Flying Dutchmen: Tsepo & Love Over Entropy Step Into The Spotlight

Fair enough. Tsepo, despite your release on Kompakt with your remix of GusGus’ ‘Airwaves’, your success to date seems to come from your standing as a DJ rather than a producer. Do you feel a pressure to increase your output as a producer? 

Tsepo:  No, not at all. I think people book me because of my DJ sets rather than my productions. To be honest, I don’t produce that much anymore; I find it more satisfying finding records and playing them in front of a crowd, especially when you draw a reaction even greater than you expected.

Do you have any tried and tested formulas that guide your sets?

Tsepo: If I’m playing two hours I will set aside 30 or 40 tracks the day before that I think will be the vibe of the party. It’s always a mixture as I play for the crowd and I play for myself. I’m not afraid to try tracks that could or couldn’t work but are my favourites.

In terms of playing, it really depends! I don’t start with a big break, but something with a good kick to see how the crowd reacts. I try to gauge and balance when I should play the big room tracks and ones that are more reserved. It’s a matter of reading the crowd.  I’m always reading and reading and reading the crowd until I know which direction I will go. If I play big room tracks eventually you can see the crowd getting tired and then will take two steps back.

LOE, your track ‘Tonii’ was quite an anthem for many this summer; few producers get the chance to say ‘Dixon’s remixed my work’. How did the link with Dixon and Muting the Noise come about? How important is the support of more established artists in gaining exposure and establishing a healthy touring schedule?

LOE: Nuno Dos Santos from Something Happening Somewhere posted on his Facebook that he had some new Love over Entropy demos in. Dixon sent him a message asking to hear them and after thought about releasing a couple of them on Innervisions. That didn’t happen, but he liked ‘Tonii’ so much he wanted to do a remix.

Support from established names has some advantages. It makes it easier to explain to people what I do and at which level I do it for one – ‘Dixon remixed one of my tracks’ is pretty easy shorthand to use in conversations! – and it has definitely expanded my reach. But the lasting effects shouldn’t be overestimated. Nobody books me because Dixon remixed my track, and rightly so. That would be the wrong reason. In the end I feel that gaining exposure and establishing a healthy tour schedule boils down to one thing: making the best music you can. So it’s a nice boost, and I wholeheartedly thank Dixon that he did the remix, but I feel I still have a lot of work before me. And that’s fine. What comes quickly goes quickly.

What is your process while producing? How do you balance creative spontaneity with measured attention to detail?

LOE: I feel there are usually three phases when I make music. The first is coming up with the basic idea, which is usually little more than a melody with a beat. It will be around 10 channels and I have tons of these. If I like the idea so much that I think I can turn it into a track, I’ll take it to the next phase.

This means adding drums, field recordings, synths and so on to it. This is usually a pretty intense 1-day session where I let my creative juices flow unimpeded, although I keep in mind that I am creating a track and not a collection of sounds. When I feel I have enough possibilities to finish the track, I move on to the next phase, by which time a project could have between 50 and 70 channels.

In the last phase I look at everything critically and if it doesn’t work in the track, it’s out. No mercy. Most of the time, finishing a track is a rather trivial matter as I already have a pretty clear idea of the composition. I then focus on the details: making transitions work, refining and adding sounds where needed. I take my time with this and I think that is one of the key elements to my sound. A typical project will be down to 25-35 channels at the end.

Tell us about some labels, producers or DJs coming out of Holland that have really raised the bar in the last year or two.

LOE: That would have to be Olaf Stuut and Polynation. Their music has this loose live feel to it, which is something I would love to incorporate into my tracks. That doesn’t mean I’ll simply copy their sounds, as I think it’s more about approach. Luckily I know these guys personally, so I can always pick their brains.

Tsepo:  One of the best labels not only in the Netherlands but in Europe for me is Nous’Klaer Audio. I can give you an explanation but is easier to give a listen to the new album by Mattheis – Kindred Phenomena. Also check out their upcoming releases or their previous ones, all of them are lovely records!

Where are you headed in 2016, are there any other plans up your sleeve?!

Tsepo:  I don’t like to plan too far ahead so for now it’s just digging and playing music and see where it gets me! I can say I have around 10 to 15 festivals confirmed!  That’s already a lot, but we have a big festival culture in the Netherlands.

LOE: I have 2 releases planned, and looking for 2 more this year.  There should be a new EP on Something Happening Somewhere in April and a new EP on Lossless right before the summer. But you never know with the crazy waiting times to get vinyl pressed nowadays.

Apart from that I will do some remixes. 2015 was an exciting year for me, and I feel that in 2016 I have to prove that I’m worth my salt, which is a challenge I’ll happily take on.

Love Over Entropy and Tsepo play London on 6 February at the Red Gallery, Hoxton at Moodroom Collective’s first party of 2016.  For more information and tickets visit: www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?790371