Deal P&P’S passport to success
HE BOYS are hard at work when I arrive at their Sea Point studio. Beat-making is the order of the day for electronic house DJ duo Pascal Ellinas and Dave Pearce, aka Pascal and Pearce.
I’m greeted by Ellinas while Pearce is out on a smoke break. That’s probably the only kind of break they will get, what with their jam-packed gigging schedule and having just signed an international deal with one of the world’s biggest electronic dance music labels – Dutch firm Spinnin Records.
After a chance meeting in 2007, Ellinas and Pearce have emerged as SA’S hottest production and DJ team.
Having deejayed alongside international acts Avicci, Paul van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold and Bass Kleph, it’s no surprise that they have bagged a 2012 Sama nomination for Best Dance Albumtoo.
Their debut album, Passport, features their distinctive electronic beats and includes collaborations with vocalists Michelle Breeze, Yoav, Louise Carver and the Swedish rapper Lazee.
Over the past year the duo have also completed remixes for international artists such as Childish Gambino, Roger Sanchez and TV Rock, to name a few.
Their latest single, Disco Sun, featuring the vocals of Goodluck singer Juliet Harding, is due for
Tglobal release next month.
The single comes with a top international remix package including Beatport’s Remixer of the Year, David Jones, Starkillers as well as Treasure Fingers.
The Disco Sun music video has already received more than 110 000 views on Spinnin’s Youtube channel.
“We have been gigging non-stop for two weeks already; it’s been crazy, says Ellinas.
“Yeah, can’t you see it in our eyes?”
Pearce chips in as they both give me a wide-eyed blank stare to show just how fatigued they are before they burst out laughing. But the show goes on. They turn to the computer on which they are working on their latest beats. It’s the remix of Goodluck’s track Harlem which Basement Jaxx vocalist Lisa Kekuala lends her vocals to.
While the two present their own original mixes, they have made their name over the past 18 months doing official remixes of some of SA’S biggest artists songs – Locnville, Goldfish, Flash Republic, Zebra & Giraffe and Jack Parow.
Their remixes have charted on Beatport, DMC’S Buzz Chart and on Europropaganda’s Ibiza Club Charts. “We take what we’re given and make the best of it.”
A remix is a reinterpretation of an existing song, but the artist ensures the integrity of the original track is maintained.
“We’ll take the guitar riff of a song and project it more, or change it entirely,” explains Pearce.
They play the original song and then their remixed version which sounds nothing like the former.
The winning Pascal and Pearce formula, Ellinas says, is having a fun situation.
“We don’t make music that’s difficult to listen to, 99 times out of 100 it’s the mood we’re in, or the time of year that helps us create.
“We’re two sets of ears, he’ll hear things I don’t. Dave has extensive knowledge in music theory and is the best vault to work out of and I’m the curator of that vault. He’ll come up with melodies and I can follow his rhythm and timing,” explains Ellinas.
“We believe in each other and that life has brought us together for a reason and to bring people together with our music,” says Ellinas. “Not to sound arrogant or anything, but from the beginning, we’ve had 100 percent confidence in our music,” quips Pearce.
“The record deal and Sama nomination – it shows us that yes, what you’re doing is fine,” says a smiling Ellinas.