SONOS CLUB : COEX

INTERVIEW

What are some early memories of music from your upbringing that shaped your taste today?

COEX: I think musically we are always trying to evolve but every bit of the past leaves a strong fingerprint. Our days of gigging around London in small indie bands in school and being part of that raw scene still stays with us. There was always a youthful energy in that scene. For us we used to have to break into our own gigs because we were underage. I think that rawness is always something we try to keep with the music we make.

How do you integrate your heritage or identity into your DJ sets or productions?

COEX: I think with our upbringing on the indie scene, as well as having irish roots, one thing they both share musically is they both bring forward such vibrant energy, and a real ‘session’ culture which is how we first learnt how to play our instruments. It’s one thing we always try to bring in our DJ sets. 

That Irish ‘session’ music culture is also one of the reasons we fell in love with latin american music growing up. We actually used to have a music alias a long time ago that tried to merge latin american rhythm with the London and Irish music we were inspired by. There is something about those classic latin rhythms and huge percussion that just gets people dancing. That raw energy has been integral to the music we have grown up with and loved. 

When playing music from on big sound systems, that’s the energy we try to go for.

Are there any specific artists or genres from your background that have been particularly influential to your craft?

COEX: When it comes to DJ’ing we’re always just trying to chase something new. Anything that brings new interesting sound design into a club context, or else something that just has an infectious energy about it will get us playing it.

When you’re crafting a DJ set, do you have a particular story or vibe you aim to convey? How do you build it?

COEX: I think we try to just evolve and balance the energy as best we can. Instead of something that has a clear beginning and end, gauging what energy and sounds will be the best to move to next has a way of writing its own story line.

What’s your process for discovering and selecting new music? Any go-to sources or methods?

COEX:I find soundcloud great for scrolling through new tunes and recommendations - labels like ‘Pretty Weird’ we’re quite into at the moment. Also certain DJ’s and curators- a big fan of Mary Anne Hobbs, where you know you are going to find something weird and interesting. I think having a group of friends that are all into weird and interesting music helps massively.

Can you talk about a track or mix you’ve created that holds a special meaning to you? What’s the story behind it?

COEX:We have a new track we’re working on. This song actually came from a horrible dream. 

I woke up at 3am after a nightmare about being stuck behind the train barriers. I think it was at a time of being broke and having that angst you get from having to bump the train barriers and seeing a ticket inspector. We started playing this at live shows with our band and now we’ve been trying to capture the energy we have when we play it live on record. We can’t wait to get it finished and release it.

How important is representation and visibility for you in the electronic music scene?

COEX: I think it’s hugely important. So much of music comes from scenes and cultures, people bringing their experiences and identities is always how the art moves forward. Everyone should have a space to do that.

Have there been moments where you’ve felt your identity helped you stand out or connect with your audience in unexpected ways?

COEX: I think for us keeping things raw is always what makes up our identity. We try to embrace the imperfection of our music as much as the perfection. We played recently at ‘We out here’ and our main synth broke, some termites had gotten in and munched on some of the actuators before the fest, we had to frantically unscrew it during the set. Those bloody termites are crafty f*ers.

As much as there is a part of us that wants things to all run seamlessly, there is an element to experimenting with technology that brings more risk and this is what makes live performance interesting. Overall the audience seemed to really connect with the music regardless and in some ways it connected with people more when they see this side.

What are some emerging trends in electronic or experimental music that excite you right now?

COEX: I’m always excited by artists pushing the boundaries of sound design. It feels like more of that experimental sound design is moving more towards club music culture which is exciting. Artists like OPN are always pushing those sonic boundaries, and it feels like that is becoming more of a focus in cutting edge new dance music, which is exciting.

How do you envision your music evolving in the next few years? Are there new sounds or ideas you want to explore?

COEX: IWe’re trying to get a better handle of sound design, and moving past the ‘interesting’ to how it can actually change the feeling of the music. There’s the legends who do this so well like OPN, Blawan, Proc Fiskal, but I think we’re hoping to invest our 10 thousand hours into being at that level.

If you could curate a dream lineup for an event, which artists would you include and why?

COEX: I’m going to assume this includes dead or alive. I think the artists that inspire us more recently in terms of sound with electronic music and have really pushed the boundaries would be:

Blawan, OPN, Objekt, Andy Stott, Sophie, Steve Reich, Autechre.

I think if it was to be a dream lineup you’d want a variety of genres, start of with some legends like Fela Kuti, Cartola, Cesaria Evora, then go into more rock like Pixies, Kings of Leon, then onto King Krule, Jai Paul, the Streets and then the electronic stuff would happen late night till early morning. I think that would be enough for a solid ‘day’ of great music.

How do you stay motivated and keep your creativity flowing, especially during challenging times?

COEX: One thing that really helps this is having an artist profile that doesn’t feel boxed to any genre and having the artistic freedom to delve into and release music with whatever genre feels right at the time. For example when times are hard I’ll try and channel this rawness into a track. Alternatively if things are going well we might try and make a dance track or something more experimental and unique that encapsulates the energy of the moment.

What’s one message you hope people take away when they listen to your sets or mixes?

COEX: Hopefully people listening get the same burst of energy that we get and try to resonate when we are DJ’ing. If people are dancing, then no matter what, we’ve done a good job.

SONOS CLUB is an initiative from Sounds of Craft Records, designed to highlight the eclectic electronic music scene through the perspectives of the BIPOC diaspora and marginalized communities, while being open to all.