Radio 1 new boys going all the way
It’s the stuff of Boys Own. Two kids with a love of dance music with a dream of simply putting on their own club night. The fact that they lived in Lincoln, a posh cathedral city where famous Hollywood actors and Poet Laureate’s once resided didn’t matter at all. Now, at the helm of one of the most exciting nights to emerge from the past three years, their Moda parties have simply exploded. Growing from a few hundred people in a dimly lit bar to1600 punters raving hard in a massive warehouse – and beyond. But it doesn’t stop there. Their own Radio 1 show fell into their laps after a cheeky comment made at their Essential Mix event in their home city and they now find themselves not only in the studio producing killer tracks, but also in demand DJing all over the world. Dan Prince gets the lowdown…
Boys. An incredible story to be honest. One minute you are running your own club night Moda, the next asked to do an Essential Mix for Pete Tong and then a rather cheeky suggestion that if Radio 1 ever needed a fill in for Tongy, you would be more than willing. What’s the story, who had the balls back then that got you all over Beeb Towers?
Jaymo: “We’re big believers in seizing the moment and never letting an opportunity slip. No regrets and all that! So the first time we ever met someone from Radio 1 we made a joke about being able to fill in for Pete. I say a joke, it wasn’t really a joke it was just enthusiasm. Obviously we didn’t think we would genuinely fill in for Pete, but I just thought why not. The fact that the person we were talking to worked in Live Events didn’t really mean much to us then – we were a bit wet behind the ears. But you know what? She mentioned us to the guys that run INDJ’s and, well, you know the rest already.”
What are your earliest music memories – who’s albums were you all over?
Andy: “I think the first album I actually ever really bought was ‘Delerium’ – you know, that awful trance outfit that at the time had made that massive track ‘Silence’? I think it’s safe to say that was a one hit wonder type of thing! The album was dreadful…ha! After that I went into album buying overload and made my aim to own as many physical albums as possible, it was all mostly indie at the time, people like VHS or Beta, the Strokes, early Kings of Leon, Libertines, Metric etc.”
Jaymo: “The first ever record I owned was the soundtrack to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Movie. I think Vanilla Ice did the lead track. Nuff said.”
Earlier this year saw your Moda compilation hit the stores, – what is the concept behind the albums?
Andy: “Quite simply, it’s a collection of some of the future stars of electronic music. A lot of that album was made especially for the compilation. It was fresh, exciting and it’s broad.”
Last year you were concentrating on establishing yourselves as DJs and the radio shows, this year it’s all about your EPs – what’s next?
Jaymo: “Yeah, as you say this year we’ve been concentrating on nailing our target of 3 EP’s. The first went down really well with people like Erol, A-Trak and Annie Mac supporting it. The second has just been wrapped – it’s more house based than the first, but still very much in the same vain. The third will drop before Christmas.”
Andy: “Aside from that we’re just back from a massive season in Ibiza, doing Moda at ‘We Love…’ and now we’re back doing UK parties including our brand new venue in Lincoln which has been going mental – as well as starting a Moda residency at Fabric. So biggggg things!”
So what was it like stepping into the big Radio 1 towers for the first time…did you shit it?
Andy: “Yeah, it was something like that feeling you got when you started school. We were the new kids, but we already knew people like Annie through DJing together. Back then we used to record our shows, going live for the first time was probably the most nerve wracking.”
Who do you consider your mates there now and what are the plans for you on the station…?
Jaymo: “That would be a long list, covering everyone from presenters to producers to PA’s to event organisers. Radio 1’s employment process means that Yalding House is full of cool, young, music fans. It’s very sincere and very friendly. We’ve made a lot of friends since joining.”
Which is your favourite show on Radio 1?
Andy: “We haven’t got a favourite! We listen to as many other people as possible. Everyone should listen to all the INDJ’s shows, even if you don’t think it’s your bag. Music is in a great place right now, almost all the boundaries that alienated scenes during the 90’s and 00’s have been blurred. If you turn your nose up at other scenes you’ll just miss something important.”
What are the big 10 tunes you are spinning out right now?
