Belgian duo the Filterheadz have released on many of the world’s best known electronic music labels, and in their career lasting more than a decade, they have had many underground hits. People consider their track “Sunrise” to be one of the best techno tracks of all time, and that’s just one of their iconic classics.
Recently the Filterheadz dropped a new single on Hollen’s label Prospect Records which also features a remix from Barbuto. We caught up with the duo to discuss their new release and other forthcoming projects…
> For the people reading this who haven’t heard your music before, how would you describe your style and the key elements that define it?
Classic inspired techno with big rolling beats and a few more musical elements.
> How did you guys meet, and did you know each other before starting to work on music together?
We are brothers!
> Your most recent release is on Hollen’s label Prospect Records, is there a story behind how the release came to fruition?
I guess it started with the remix we did for Hollen on Prospect records. Doing a release was a logical next step.
> Could you talk us through the creative process of putting a track together, and list any specific equipment used to bring your sound to life?
It all starts with a fat rolling beat as that is the foundation for our music. You need that low end pulse and motion. After that anything is possible but in everything we always work with strong rhythms. Our setup is pretty simple as we use Ableton and a few plugins… nothing really crazy. Some producers spend way too much time in gear forums, but the best records were made with very simple gear.
> You have had many hit records including your anthemic track “Sunshine” which you made in collaboration with Tomaz. When there are already two of you in the same studio space, what’s it like adding more people into the equation for collaborations?
It can be interesting because it makes you think differently about your music, and it also gives you new creative ideas.
> Talking of collaborations, I understand you recently teamed up with Gaston Zani for a release on Markantonio’s label AnalyticTrail. What other collaborations do you have lined up, and will you be working with Gaston Zani again?
Right now we don’t have any new collaboration projects planned, as it’s not something we want to do with everyone, but I’m pretty sure we’ll work with Gaston again soon.
> What’s lined up after your release on Prospect Records, do you have any festival gigs or big releases in the pipeline?
After this we have several releases including AnalyticTrail and Unity, plus there is a few more coming up, but those will be announced later this year.
> Could you give some advice or words of wisdom to any aspiring producers who might look to your music for inspiration?
Always concentrate on the beats and the ideas. Don’t spend too much time on details that no one will ever hear… what’s the point of endlessly tweaking the mix if the core ideas don’t work? Better to try out a rough mix and play it out in a club or mix it at home in the studio with other tracks you like. If it sounds good in between those tracks then with a few tweaks the mix is basically finished.
> Thanks for taking the time to speak with us today, we like to finish our interviews with a couple of questions that are a little bit light hearted… without getting to personal, could you tell us something many don’t know about you?
We both love sneakers! We’re always looking out for new cool kicks.
> You don’t need to mention names, but what’s the most “outrageous” thing you have ever seen happen in a club… was it something outrageously brilliant, like a blindfolded DJ mixing seamlessly and scratching with his elbows, or something outrageously cringe-worthy, like some embarrassing drunk person urinating on the dancefloor?
Back when we still used CD’s I accidentally gave away our last CD of Sunshine to another DJ. Near the end of the set I realized what happened and I had to run off the stage and go find the DJ who was playing on another stage to get my CD back.
> Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, is there anything extra you want to add before we wrap up the conversation?
Check out our new release Hyperdrive on Prospect Records!
> You can pick up a copy of Filterheadz’s new release from …HERE…
