Beatportal Interview Plumps DJs

Beatportal Interview Plumps DJs

18 June, 2008 | 3.09AM

• Written by: Caleb Rakes
• Filed under: Music News: finger lickin records, plump djs

Finger Lickin’s leading breakbeat heros have released their first album in three years—‘Headthrash’—to critical acclaim, and Beatportal’s managed to get the low down on the story behind it.

Having always been way ahead of their contemporaries, the Plump DJs are never shy of making big club anthems, from the funk style of ‘The Push’ through to the acidey ’The Gate‘, to electric smasher ’System Addict‘.

From mixing two of the highest in demand covermount CDs on Mixmag, through to collecting “Best Producer” and “Best Single” awards at Breakspoll consecutive years running, the Plumps have had a highly successful career and their new installment, ‘Headthrash’ will, with no doubt, take them to the next level.

Lee Rous and Andy Gardner, as they are otherwise known, have produced a solid album mixing vocal tracks and breakbeat with house anthems.

We finally got chance to interview them and see what was happening on planet Plump.

The new album’s been three years in the making. What’s happened in between ‘Saturday Night Lotion’ and ‘Headthrash’?

We have been working Tuesday to Friday every week for more than two years now on the album.

We made in excess of 25 tracks over this time, only 14 were considered to be fit enough for ‘Headthrash’.

Most weekends we have been DJing internationally on average twice a week, Fridays and Saturdays.

Listening to ‘Headthrash’ you can hear that it’s a real departure from your previous albums, in that it actually sounds like an artist album. The tracks are full of vocals, deep in structure and there is a general progression throughout. Was this done intentionally, and if so what inspired you to do this?

Yes the whole album from top to bottom, front to back, inside and out was made intentionally. We were inspired by the adventures that we had been involved in during our two years of performing overseas since ‘Saturday Night Lotion’. Also by the music that we listened to over this period, made and played by other DJs and producers worldwide.

Headthrash incorporates various different musical styles, from house, to soul, hip-hop and breaks. Personally, what stands out on the album for you?

As we have been heavily involved in making the record that at the moment the whole thing stands out for us. I am sure that we will develop our personal favourites over time, as we hope you all will. We really set out to make an interesting varied body of music, and we think that it has been achieved.

The Plump DJs have always seemed to be ahead of their contemporaries within the breaks scene, and are held in the highest regards by listeners and producers alike. What is it, do you think, that has kept you in this position?

The ‘team’ has kept us here; DJs, fans, promotors, Fingerlickers, DJ agencies, publishers, distributors, friends, families and us Plumps.

We love making music and playing it to people in night clubs and at festivals.

We love being able to make what ever music we like.

As we are both quite tall, we get the horizon before other people, this helps us keep ahead of the game.

You took home “Best Single” (again) at this year’s Breakspoll for ‘System Addict’. Did this surprise you at all and what?

This was a big single for us. DJs from all other genres of dance music were playing this record all over the world. Lucky lads, eh!

Who’s inspiring you most musically, DJ and producer wise at the moment?

Miles Dyson, Fake Blood, Alex Metric, Sick Rick.

In a recent magazine interview you stated that illegal downloading was affecting the way you worked and your overall sales. What are your opinions on this, and how would you like to see things changed within the industry?

We would like to find some way to encode music so that the artists get paid for the work.

And finally, what lies in the future for the Plump DJs?

We have a busy summer season lined up.

We have our new regular Headthrash events at Fabric, plus we are playing at Space / Eden (Ibizia), Glastonbury, Global Gathering, Creamfields, Chibuku, Tribal, Blowpop events.

Also internationally—Spain, Poland, Romania, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, Canada, US and Australia.

We will be making some more music then.

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