The Time Is Now for this puuurfect Dutch duo
Interview by Dan Prince
Tess, Claire welcome to DMCWORLD…where in the world are you right now?
CC: We are in the capital of Holland right now; AMSTERDAM!
A belated Happy New Year to you both, let’s kick off with the festive period. What gift did you get each other, where were you on New Years Eve and what was the midnight tune?
Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar as we say in Holland!
Tess: Claire surprised me with a party in my new house! LOVE! We had a blast celebrating with friends, family, food, drinks and the best tunes of the last year. After that we played at a private boat party on the IJ lake! Midnight tune: Midnight Moving (2000andOne) mixed with the JACK accapella of BREACH.
So a really exciting year stretching ahead for you, kicking off with the UK release of ‘The Time Is Now’, a track that has already clocked up over 100,000 plays across Soundcloud and Youtube. Please talk us through the sound and history of the track…
Claire: It started with a studio session in Amsterdam with our friend Bella Hay. She was singing on one of our beats which resulted in new inspiration for the Time Is Now! This was not the planned at all (it never is right?)…but we loved it so much we continued building on the track together with Bella’s voice in mind. Realizing we want to live the power of NOW, we wrote the lyrics together and named the track: Time Is Now.
Check it here…
{http://soundcloud.com/soundplate/sets/cat-carpenters-the-time-is-now}
Let’s rewind for a moment and go back a few years to that fateful day at Red Bull when you first met. How did this relationship get from a simple hello to working with each other all over the world?
Tess: We had a click at “hello”. Every conversation was great! And we never stopped talking till today! We had our first gig together YEARS later. We were put together on a gig by accident because our former DJ partners where away. It was an amazing vibe and we totally get each others language.
Claire: If you both love what you do and have the same great passion and mind that thinks alike… can win a war together!
What were your first impressions of each other?
Tess: Haha! In both ways it was “like minded passionate music freak!!”…you are weird…I like you!
How does it work in the studio, who excels in what department?
Claire: We both have an idea. Most of the time, the idea doesn’t match directly J so we have to find a way to compromise…we hardly do concessions to something we find GREAT, so we ask for help from others. We ask the opinion of other befriended producers, they help us to pick the most interesting parts and come to that one perfect idea!
Have you ever had a huge row about music?
Tess: Absolutely! We sometimes fight over it because we both have a strong opinion. But never when we play a show. Then we are one. Claire is amazing in feeling the audience.
Claire: And Tess knows best what track fits another. We mix our own way and we love that!
It was a sad day for the music world this week with the passing away of the legendary David Bowie. Were you a fan of the great man and his music?
Tess: Boo! How can you not be fan of Bowie? This man was 1 block inspiration with so many faces. He celebrated his B-day with a new album! Again SO new and so NOW! He is our shining star now..after Black Star!
What are the big 5 tunes in your box this weekend…
Besides a couple of favorite Cat Carpenter Bootlegs…
L.O.V.E – Boris Dlugosh
Sensation- Volkoder
Time is now (Nelson Pour remix)
Vermillion &ME – &ME
Moving Day – David August
Who are some of the producers from around the world you are giving high fives to at the moment?
Pharrel Williams (in every genre!)
Sam Feldt (really proud of our Dutch friend flying the world)
Skrillex (for producing Biebers “Purpose” and bringing this kid from boy to adult!)
Some gigs in the 2016 DJ diary that you can’t wait for?
Playing for the Royal Dutch Family at Rijks Museum- Feb
Cape Town Open Air- April
Gaypride – having our own boat!
So let’s zip forward 12 months to this day in 2017. What do you two want to have achieved by this time next year?
Few more tracks released and respected by a large audience.
Still realize that we are two lucky bastards living this life!
What is coming out next from you studio wise?
Working on our 3rd Track after Run Together (track 2). And of course many surprises…
And finally, gotta ask…what’s with the name?!?
Haha!
CAT comes from C-laire A-nd T-ess
And Carpenters is Claire her last name in Dutch.
We both love Cats!…miaow!
