Soulwax Interview

We were lucky enough to catch up with the Belgians sometime last year – this is the fruit of our labour. It speaks for itself.

What are you up to at the moment? (00.00)

We’re producing a band called ‘Das Pop’, I don’t think they have done anything over here yet.

How much time do you spend in Belgium now days? (00.30)

I think it’s about 50-50, although this year I’ve only been home for about two weeks.

So Soulwax, 2 Many Dj’s, are there any particular differences? (00.49)

I think there is no difference, it’s the same people, it’s just that 2 Many Dj’s is Stef and Dave doing their Dj  sets.

And this kicked off back when they were teenagers? (01.22)

No, it’s been going about seven years, originally it was Steve and Stef but Steve married this rock-star Tracy Bonham and moved to New York so Stef was kind of forced to do stuff with his brother and it really worked out, in the mean time we still did the band.

Was it always known as Soulwax and 2 Many Dj’s? I heard you were known as the ‘Fucking Dewale Brothers’? (01.55)

Ahh, that’s from when we were doing our first album, the producer we had gave it to us a s a nickname, the fucking part was just fun thing to do, you know when you see people on t.v, and now the ‘Fucking Dewale Brothers’.

So where in Belgium are you from? (02.44)

We’re all from Ghent, it’s about twenty minutes drive from Bruxelles, it’s not a city, more like a town but the night life is fun.

Do you think there are any particular differences between British and European club culture? (03.22)

There used to be, but it’s different now, you never used to hear a techno song and an alternative rock song in the same club but nowdays it’s changed.

Would you say the British scene is slightly more dogmatic? (03.40)

It used to be but not anymore, also I don’t know why, I think it is a cultural thing but you guys are more up for it, whenever we play or go out here, you guys have so much fum, it’s like people party like there is no tomorow.

I noticed on the website there is a comparison to the way Grand Master Flash mixes………… (04.26)

It’s a way of approaching two tracks, you take the cool part of a song and and like loop them, it’s kind of disrespectful in a way but then your using this thing to create something else using the decks as an instrument, that’s where Hip-Hop started but now the boundaries have faded.

A lot of U.K journalists call it ‘mash-up’………… (05.20)

Yeah, yeah I know they hate that, but that’s how they got picked up, it was like a novelty. I mean that dogmatic thing you were talking about, they kind of smashed the boundaries there, it was the reason they got noticed for doing these ‘mash-up’ sets, which for them was jaking tapes and mixing.

Would you say that method of approach is somewhat a parody of how interwoven and varied culture has become, musically at least? (06.35)

Yeah, it was a good thing at the time. I don’t know now. it’s the fun thing to do I guess.

Do you ever get asked about this sense of mystique or confusion about the difference between Soulwax and 2 Many Dj’s? (07.25)

Actually we get a lot of complaints, mainly saying we are deliberately misleading people, confusing them. That’s the fun part for us, but a lot of people have these issues like how the hell can we be a rock band and make rock songs and then have this stupid dance thing, where as to us if you can have one thing you can easily have the other. Because for us if there is a balance then it is fun for us.

Would you say it helps your popularity? Maybe people are interested in the unknown? (08.22)

Maybe so, maybe so, but that’s the purpose. For us it’s fun being able to re-invent yourself from a different angle, I always liked artists who suprised me a little.

So how long has Soulwax been kicking for? (08.51)

Whoa, too long. That’s why we need to re-invent ourselves each time.

Where do you see things going? (09.04)

In the near future we’re definately going to be making some new Soulwax tracks and then Stef and Dave will keep on Dj’ing, doing their stuff and the ‘Nite Versions’, the thing we’re doing tonight, this dance stuff for another few months and then we’ll probably change to something else.

Anything you can reveal? (09.41)

We have ideas, but nothing concrete, we want to make it and then talk about it.

Would you say that creative process of making music really informs what comes out of? (09.57)

It usually happens because we feel a lack of something, you want to fill a hole, i think we have done a lot of dancy stuff and we really need to go back to song-writing, like a song which really touches you.

Has success changed much? (10.50)

I wouldn’t say the success has changed much, but now because we are linked to 2 Many Dj’s and sometimes they are seen to be bigger than the band and then we zap about the place and then do this dance thing so we can do more gigs and blah, blah, blah. it’s very different thing from a rock band, it’s not a pop thing but more like a rock project.

Do you reckon it changes the focus of the music? (12.03)

It does a little bit because you know what you can get with this kind of music and what you can get with that type of music, it definitely gives you more perspective on the whole thing.

What’s your favourite thing about Belgium? (11.02)

That my house is there.

Do you still live in Ghent? (11.10)

I do still live in Ghent, it is really good to live in Ghent and go out in Ghent, it’s like a small city.

It’ s a bit cheeky but do you think there could ever be too many Dj?s? (11.41)

I think on certain nights there are too many Dj’s, like when people organize stuff these days they want to have a room with drum ‘n bass and a room with this and that, and your walking around your always thinking I’m missing this or I’m missing that just being in the middle of it all.