1. 11.11 – Tourist Trap (Jamie Jones Remix for Ryan)
2. Eats Everything – The Size
3. ZZT – Parties Of Los Angeles
4. Waifs & Strays – Body Shiver (Hot Natured Remix)
5. Jaymo & Andy George – Aquarium
6. Polarsets – Morning (Jaymo & Andy George Sunset Remix)
7. Coat of Arms – Tone Music
8. Jonas Rathsman – Tobago
9. NT89 – Aphelion
10. Noob – Spell
Andy – tell us about your big 2ManyDJs/Blue experience and how it kinda changed things for you…
Andy: “It wasn’t so much of a ‘big experience’ more of an eye-opening. I think you’re maybe talking about when Stephen and David Dewale played Leeds Festival 6 or 7 years ago. They were DJing with Erol Alkan and it was the first time indie kids had really accepted dance music as a really credible form of music. They were dropping Blur records in amongst full-on techno and it really worked. It made me re-think what was possible.”
You’ve been a regular at We Love at Space this Summer, what’s that been like, what has been the best Sunday so far? And what are these “big plans for 2012”.
Jaymo: “Man, where are you pulling these quotes from?! You’ve done your research, haven’t you? Haha…It’s been a huge summer, some of the best parties we’ve ever been involved with. ‘We Love…’ will go down in history as one of the seminal parties of our era. It doesn’t succumb to fads – it genuinely is about the music and it shows. People come from all around the world and just get loose all night. It’s the perfect home for us and Moda and Summer 2012 looks like it will be our biggest to date. That’s all I can say for now.”
What has been your Summer anthem?
Andy: “Probably Eats Everything & Worthy ‘Tric Trac’. It’s for the latter part of our sets when you’re ready to make things really go off. It’s insanely huge. Shouts to Eats, he’s smashing it!”
Did you check out the other clubs on the island, what have been some of the messiest nights…?
Jaymo: “Of course we did, there’s so many wicked parties there. We lived in Ibiza last year, so we really got stuck in to as many as we could. But, alas, the messiest ones have often been our own, as we always there with our friends. Most of the DJs we booked for our room are friends of ours already. Add a few bottles of vodka into the equation and, well, the rest is history.”
How did you two first meet?
Andy: “We grew up in the same city and weirdly wanted to start a club night at exactly the same time. The manager of the club introduced us as we both had good ideas and soon Moda was born.”
What time did you hit the sack after the Essential Mix at your club Moda?
Jaymo: “Here’s the thing… and most promoters will tell you this…if you’re running a massive event like that, as soon as the doors close a world of pressure lifts off your shoulders and you just collapse. It was our first Essential Mix, it was the biggest event we’d ever done at that time (1500 people) and it was a home crowd. The stakes were high! But it all went perfectly and wow, what a night. You can listen back to it on our Soundcloud – goosebumps all the way.”
Andy – News At 10 – explain…?
Andy: “Ha! Well, I did Broadcast Operations at a University called Ravensbourne in South London, obviously music was my dream but working in TV was my second ambition and I started floor managing for ITN whilst I was studying. I worked on Channel 4 news, ITV News and of course, with the legend that is Trevor McDonald on the News on 10!”
What is the most annoying thing about each other?
Jaymo: “He often takes his trousers off to DJ.”
Andy: “Jay often finds it funny to put my trousers around his head whilst DJing…”
So we come back to your after a night down the club. What Back To Mine tunes do you play us?
Jaymo: “I guess that depends what kind of night it is. If we’re trying to wind down but still wanted a vibe, right now, it would be the new Crazy Penis album. Or maybe a Greg Wilson mix.”
What has been the best country you have DJ’d in this year, apart from Ibiza…?
Jaymo: “Japan I think – it was like a weird dream in every possible respect. It’s a long story, most of which we can’t really talk about haha.”
Who are your tips for House music stardom in 2012?
Andy: “If you wanna keep on top of our tips the best way is to listen to our show and keep an eye on www.thisismoda.com <http://www.thisismoda.com> . We do a feature on there called Yes List, which is basically our tips for the hottest new up and coming artists. As for sure fire hits, Eats Everything is the man to watch right now. He is blowing up!”
