Pep & Rash are a fresh, new and exciting Dutch DJ duo currently taking the dance scene by storm. With their most recent track, Rumors, being a massive success and receiving attention from the likes of Tiësto, Hardwell and Martin Garrix, you can only imagine my excitement to get talking to them!
When I asked the pair if they were surprised by how much attention the track got from such famous DJ’s they replied “Well, the track already got early support from Oliver Heldens, so we had a feeling it was a good track. But we didn’t expect the support of the big guys like Tiësto, Hardwell, Pete Tong and Martin Garrix. So yeah, it was a surprise it got so popular. Really happy it did though.” We’re really happy it did too – it’s so refreshing to see that Pep & Rash have received the attention and success that they deserve for the track and that things are really setting off for such hard-working and genuine guys!
Fascinated by the tracks quick success, I was interested to know what Pep & Rash felt contributed to the success of Rumors. “First of all, I guess it’s the sound itself” they said. They wanted to add their very own Pep & Rash vibe to the track, which probably came at exactly the right moment for a lot of audiences. The Dutch duo feel that the vocals give the track a specific character, making it stand out from a lot of other dance records. “It’s always the question if it will still get popular then, but we were lucky enough that it did.”
Surprisingly, it only took a couple of days for the guys to produce the track Rumors. They revealed that they worked on the vocal for one day to get it perfect and quickly after that they found the drop that they were searching for. In about three days the track was finished, and their hard work was very soon to be recognised, unbeknown to them!
When asked if producing music is something that they have both always wanted to do, the pair answered excitedly with enthusiasm: “Hell yeah! As young guys we were always producing music. At that time it didn’t sound good but we have practiced a lot. Now things are picking up it feels like a great reward for our efforts, time for a next step!”
Being signed by a record label was a big deal for Pep & Rash and I was intrigued to know how Spinnin’ Records discovered them. Pep & Rash revealed that Spinnin’ Records discovered them at the Dancefair in Utrecht in February 2014. “This is a convention where lots of labels, and hardware and software manufacturers come together with young DJ’s and producers. Spinnin’ Records did a demo drop there, where their A&R managers would listen and give feedback to your music. It was a long line, so we had to wait a long time for our turn, but once they heard our music we were picked out … from that moment Pep & Rash was born.”
A variety of music genres inspire Pep & Rash when it comes to producing music. “We get a lot of inspiration from each other, as we both listen to a lot of different stuff”. They also listen to classical music every now and then, “it’s also a very good source of inspiration.”
As up-and-coming DJ’s in the music industry they have a few collaborations lined up, but unfortunately they can’t say too much about them. “Keep following us and you guys will know soon!”
One question that I always love to ask DJ’s is whether they prefer to create their own original tracks or to remix existing ones. There was no hesitation when I asked Pep & Rash this question. “We prefer to make our own tracks of course, but remixing is also nice. It’s a challenge to add your own sound to somebody else’s record, but we’re always happy to do it.”
Pep & Rash’s most recent and successful track, Rumors, was recently BBC Radio 1’s ‘Track of the Day’, which is a massive achievement. I was interested to know whether they consider this to be their biggest achievement, which is when they said: “Yes it’s certainly been an honour to have Rumors as the track of the day on BBC Radio 1! But I think our highlight so far is definitely that the track has been added to BBC1’s playlist, we’re really happy about that!”
The big question that we all want to know is what ambitions do Pep & Rash have for their music? How do they see their sound growing in the near future? “Our sound is a combination of different elements (Future, Deep, Garage, Latin, Tech, and a little electro). It’s a sexy, groovy sound with a funky bass line in it, real cool in our opinion but still accessible for everybody. With so many ingredients our sound can move into any direction. We have more than enough ambition, so anything can happen!’
I’m sure you all share my excitement for Pep & Rash’s future! I have no doubts that the pair’s hard work and ambition will carve them a very successful career in the music industry.
Follow Pep & Rash on Twitter: @PepandRash
