Two of the stars of this fresh wave of house music continue their streak of gold
Already a massive tune for Moguai, now Dutch house maestros Mr. Belt & Wezol take things to another level with ‘Hold On’. Featuring the excellent vibes of Cheat Codes the duo adds some cool house elements heavy on the bass and freaky sounds, Dan Prince checks in to see what’s up…
Bart, Sam a huge welcome back to DMCWORLD! Tell us about your Christmas and New Years to kick off…what did you get each other and where did you play?
Bart (Mr. Belt): Happy New Year guys! Or is it already too late to say that? Anyway, we had a great end of the year! We were actually free around the Christmas days, so we both got to spend some time with our family which was great. During NYE we had two shows in the Netherlands and after that we even got some time left to hang out with our friends!
So a new year and straight back into it with a huge new piece of production, this time in the form of your remix of Moguai’s hit track ‘Hold On’ out now on Spinnin’ Records. How did this all happen and can you talk us through the approach and execution of your work…
Sam (Wezol): So one of the A&R’s of Spinnin’ approached me and asked me to do a remix of this track. Since I really liked the mellow vibe of the original I immediately wanted to take this opportunity and give it my own spin. It turned out to be pretty hard to make the mellow vocal into something energetic, but I’m pretty sure I pulled it off.
Check it here…
{http://soundcloud.com/spinninrecords/sets/out-now-moguai-ft-cheat-codes}
What is next on the horizon studio wise for you guys…?
Sam (Wezol): Our next official release is going to be a track on Potion, The Magician’s label. We can’t announce the name or date yet, but you’ll hear about it pretty soon. Maybe we’ll put out a free track in between as well.
When you first appeared on the music scene you made a big point (as your Facebook page admits) of rejecting the idea of taking DJing too seriously – wanting to mix up your soundtrack out there. What was the philosophy behind that…pissed off with superstar DJs stuck up their own boring arses or simply down to the fact you loved such a wide mixture of music that deserved to be played?
Bart (Mr. Belt): Yeah, we were just a little bit fed up with the whole hype around DJing. We’re just two normal guys who like to goof around and as a result of that we have made a lot of weird videos like Mr. Belt & Wezol’s Kitchen or Demo Ride. We want to be approachable, there’s no need in pretending to be someone you’re not, cause it will backfire someday eventually.
What is with the Taylor Swift obsession?
Sam (Wezol): Ha! She just makes really good music! I mean; it’s catchy, it’s mellow, it makes us sing along when we’re in the car. She’s also one of the few big pop stars who still gets a say in the production process, which seems to be quite rare nowadays.
What are the 5 big tunes in your boxes this weekend?
- 1.Moguai ft. Cheat Codes – Hold on (Mr. Belt & Wezol Remix)
- 2.MNEK, Zara Larsson – Never Forget You (Mr. Belt & Wezol Remix)
- 3.Maff Boothroyd ft. Debbie Sharp – Music Is The Answer (A Lister Remix)
- 4.Benjamin_Buttons & D Lysio – Back To Me (Original_Mix)
- 5.Dozens – Bad Girl (Original_Mix)
So let’s look at the sprawling months of clubs and festivals that lay ahead. Where are some of the DJ gigs that are wetting your whistles in 2016?
Bart (Mr. Belt): Well, we’re really looking forward to this year’s Summerfestival in Belgium! Last year was a blast, and we hope to make this year’s show even better.
A gig that surprised you in 2015 and a gig that you were disappointed with?
Bart (Mr. Belt): There’s this thing which is going on with our gigs. Whenever we expect a gig to be a bit dull it always turns out to be great. And when we expect something to be great it most likely turns out to be less great. So we really learned to manage our expectations this year so we get less surprises and disappointments in 2016.
An up and coming producer to watch out for this year?
Sam (Wezol): Definitely Daser, these two guys have been in the scene for quite a while already but started this project just recently. Really cool guys to hang out with, and great music as well!
Obviously a sad day for the music world yesterday with the news of David Bowie passing away. Were you fans of his music?
Bart (Mr. Belt): We weren’t particularly fans of his music, but it’s always a shame to see one of these legendary artists pass away. Rest in peace.
What are your main hopes for the dance music sound and scene in 2016?
Sam (Wezol): For 2016 I hope the house sound keeps growing and I hope listeners will get more open towards experimentation within tracks, instead of recycling a lot of the same sounds. Which is kind of going on with the whole dubstep influenced bass house thing right now.
And finally, what is the next gig you will be taking Goaty McGiggles to – your No. 1 fan?
Bart (Mr. Belt): Ooof, that’s a good one Dan. Last time we took him with us he shat all over the backseats, so I think we’ll pass for a bit.
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Moguai feat. Cheat Codes – ‘Hold On’ (Mr. Belt & Wezol remix)
Out now on Spinnin’ Records
