DJ to DJ: Ethyl Interviews Flori

Music

This Saturday sees frequent collaborators and firm friends Ethyl and Flori team up once more for an all-night takeover at Dance Tunnel. Often found releasing together on Freerange and secretsundaze, they’ve both found individual acclaim on labels like Tsuba and Saints & Sonnets. Ahead of the party we asked the close-knit production duo to interview each other, with topics as diverse as swimming, garage MCs and Made In Chelsea popping up…

Flori: Hello.

Ethyl: Hi, you alright?

Flori: Good thanks mate. Busy, which doesn’t suit me, and just about recovered from the weekend. I was impressed with you on Saturday – it was pretty much straight from Corsica Studios to Zoo Project wasn’t it.

Ethyl: I’m pleased you were impressed. Yeah I caught John Heckle at Dream States on Friday night, which was a great party, then straight up to the Zoo Project Festival where I was playing. Nearly did me in, to be fair.

Ethyl: So, what have you/we got coming up release wise?

Flori: Re-Foldings is about to drop on Aim. Lowtec, Dorisburg, Berg and Roaming have all remixed some of the tracks from my original EP. I’m really chuffed with the results. Together, we’ve got a couple of tracks coming out on various artist EPs. Changes is due on Appian any day now and Technology Pavilion is coming out on Black Key at some point this month. We have some other stuff ready to roll but we need to find the right home for it first.

Ethyl: I’ve also finished some music with a good friend of mine, Felix (7 Citizens/HUNDRED20); live techno workouts that will be out soon.

Flori: Who was your favourite garage MC?

Ethyl: When I was 13, probably B-Live. Before garage, he was a drum n bass MC and was called Evil-B. I wish I’d been there at the moment he realised he could reverse his name.

Ethyl: What’s more important to you, swimming or music?

Flori: Music. Both disciplines compliment each other greatly though.

Ethyl: Describe the feeling of your first time in the fast lane?

Flori: Exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. The pressure’s on when you’ve got those damn triathletes on your tail. Transferring to that lane is a big step… I’m still not a full time occupier of it.

Ethyl: One non house/techno album/LP?

Flori: Rudy Ray Moore – This Ain’t No White Christmas! . You?

Ethyl: Grauzone by Grauzone.

Flori: What are your three biggest pet hates about the human species?

Ethyl: OK this is a pretty negative question but it can be cathartic. I’ve got a list on my phone of things that really piss me off – it helps me cope.

1. Top of the pile is people that think the world is getting worse. It ain’t.

2. There’s a noise that some people squawk when they haven’t heard what you’ve said. I can only describe it as an “aeh?” accompanied by a bit of a sneer. Hate that.

3. Backpacks on dancefloors.

Flori: What is deep house?

Ethyl: Something about a wiggly worm. A wiggly worm and fashion. And culture.

Flori: Should I sing on one of our records?

Ethyl: Yes.

Ethyl: *Should* you sing on one of our records?

Flori: Yes, and I think it’s inevitable. The vocal strength is there; the confidence not quite. White Russians and encouragement should do the trick.

Ethyl: Other than ‘swimmer’, describe yourself in three words.

Flori: It’s cool that you’re running with the swimming thing Scientific, curly, techno.

Flori: Favourite gig this year?

Ethyl: Praterei in Vienna is always a favourite. We’re out there usually a couple of times a year and it never disappoints. Farbfernseher the other week in Berlin was good too, wasn’t it? What about yours?

Flori: Praterei will always be up there for me – home away from home. Breakfast Club in Dublin was class, as was Collective Minds in Birmingham. I really enjoyed Farbfernseher last weekend too. Been lucky this year with lots of really good intimate parties.

Flori: Have you ever used the word lugubrious?

Ethyl: No, have you ever bought a clear record?

Flori: Yes, but you don’t always know they’re going to be clear. I like black vinyl. I can deal with a dark marble. My copy of Skudge – Melodrama is like that – you can only really tell once you hold it up to a light.

Ethyl: Favourite/least favourite Made in Chelsea ‘star’ and why?

Flori: Favourite: Spencer. Awful man but excellent to watch. He goes for a jog or to Barcelona to think about stuff. Least favourite: Proudlock. Would shit on a friend at the first opportunity. Toss earring. And can I just say Monday nights round Ethyl’s are electric when the series is on. Any heads in east London should come round for a true experience of the show.

Ethyl: Heads.

Ethyl: If you weren’t a DJ what would you be (professional swimmer omitted)?

Flori: I was talking to the boys earlier about a possible new business venture. I’d like to open a bar/cafe called ‘Tea & Toast’. Really good tea and really good toast. Fantastic selection of breads, jams, marmalades and teas from around the world. I’d give you a residency there too. Good idea isn’t it?

Ethyl: Sounds like that Lurpak advert. She had a nice pinny in that.

Ethyl: Three producers doing it for you right now?

Flori: DJ Qu, BLM and Joey Anderson.

Flori: Producers and labels doing it for you?

Ethyl: Leif and Joe Ellis’s Until My Heart Stops hasn’t missed yet. Also Marcelus’s Singular Records and Ed Davenport’s Counterchange. On the production front there are some guys that baffle me when I listen to their stuff. There are a lot of tracks I like that I can listen to, pick it apart, understand what they’ve done and appreciate it, but there are a few where I just end up scratching my head and can’t work out how they’ve got there. XDB and Stephen Brown are two guys that fall into this category. Too good.

Ethyl: Looking forward to this weekend?

Flori: Can’t wait! It’s not often you get to play a whole night somewhere. I’ve recently reorganised my record collection which should make preparing for a longer set a little easier. The Tunnel’s a great space for sets like this.