Tritonal

Two of the biggest names in the US electronic music community continue their unstoppable rise to the top with numerous Beatport No. 1’s, remixes for the likes of Hardwell, Zedd and Armin van Buuren plus millions upon millions of Soundcloud plays. Dan Prince checks in with Chad and Dave and rabbits about their true Colors…



Chad, Dave welcome to DMCWORLD…where on planet earth are you today?

 

“Thank you! We’re currently Stateside working heavily on new material including our next artist album! It’s been a wild ride of a year but good to be home in Austin!”

 

Wow guys what a year you are having. No, let’s rephrase that. What a decade you are having! Let’s kick off with the latest single which the world is going crazy about, ‘Colors’ featuring Paris Blohm and Sterling Fox…a monster collaboration! Please talk us through the sound and history of the track…

 

“Thank you, it has been a great year for us! Colors has been such an exciting single for all of us. Initially, we were sent a vocal from Sterling Fox with just merely his vocal atop of some piano chords and we were just BLOWN back on how well the performance and melody of it was! Eager to get going on the production, we wanted to team up with Paris Blohm on the project as we felt it would bring a unique energy to the tune. Weeks were spent designing the sound of the drop, harmonizing the piano and writing our top lead to which we feel became pretty massive! We all enjoyed every bit of working on the record!” Check the video…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtWYoZSq_u0&feature=youtu.be

 

Some of the comments regarding your immense Cash Cash ‘Surrender’ remix… “Tritonal is a beast”, “OMG Tritonal you never fail to make amazing music”, “way better than the original…”. Big props guys. Do you have a specific approach to a remix, for instance, some people strip everything back except the vocal, some stamp their ‘sound’ all over their rework…or is it a case of every project is different. Surely there must be a connection to the song in the first place?

 

“Total mad props to Cash Cash for such an awesome record to begin! We totally do the same though when we approach a remix; we love to re-harmonize and add our take on the record, put our spin on the arrangement and get it to the point of a healthy Tritonal remix! Specifically when we started this remix, we simply began with nothing more than the vocal and writing chord progressions. We went through SO MANY concepts until we felt our gut was in line with our work 😉 now we’re always excited to drop it during our shows!”


 

You both site Coldplay as early influences. Couple of questions then. What have been your reactions to the Coldplay dance remixes/bootlegs this summer and also, Jennifer or Gwyneth?

 

Chad: “Although we love Stars,  not sure any of them are as good as Fedde’s take last year to be honest!  Gonna stay out of that controversy, leave that bag to Chris ha!”

 

Dave – Genesis reforming. A good or a bad thing?

 

Dave: “Well one can only hope it’s a great thing! If they bring back the heat they have in their originals that’s only a good thing. Also I’m sure many people have been waiting decades for them to reform with Peter Gabriel to do a tour.”

 

“We like our vocalists to maintain and have their own creativity on our tracks”. With that quote in mind, who has been the finest vocalist you have had to pleasure of working with?

 

“A great question! We’ve worked with many great vocalists over the years but the person that immediately comes to mind is Phoebe Ryan, she really pushed some boundaries with Now or Never and we loved the imagery.”

 

And the obvious question…what 1 vocalist would be a dream to work with?

 

“Hands down Chris Martin from Coldplay – anyday lol!”


 

Okay let’s rewind for a moment. You guys met online discussing sound design and production techniques. But we love what happened before that that first grabbed your attention down dance music avenue. Chad – whilst all your friends were buying DJ equipment at an early age, you decided to buy studio equipment instead. Why? And Dave, the piece of ‘equipment’ that stole your heart was the piano. What was it about this instrument that made you want to start producing straight away?

 

Chad: “Probably because I always knew that writing and composing music would be much more personally gratifying than playing someone else’s.”  

 

Dave: “Ahh love the piano! It really did just immerse me into melody and progressions; I always loved a good chord and nice progression and there is always something majestically beautiful sounding about a piano that you can’t get from many other instruments. I love that it can be a leader of a musical story and always feel inspired by the sound. That being said, I’m all about pretty, uplifting or moving progressions and just HAD to get going in on producing. Love it!”

 

The remix to ‘Colors’ comes with a spicy remix package from Atomozfear, Tantrum Desire, John Dahlback, K Klass and Estuve & Junventa. Was the choice down to Island Dance Records or did you have a say…?

