And like all the amazing immigration we've had in this city has played such a big part in its musical history. And it's things like the Notting Hill Carnival, just like growing up with that, just like in our back door. And it's like we're so lucky man. And it's like it's a beautiful city.
What's next for Make a Dance?
Josh: Gigs, releasing records, loads of remixes coming out, loads of stuff from the label.
Ben: Very important is we're doing an all night long party at Phonox on the 13th of next month. So come down 13th of June, 13th of June, Phonox London, Make a dance all night long.
Last but not least, what is your TDR?
Ben: My TDR is totally dreamy radicals. Just three good words and I think it sums us up perfectly.
Josh: The dankest record.
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