Release of the Week: ‘No Pressure/Rover’

Release of the Week: ‘No Pressure/Rover’

18 April, 2007 | 8.08AM

• Section: Music News
• Written by: Terry Church

Beatport’s Release of the Week comes from two of Britain’s best-loved DJs, James Zabiela and Nic Fanciulli. Whilst the duo are currently destroying dancefloors all over with their devastating back-to-back sets, ‘No Pressure/Rover’ is James and Nic’s first collaborative single released under their new partnership One + One.

Beatportal caught up with the lads to discuss how the track came about, and how their DJ partnership is going.

“We wanted something that would represent my sound and Nic’s sound,” says James Zabiela about his and Nic Fanciulli’s first collaborative release ‘No Pressure/Rover’.

“We knew that was naturally going to happen anyway.

“We wanted to make two tracks to bookend our new One + One mix CD. 

“For ‘Rover’, I came up with a load of loops, and Nic came up with a bunch of loops too. 

“But when we went into the studio we couldn’t get the track to work. 

“On our way home from the studio in Nic’s Range Rover we were sitting in traffic so we plugged the laptop into the car stereo and made the track right there. 

“The title also sounded a bit like raver which we liked.”

Nic says that working with Zabiela in the studio was a lot of fun.

“It was good to do the collaboration with James in the studio and see how each other works,” he told Beatportal.

“It was also a lot of fun to make.

“Most of the time you go into the studio with an idea and you come out with something completely different.

“This record is quite good because if you listen to the tracks you can hear certain parts of my sound and James’ sound, which was the whole point of really.”

Whilst the slow deep tech house grooves of ‘Rover’ were finished in a traffic jam in Britain, ‘No Pressure’ was finished in a few thousand miles away in a Los Angeles hotel room.

James reveals that the boys made ‘No Pressure’ to finish off their One+One mix CD, which originally ended with a different track.

“We sort of felt the pressure that there had to be another one of our tracks that was anthemic at the end of the CD. 

“Nic made some loops.

“And I worked on the track on the flight to the US.

“We both ended up in LA at the same time, Nic for his Buick Project’s Grammy nomination and me for a gig. 

“To our amazement ‘No Pressure’ was finished in a LA hotel room using Nakamichi stereo speakers.”

The result is a pumping techno tune, with massive trance synths and deep warbling bass.

An anthem indeed.

“The tracks have had a lot of support from Sasha and Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo and Pete Tong,” says Nic.

James continues: “Hernan Catteneo is a big fan or ‘Rover’ and Sasha played ‘Rover’ at Miami’s WMC. 

“Pete Tong has been a big supporter of ‘No Pressure’ and even played it on his BBC Radio 1 show, and also at his gigs.”

Have James and Nic got any tips for aspiring producers out there?

“To be honest, I just play around and see what happens,” comments James Zabiela. 

“Actually, my ethos is to have fun and if I’m having fun usually good stuff happens.

“Every time I make a track I learn a little more.”

Nic concludes, “I wanted to make my own music because when I started playing out, I would hear all these great tracks and wanted to make one of my own.

“I started to work in the studio when I was 18 and I am still doing it now and I love it.”

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