“Not content with smashing festival stages to smithereens, the Midnight Juggernuats have lined up a brand new EP for release, with an imposing list of musical artists putting the remix touch to their now cult classic ‘Into The Galaxy’. The EP will be available in Australia through iTunes in August, and it features remixes from the aforementioned Grandmaster Flash, Metronomy, Danger, Architecture in Helsinki, Chateau Mar”
And as well as remixing the Juggers, Metronomy have also just released thier second album ‘Nights Out’ with 3 singles released already and a fourth soon to follow this could be a very big year for the group.
I remember hearing this track at least two years ago, seeing the Juggernauts at the Spanish Club in Melbourne for like $10. Man they exploded since then.
We managed to catch Gus da Hoodrat, one sixth of the Bang Gang Deejays, just before he boarded a flight with Jamie Doom to Europe for their epic 100% Mega Dance Tour for Modular. Gus has been part of the Bang Gang dj posse ever since their weekly nights at the infamous Club 77 in Sydney and has since taken the party around the country for monthly raves at Third Class in Melbourne and more recently around the globe, from Miami to Fabric in London.
Gus tells us about his new Finger Prince mix, the new releases coming out on their Bang Gang 12’s label and his personal hair styling tips…
Waves: What were the first records in your collection when you started djing? Gus: I distinctly remember buying my first “modern dance” record at central station when I was young and it was Pete Heller’s french filter interpretation mega hit ‘BIG LOVE’ , and it has this dope Keith Haring image on the front of a big love heart (funnily enough)…. after that it was Stardust and then it was Rappers Delight (I think this was bought because i thought that if all else failed this would always work - I saw an 80 year old jammin’ to this at a wedding when I was a kid and instantly knew it was an all time classic boomer….for all ages.)
Also I had inherited my grandmothers collection of dope Ravi Shankar and Trinadad steel drum band records and my dad’s Beach Boys and American Graffiti soundtracks….they kept me in check.
Waves: What were the last three records that you purchased? Gus: Im gonna give you 4, cos one is an album, and that doesn’t count, that is more me in my car kinda thing, or maybe with a girl or something, or just watching tv, and not actually watching the tv, just listening to the record…you know??
Metronomy - Heart Rate Rapid (peep the primary 1 remix - whackattack!!) Telespazio - Galileo (totally adventurous electronic disco boogie vibe going on here…all the way from the outside to the last groove) The Mole - Baby You’re The One (this is a straight up techno record with a crazy disco vibe going on, reminds me of some Roulé records, its on Wagon Repair - these guys are probably French Canadians so they can get away with it.) MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (this album is amazing, like doing backflips in space while flying a kite)
Waves: Have your musical tastes broaden over the years? Gus: Maybe…I do enjoy pop music more than I ever have in the past…I think some of it is amazing…I suddenly realised that all the old music I love was once “pop” music, and therefore I should be more accepting of those boy bands out there making my shopping at Woolworths a more pleasurable experience.
Waves: Any particular tracks that you just can’t help playing at each gig? What records never leave your bag? Gus: Here some of my all time favs; Beatles - Day Tripper, Bob Sinclar - Ultimate funk, Plastik Man - Spastik, Tiga - Burning Down, Bag Raiders - Fun Punch, etc etc etc … man way too many to go through…
Waves: Who are the artists these days that are capturing your ears with a new or individual sound? Gus: I love all the artists working on our label - Bag Raiders, Like Woah, ZZZ, Whitenoise, Spruce & Kato and all the other amazing locals - Cutters, Juggers, Presets, Van She, Bumblebeez, Soft Tigers, etc etc etc…you know the score.
Internationally I am touched by people like Breakbot (cos he makes smoochy dance music), Hercules and Love Affair (smoochy gay dance music), Siriusmo (gay dance glitch music), and then of course Mr. Oizo - the man behind the man that keeps on reinventing himself…. always a huge inspiration for me.
Waves: Who are the dj’s that you look to for inspiration or enjoy watching play? Gus: Boys Noize, Jaime Doom, Andee Frost, U-Go-B, and DJ Craze….many others though.
Waves: What has the future got install for the Bang Gang Posse? Any future releases or raves? World Domination? Gus: The future holds many possibilities, as a posse we are going to fight the warriors down at coney island for our small place in history…. of course we will kiss and make up after as they are a bunch of cool dudes who got pinned for something they didn’t do…that is when we will have a rave - monthly in melburn - at 3rd class…our favourite dance den.
No releases planned as we have discovered that we are djs - not producers.
