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Take us back to your introduction to making music, when was that?
I had a really cool French tutor back in school who used to chat to me a lot about music and I ended up pirating Logic 9 onto our family computer. At this point, I would just click buttons and drag in loops to make silly little jigs, but I think this was the most important moment as I discovered the beauty of music composition without having to write notes on manuscript paper. For as long as I can remember my mind has been extremely musically active, so it’s a relief that I found this way of composition and was able to get all the idea’s out of my head.

What’s your favorite track on this mix and why?

https://youtu.be/wLRwvbmDQl4

This dude is an extremely promising producer who exhibits all of my favourite features of dance music at the moment. This track highlights clever simplicity in both structure and substance, whilst progressing otherworldly melodies and motifs. LUSH

Give us a walkthrough of your approach to the production creative process.
It’s becoming harder and harder for me to explain my process when it comes to making music. My overly active musical mind makes it feel quite natural to just come up with ideas on the spot. The only times I find it hard to make music is when I have other things in my life that dominate my thoughts. Inspiration comes in many different forms, so I guess the best tip I can give is to find the right balance between the sources that you gain your inspiration from.

What do you consider to be your greatest strength when it comes to production?
I think one of my greatest strengths is being able to transcend myself into an imaginary dance floor and feel the idea being played. Understanding the right situation for a track to be played and what kind of impact that will have on a crowd is essential to how I work.

Together with Lisene you form Space Cadets. How long have you been making music together, and what is it that makes the duo click?
We started making music together in our second year of University. I learned a lot of technical knowledge from him during this time and he picked up some of the other musical aspects I had to offer from my classical training. We discovered that this mixture was perfect for making tracks together, as I was happy to sit back and blirt ideas at him whilst he was at the helm. After every night out we would come home and scuttle off to his room to sift through discogs and discover music together, and I think this is where our understanding of each other’s music tastes combined into what we have now. DJing together is such a pleasure. It feels very natural and we have complete confidence in each other to make the right musical decisions.

You had a very impressive 2020, with several EP’s, compilation features, and remixes. Do you have any personal favorites out of the bunch?
The track that resonates most with me is ‘Real Taste of Gravity’, on the Space Lab VA. It represents the sounds that I highly respect from the infamous 90’s trance/techno movement, which I believe has made a real comeback in recent times.

How did you manage to keep your focus throughout the past year, despite all that was going on?
I’ve realised that most of my happiness in life comes from the purpose I feel from creating music. It’s not the healthiest situation to have, but the fear of not creating music is the thing that pushes me the most. After the death of Alex T, I felt even more strongly about working as hard as I could. He put so much faith in my abilities, I just want to make him proud.

You are starting 2021 on a strong note with your ‘Element X’ EP out on Haŵs in late January. What’s on the horizon afterwards?
Many projects will come out in 2021 from myself. I’m going to keep the anticipation going for now. Some things are better as surprises.

If you could throw your dream party in a post-covid world, where would it be and who would be on the lineup?
It would be a BUSH-DOOF setting somewhere inland from Melbourne. Vast open flat lands, with an astonishingly large stack of high-grade soundsystem power. Everyone would have their own space to dance freely, with the option to get close and sweaty. Honestly, it’s hard for me to stray away from the idea of having Jane Fitz and Carl H do an all day, all night b2b but I would happily have the likes of Roza Terenzi and D. Tiffany do a big Doof 2 Doof. I generally prefer hearing b2b’s as it brings a whole new dynamic to the dance floor.

A lot of your music blurs the lines between tripped out breakbeats, old school prog, tech and trance. Where do these inspirations come from? Are there any artists that have influenced this direction?
I have many influencers that, even from the beginning, have stuck with me till this day. Dorisburg for his use of polyrhythms, delicate percussion and emotive melodies. Skee Mask for his immaculate blend of hard hitting broken beat extravaganzas and gentle euphoric harmonies. Roza Terenzi for her ambiguous track structures that always take you where you never thought you would go. I’m very excited with the talent that is emerging right now, and I can’t wait to see what 2021 has to offer musically.

Interview by. Brody R.

Berlin-based Peer Du has crafted a dreamy, luxurious sound in recent years, which is no wonder why the Haŵs crew have summoned him to unite with their ever-budding family tree. The Welsh label and party-starters have been quietly watering their roots throughout the previous months, and with its latest re-potting for its fourth EP comes a provocative collection of tracks that slink outwards from the ether like a polychrome, sonic mosaic.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/premiere-peer-du-set-u-free” /]

The B-side of the record motions in some subtle variety with an increase in tempo from “Set U Free”; there’s a broad mix of production in this one – airy chord progressions that sigh outwardly in great heaves amongst experimental synth modules and 90s-esque melodies.

Peer Du’s “For Those” EP is like watching an expert tailor nimbly thread the eye of a needle with a gossamer fibre before effortlessly combining together textures, colours and adornments without once making a wrong movement. Be sure to buy your copy on bandcamp.