You’re using a new warehouse for this week’s Shake It! Tell us about the venue
It is a fantastic warehouse space in Bocking Street, in Hackney, proper East London, right by London Fields and we are so excited about throwing our awesome party there. The dimensions of the place and the location are crying out for a proper good old fashioned razz up with the best quality sound system and dirty basslines all night!
The line-up this time is just the residents, i.e. the two of you and Omri H, resident at Tel Aviv’s Haoman17 club. How did you meet Omri H and for what reasons did you add him to the Shake It crew?
Omri is not only an amazing DJ but a fantastic friend and wonderful host and has shown us the best hospitality in the business historically. He is also really dedicated to our sound and has been following and collecting our productions since he was a youngster.
I’m interested to hear what your experiences have been of putting on warehouse parties in London over the last year or so—it’s a very different scene from the illegal warehouse parties and raves of times past. Do you think that these parties have lost some of their lustre in the process of legalization?
I don't think they have lost their lustre, but there are pluses and minuses. When we used to put these parties on 22 years ago it was a case of getting a squatter to bust into a locked dis-used space and wire up the electricity for 50 quid, then invite everyone to meet at a secret location and try not to get busted, but the overheads were nil - nowadays it is a costly and timely affair, but with a lot more comfort and a lot safer for everyone....but it still doesn't feel restricted the way clubs do.
What are your ongoing plans for the Shake It parties? Do you see them as being a permanent series of bi-monthly parties, or more sporadic events?
It very much depends on our tour schedule but we intend to do at least once every two months.
You’ve released three excellent EP's on Olmeto so far this year. Do you have more lined up for us in 2010, or dare I say it, a full-length? (pretty please!)
We are in full swing in the studio now, which we just revamped and are making arguably the best productions to date, which will be coming out on Olmeto and on various other outlets....watch this space! A lot of great music is on its way.
How are things going with Olmeto? What are your plans for the label?
Well we are trying to make some music for Olmeto and also maybe put out on some other labels too to push us a bit as with our own label it's one thing but to create for others is something different...
Do you plan to expand the label to include a roster of artists or are you happy for it remain solely a Layo & Bushwacka outlet?
Apart from remixes we will only be using the label for our own projects.
What other projects are you each (together and independently) working on?
We've just remixed the Noisettes and have are meant to be doing something for Spektrum, we are also each doing some other non music creative projects, more as hobbies at the moment but still with a lot of passion.
The Ibiza season is almost upon us—what are your plans for the White Isle this year?
As always we are playing for We Love which is great, over 10 years now and still amazing. We are playing for Carl Cox at Space too and for Pete Tong at Wonderland so good selection...
And will you be doing the festival circuit too?
Yes but this year more the intimate ones like The Big Chill and SW4.
I’ve heard you have a very special guest playing at Shake It on July 1st. Do you want to spill the beans?
My personal DJ hero and for me THE most exciting guest in the world - Richie Hawtin no less. I am SO excited.
You recently toured in South America, and I’m assuming Brazil was your favourite country to play in, judging from the title of your Global Underground album. What exactly is it about this country which captivates you both so much?
So much. The culture, the warmth of the people, the beauty of the country, we have just connected there...at Layo's wedding in Brazil last month there were maybe 300 people and 250 were Brazilian and maybe 150 friends, that is a special feeling.
And an inevitable question: how is life over a year after the closing of The End?
It was strange at first and of course I miss the people and the creativity and excitement, it was magical, almost seems like a dream now but it was right to close. We had done it and we didn't want to just keep repeating ourselves, you need new challenges in life... so I will always miss it but in a good way.
Leo Pollock