It’s great to come together for the purpose of co-creating. Vibe out to my conversation with HxdB and DJ Cure aka Greazus, and catch our show with em’ at Monkey Loft tomorrow. .
DD Hello Greazus! And a special greeting to Severine (HxdB) whose been a wonderful element of this blog over the years.
G Sup.
DD So with this collaboration of yours (which I’m loving!), are there certain individual strengths that come to the surface?
HXDB Patrik has a great knack for writing catchy hooks and getting raw ideas out quickly and bringing the heat on the keys. I on the other hand am the one that fusses over the mix and the fine details and the polish..Oh I write basslines like a muh tho! lol.
DD There is such power in rhythm to move and entrance. Do you guys have certain memorable experiences seeing certain artists or shows, where you could really lose yourself in the sounds and/or environment?
CURE Definitely. Something that sticks out for me was seeing Bonobo with his full band, they had 3 encores. It really made me want to become a better musician. Any time I’m at a festival and I’ve finished my set, I will let loose. That is my favorite time to let go and enjoy some music I probably wouldn’t get down to on a day to day basis.
HXDB I vividly recall seeing Amon Tobin here in Vancouver at the Commodore Ballroom and being totally mesmerized by the sound. It was his “Foley Room” tour and he played in 5.1 surround. That sensation of being fully immersed in sound, that’s something we definitely go for in many of our tunes.
DD I was having a fun listening to my favorites from your Soundcloud, while watching my favorite anime “Yu Yu Hakusho” on mute (episode 88 called “The True Face of Sensui” if anyone wants to view). It was one of the more menacing parts of the series, and I could easily see the fierce attitude coming through in your productions. I know ya’ll have a fun approach to what you do, but are there some more darker influences coming through?
CURE For sure, a lot of these projects will get started on our own individually. For me its like therapy, you know? Taking your mind off life. I will get incredibly blazed and escape in the sounds. Its not all fun and games, and sometimes you need an outlet to blow off stream – might as well make some heavy beats.
HXDB I actually listen to a lot of heavy metal and have generally always enjoyed dark sounds, which I feel is a great way to deal with the fucked up things in your life and the dark, “real” moments . With Greazus, we try to strike a balance of dark and light moments and just have fun creating.
DD Looking back to the past in the D&B, hip-hop areas, are there any tracks that come to mind that help you guys lighten up?
CURE Hip Hop and Rap especially are a big part of our lives. I’ve always been a big fan of underground rap, but as far as lightening up, I experience guilty pleasures listening to really ignorant gangster rap. That shit is like comedy gold to me. Dudes like Juicy J (and Three Six Mafia), Asap Ferg, YG.
HXDB I’m a child of the 90s, so that shit is still my go-to for good times. Tribe, Organized Konfusion, Black Moon, De La, etc. I do love some of the new cats like Azizi Gobson and Ferg, but I definitely appreciate conscious rap more than the ignorant shit, even though it is a good laugh. In terms of D&B, I guess tracks like Klute – Phone Call, or old 4Hero always put me in a golden mood. I’m also mildly obsessed with the band Little Dragon and find myself simply, happy when I listen.
DD Who are some of your favorite artists interacting with your work, both through featuring tracks in mixes and collaborations?
G Our number one collaborator right now is probably Sinistarr, we have a number of tunes with him that we’re all really excited about. He’s kind of like the 3rd member of Greazus, haha. We have also done some cool stuff with our dude Kid Kurse, also from Vancouver (look out for that in the near future), plus our boy Subcorr, which we have a few things going with that are exciting. Sam Binga, has recently given us an incredible amount feedback and support, which has been a real confidence boost and source of motivation.
DD Thinking about rebirth, how has this new creation between the two of you given new life to your solo identities?
CURE For me, I have become more disciplined when it comes to starting and finishing projects, and doing it more consistently.
HXDB Personally, its been really nice to gain a new focus and perspective. I feel like I don’t have to cover as much territory with my solo act anymore and can focus my sounds a bit more clearly for each.
DD Coming up tomorrow, we here at Disco Droppings along with Tom Kha will bring Greazu$ down from Vancouver to play the Spectrum show @ Monkey Loft. Going with your collaborative energy, I’ll be playing b2b with my intern and new DJ on the block Agate. Penny Wide Pupils b2b Thalo and Kloak with also be playin’. Whatcha guys got planned for this party, and is this your first time as a duo playing in Seattle?
G Here’s the thing, we never plan our sets. We play b2b ourselves and love to just wing it. Vibing with the crowd and picking cuts to hit the right places at the right time. We both have incredibly similar taste in music, so its really fluid for us to navigate through different styles and bpms and still build and maintain a strong vibe in the dance. We want to go off too! haha. This will be our first time playing together in Seattle actually, but we’re mad stoked to be playing at Monkey Loft and to rock with all our Seattle fam. Let’s git it!!!
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– Jimi Jaxon
