Pep & Rash

The Rumors are over! Spinnin’ Deep’s new signings are here with a bang

Interview by Dan Prince


Guys a massive welcome to DMCWORLD…where in the world are you today? 

“Thanks! We are happy to be home at the moment, back in the studio to finish some work.”

What was the first piece of music you heard this morning after rolling out of bed? 

“Dutch radio actually. I listened to the news, absorbed some pop tunes after that, nothing special actually. Although I did hear ‘I Follow Rivers’ again, the Lykke Li tune remixed by The Magician, still a really strong track!”

What a few months you two are having! Within a year you have gone from promising up and comers on the scene to two of the most talked about producers on the circuit…thanks largely to your track ‘Rumors’ which has had big support from the likes of Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Avicii and Afrojack. Please talk us through the sound and history of the track… 

“Well, it all started with the vocal. We worked on it for a few days to get it just perfect. Then we pitched it down and everything seemed to fit perfectly. After that we were searching for a sexy, groovy and funky Pep & Rash drop with different elements in it. It worked out really well together with the rest, but the inspiration came from the vocal!”

How does it feel to be the producers who everyone is claiming have developed a new exciting sound? Were you aware you were going to make a splash with your music…how would you describe your style in 2015? 

“It feels great, for us it’s a real honor. It inspires us to start working on some new stuff. We didn’t expect the success was gonna come so quick like this, but we definitely dreamed about it. About our style, it’s a combination of different elements (Future, Deep, Garage, Latin, Tech, EDM). It’s a sexy, groovy and funky sound, real cool in my opinion, but still accessible for everybody.”

Has the success of ‘Rumors’ taken you by surprise or did you know you were sitting on something special? 

“We knew it was a good track as we felt the vibe from the beginning. But we never expected it to do so well so quickly!”

Check the video here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cif8IcBwoTk&feature=youtu.be 

Now be honest guys…have you done an interview with a music journalist and they haven’t asked you ‘what is the best rumor you have heard about yourself?’…? 

“Ha ha no. But our favourite? That Sander van Doorn mentioned us as artists to watch in 2015…”

What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend, please give us a few words on each… 

“Curbi – Discharge (Original Mix)

Classy Vibes – Poezia (Original Mix)

…and 3 ID tracks we can’t talk about it!”

Okay let’s rewind for a moment.  You both started making music on completely different genres when you were setting up. Pep you were into your 2-step, Hip Hop and Techno…Rash you were into latin house. Who were the artists and producers that first got you interested in dance music in the beginning? 

“Ahh, so many artists to mention! But I would say Pete Tong, Umek, Zinc and Chocolate Puma have played a major role for sure, I guess you can fill in the blanks from there…”

3 bucket list adventures you wanna do in your lifetime?

“First: Travel the world. Furthermore: having fun with each other and…let people dance.” 

The last time you pressed rewind on a track to listen to it again because it was damned good?

“No doubt, that was Curbi – ‘Discharge’ (Original Mix).”

Where have some of the stand out gigs been for you recently – the K Klass party in Italy looked pretty fly…

“We did Spinnin’ Sessions at the ADE, that was a great show. We also played at the famous Dutch event Speedfreax last Saturday, a great vibe. K Klass were great, and it was our first sold out international gig. We’re happy about that, looking forward to playing more of those!”

How do compliment each other in the studio – who excels in what department? 

“We do most of the thinking work together. We start from scratch, building from an idea we have and start working on that. From the first day we started working together the energy between us felt great, we really get our inspiration from it. When it comes to details you could say Pep takes care of the technical parts and Rash is doing creativity parts.”

Tell us about the scene in Marrakech right now?

“It was great. Nice clubs and good crowds. We think the scene in Marrakech is definitely growing. They’re ready for the new sound which will result in a lot of exciting parties over there.”

What is on a Pep & Rash rider these days?

“Drinks like Cola, Water, Beer, Red Bull and some fruit. Nothing special actually, we’re no divas haha!”

What was the last GREAT studio toy you bought yourself?

“The Pioneer DJM 2000 Nexus. A new mixer with loads of options.”

How did you get on at the Spinnin’ Writing Camp last week…worthwhile?

“We were invited by Spinnin’ and MusicAllStars. Yes, it was definitely worth it, we did some nice collabs and met other producers. It was nice to see how that works and we had a lot of fun with each other.”

Those were the photos at the Camp with Martin Solveig, Sander van Doorn and Watermat in the studio right?

Yes, it was at the writing camp where we did some things together. Can’t say too much about it, but keep following us to stay up to date.”

A caption you wrote under a photo at one of your recent gigs…” That feeling is indescribable!!” You obviously love your profession…but was there ever any other career you 2 could have fallen into?

“No, we’ve always been aware that both of us were born to make music and entertain people. We’ve worked in a factory before, but that’s not our thing. What we’re doing now is what we are meant for.”

What did your families think of your choice of your work life path?

“No problems there. They are very proud of us and wish us all the success in the world.”

Let’s skip forward 12 months – what do you want to achieve in your life by this time 2016?

“We hope to do some big shows, work with talented producers but most important hope to have lots of fun with what we’re doing!!”

And finally gotta ask, Pep – you still addicted to Dr Pepper?

“Yes, I still drink it!!

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For more info on Pep & Rash:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pep-Rash/624443764256039
https://twitter.com/pepandrash
https://soundcloud.com/pepandrash