 

“We had a choice, and went back and forth with Nicky Romero and the Protocol team to get the best ones! Island was handed a package, a damn good one I might add.”

 

What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend?

 

Cash Cash – Surrender (Tritonal Remix)

Nicky Romero & Vicetone – Let Me Feel ft. When We Are Wild 

Tritonal – Anchor

Henry Fong – Scream

Alesso vs Marnik – Tear The Momentum Up (Tritonal Mashup)


 

You were interviewed by a magazine back in 2011 who obviously hadn’t done their research. They thought you had been flouncing around and taking your time to release your debut album! Chad, you finished off the interview by saying that when you had some free time you were going to enroll in a biscuit making course. So, how is your Animal Crackers baking coming along?

 

Chad: “Great I tell ya, now that I’ve got that sorted I’ve taken up Ginger Bread Houses.  Currently working on a 3 story estate w/ 3 car garage!”

 

Trance music has had a massive surge again this year, it is the genre that keeps on giving. Is there a more emotive sound on the dancefloor?

 

“You know, I think we’ve taken a lot from where we began, which was trance. But really, to us, it’s all just music. There’s definitely a slew of many emotive sounds on the floor now including progressive house, big room, trap, dubstep and sometimes a mix of a few – all having good progressions we can feel in our bones! It all comes down to the record itself.” 

 

Can you please talk us through your strengths as a production duo, who excels in what department in making one of the most exciting electronic duos we have ever had?

 

Chad: “We both are pretty strong across the board!  I’d say Dave has a bit of a better knack at writing harmonies and my strength is arrangement / sound design.” 

 

An up and coming producer to watch out for this summer?

 

Chad: “I’d say Juventa is about to blow!!”

 

And a producer you would love to spend a day recording with…

 

Chad: “We’ve got the production stuff on lock, give me top line writers ALL Day long! Would love to work with Sia.”

 

In the past you have admitted to drawing inspiration from movie scores and video games. Throw a few names at us, some films and games at the top of your list…

 

“Definitely! We originally loved the Halo 3 video game soundtrack and felt inspired to write with one of the scores called “Never Forget,” a beautiful orchestrated string progression. There are many movies that we’ve drawn inspiration from such as TRON with Daft Punk on the soundtrack – incredible! Transformers with the sound FX from the transformers themselves shifting, loved that and even now with Edge of Tomorrow.”

 

What has been the tune of the summer for you guys…and no picking your own material…

 

Chad: “Alesso – Heroes.”

 

The proudest moment of your careers to date…

 

Chad: “Throwing the fader down night after night to a room packed with Tritonians singing “I’d rather have one night!” #NowOrNever…”

 

The 3 best DJ gigs of 2014 and why…

 

Chad: “Nocturnal Wonderland – watching a sea of people run to our stage the moment we came on was unreal!  Dada Life Compound at WaMu Seattle – absolutely mental bunch of fans, just a redonkulous vibe! Stereo Live in Houston TX – probably the most epic night of our Colors Tour!”

 

Chad, what is the record that…

 

Reminds you of your childhood?

Tiffany “I Think We’re Alone Now”

You wish you would have made?

Coldplay “Midnight”

Always gets you dancing?

TJR – “Bounce Generation”

Reminds you of being broken hearted?

Tritonal – “Broken Down”

 

What is coming out next from you studio wise…?

 

Anchor remixes!

Cash Cash – Surrender (Tritonal Remix)

ID – ID (Clubby Single)

ALBUM!!!

 

And finally…dudes if you had to pick your favourite track from British pop duo Chas & Dave’s 70s & 80s classics – ‘Snooker Loopy’, ‘Rabbit’ or ‘Ain’t No Pleasing You’, which one would you go for?

 

“We’d have to say…’Ain’t No Pleasing You’…” 


***

Colors by TRITONAL & Paris Blohm ft. Sterling Fox is out now on Island Dance Records
 
The remixes: https://soundcloud.com/protocolrecordings/sets/colors-the-remixes-out-now
 
The original: https://soundcloud.com/protocolrecordings/tritonal-paris-blohm-ft

Buy: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/colors-feat.-sterling-fox/id917256104

http://tritonalmusic.com/

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