The Knocks have been making big waves for themselves in the past few years, earning themselves a reputation as a hard working production duo who are now making stunning records in their own right. After remixing everyone from Katy Perry to Passion Pit, and Ellie Goulding, they are widely renowned as one of the hottest producers in music right now.
Thankfully they were kind enough to fit an interview from us into their busy schedule, and you can see the result of our chat below the cut.
The last original track we heard from you was Sunshine which was accompanied by a brilliantly relevant video. Can you tell us how your album is coming along?
“We’re not working on our album quite yet, just an EP and it’s going great, there’s lot’s of new cool stuff to listen to!”
We would also love to know who you commission for your audio artwork? The designs are fantastic!
“Our friend Carmina. She lives in Germany and is an amaaaaazing artist!”
Mixtapes seem to be in vogue at the moment, have you thought about dropping one before your album release?
“Yep! Be on the look out for The Knocks and Friends mixtape coming to a blog near you!”
You’ve remixed for some of the biggest names in the business. What are the key factors you look for when choosing a song to remix? Do you like working with quirky/unique vocalists?
“Usually we just have to like the song, period. Lot’s of times we get commissioned for remixes, so we don’t get to chose. It’s ok though because it pays the bills.”
Mr J Patt, you included remixes from both Lenno and Madeon on your recent Jetlag Jams mix. What do you guys make of this sudden influx of talented young teenage producers?
“It’s awesome! It’s good to see young guys pushing the limits and giving some of the more “established” mainstream guys a run for their money.”
“To be honest it’s refreshing because pop music is so boring sometimes. Hopefully people can pick up on the vibe without corporate vultures sucking the soul out it.”
You’ve been on tour with a number of artists already in your career, could you tell us some of your favourite tour experiences?
“Well, we aren’t rock stars, so we don’t have any crazy stories, just a bunch of waiting in airports, carrying stuff and trying to catch up on sleep. Just being on tour is a great experience in itself.”
“So far, touring with Ellie Goulding has been the most fun, and successful.”
Let’s imagine that Glastonbury wasn’t postponed next year and you were given your own stage for the day. You could book any artist(s) you wanted. Who would you choose and why?
“I’m gonna say this band Moonytown. You’ve never heard of them, but they’re a vicious rock band ready to hit the scene any time now, and when they do it’s gonna be pretty epic. Look out for them..!”
You recently supported Deadmau5 in Vegas, and I imagine his audience had very niché musical tastes. For gigs like that which might be slightly out of your comfort zone, how do you prepare?
“We don’t lol. Not even joking!”
Before we move to the fun questions at the end, could you tell us what your biggest gripe is with the music industry at the moment?
“LOL. How about just the music industry as a whole? There aren’t many people out there that have the artists best interest in mind. If you’re lucky enough to find a good team like we did, then awesome, otherwise I would advise against it.”
Could you give us any up and coming artist recommendations?
“Louis La Roche is dropping his debut album soon, he isn’t up and coming but it’s his first album and he’s amazing. Monsieur Adi just put out a new EP called “Fire Fire Fire“. Chris P Rivera is putting out an EP on HeavyRoc music called “1Room” that is BIG. Also, look out for the Welsh French house duo, Vanguard. They’re gonna be massive.”
We recently completed our “Best Songs of 2011” post for the blog, but could you tell us what you think the best song of 2011 has been?
“That’s hard to say because as DJ’s we cycle through songs so quickly it’s hard to pinpoint which singular song had the most impact.”
“Our cool pick is Pumped Up Kicks, we’ve both had that song for about 2 years now and to see it finally blow up is satisfying. Really happy for those guys. Our guilty pleasure pick is Firework, I mean, have you SEEN what happens in clubs when that song comes on?”
Once again I must give my thanks to The Knocks for taking time out to answer these questions. You can follow The Knocks, or @DJBroc and @MrJPatt individually on Twitter as well as checking them out on Facebook.