Waves: How does the rest of the world embrace the Bang Gang deejays?
Do you get similar crowd responses when you dj overseas? Gus: It is different everywhere you play - sometimes they hate you, sometimes they love you but the most important thing is that you always have fun in your own little cosmic world. I think people have started to except us, ill let you know when i get home in a few weeks…
Waves: Have the roles within the group changed from when you first started out? Gus: Oh they haven’t really ever changed, I think we are all just alot more busy now and it just means we do things differently.
Waves: Any new releases coming up from the Bang Gang 12 inches label?
Have you got your eye on any up and coming local talent? Gus: We have some stuff coming from ZZZ, New Bag Raiders, New Like Woah, Death Set remix release, Toecutter, and many many more…all we have to do is get organised and they may come out before the end of the year (fingers crossed).
Waves: What was the inspiration behind ‘Disko Robot Cocks’? Gus: It was me learning how to use pro tools with Christopher Brave, him and Brainzar taught me everything I know about that program, unfortunately I have now forgotten everything, that song was our original form of experimentation.
Waves: Favourite food to eat before a gig? Gus: Oysters..
Waves: What can the kids expect from your Prince Fingers Part 2 mix? Gus: More disco, less techno, and another hour of their life they may want back after they listen.
Waves: If you weren’t djing, what other occupation would we find you working? Gus: Oooooooh.. Definitely a custodian of the arts.
Waves: And finally, Patch wants to know the secrets of maintaining a maine like yours? Gus: Never Shampoo. Always Kondition.
You can listen/download Gus da Hoodrat’s lastest Finger Prince mix installment over at www.banggangpodcast.com and for those of you in the UK and Europe be sure to get down to one of the 100% Mega Dance Raves near you.
And for those of you who need your music fix, here’s the Juggers remixing the Cutters for the upcoming release of Hearts on Fire.
More remixes of the dope Jugger’s track “Shadows” coming from a galaxy to your ears in the not so distant future; oh, and you’re in luck for an early sample.
Knightlife still continues his run of highly top-notch work delivering yet again another killer remix (This remix was posted on the blog before but was a radio rip and still wasn’t mastered; this is the final product on offer).
After supporting the Jugger’s Aussie leg of the tour that took place earlier this year, it only seemed appropriate that M83 (French shoegazer Anthony Gonzalez) would give the “Shadows” track his own touch, churning out a beautiful remix which is definitely worth checking out.
Finally the waves have returned to shore and we are ready to get the ball rolling again. Woah! OK, down to business…
For all you cool cats out there that unfortunately didn’t tune into 3rd Class Radio last night, you missed a nice display of tracks played by yours truely Knightlife, some being two never before heard remixes. The man in white-shining armour also declared that a more refined version of ‘Crusader’ will be on his next release, being backed with a more ‘housey’ track.
Good news from the cosmos. For those of you who love and shoegaze electronica of M83, and never thought they would play back on Australian shores, your in luck. The now one man group of Anthony Gonzalez (after Nicolas Fromageau’s departure a few years back) will be supporting the Midnight Juggernauts on their upcoming tour in March along with Bagraiders, Lost Valentino’s DJ’s and Damn Arms DJ’s. Personally I find it odd that M83 are the support though. I mean they have been around for years, produced 4 albums, about to release a new one in April this year and have been quite an influential electronica act in many scenes. Should be having their own show. If you like My Bloody Valentine, theres a good chance you will love M83’s back catalogue. Buy tickets now for the show and listen to my favourite track, and a nice Depeche Mode remix below.
The lovely people at Modular are giving us a chance to see the mighty Cut Copy light up the stage just in time before we set off on our adventure to the mighty Daft Punk gig. I already got my ticket to this gig (right in the middle of exam time - heh, that won’t stop me!) With Knightlife and Damn Arms supporting, what more could you ask for?
Actually there is something more I could ask for, and thats the Cut Copy album ‘In Ghost Colours’ which is unfortunately due out next Feb. Although, to keep us happy the single from the album, ‘So Haunted’, will be released in the coming weeks. Suss the myspace rip and tell me what you think about the track - I think its a brilliant follow-up from ‘Hearts on Fire’.
If you haven’t heard of Knightlife then what a laugh!; this majestic character’s tunes will be hitting a dancefloor near you in the not-so-distant-future. His signed to Cutters, a label setup by Cut Copy themselves which has had such acts like KIM to Midnight Juggernauts. Grab his 12″ ‘Ambopop/All Systems’ here and check out his new demo - gosh!
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