‘We actually want to add some dirt in our mixdowns… ‘
Mysterious and resonant Belgian duo The Untouchables have readied their new Separate Reality ep for Translation, featuring the gigantic presence of a certain Resound. It all sounds like the synopsis of a killer sci-fi drama.
Miraculously, Resound himself has beamed in briefly too, to take part.
First off I loved ‘Mystic Arts’, what inspired the tune and I wondered about the title?
Hi, it’s Actually a funny story. We were in the studio, messing around & chatting, and the TV was on in the background. Just as the music stopped, the TV stared chanting “Hoo-Bah! Hoo-Bah! Hoo-Bah!” – some sick tribal scene from this French movie Marsupilami and the idea was born.
Kay was reading a Dc Strange comic book at the time – a magical & mystical story which inspired us to name it ‘Mystic Arts.’
We sent the project to Resound and he made it magical.
Take us behind the collab with Resound… over to you Resound! (below)
Resound: We worked on these tunes on and off for probably about three years until they were finished, so it was definitely a process that expanded and the tracks have really grown and developed together with our own vision.
That’s the beautiful thing about collaborations, the unpredictability.
You never know where it’s gonna end up.
Tell us about where you’re based: it’s a great city. Tell us about life in Brussels?
We are based in Brussels, Belgium. It’s not that big of a city; not like London, Paris, or Berlin where the city life is 24-7, but it’s got its charm. The Brussels D&B scene is pretty quiet.
It had its peak in the early 2000s, but with new laws & restrictions, a lot of clubs closed down.
Nowadays it’s more active in Antwerp and Gent.
What about the early Belgian techno and innovators/pioneers, like Frank De Wulf, the gear used, and the scuzzy ‘industrial’ crossover, did that ever appeal? The way that sound and techniques were shared and learned, that explosion? I feel that there was a similar thing with what later happened with D&B – people vibing off each other and let’s not forget the house/techno influence.
Yeah those were the early days for us. That’s where we started our journey into music – going out to raves and getting inspired as teens. Belgium techno is still going strong, those guys definitely influenced us in the way we make music today.
We’ve been making music for 15 years and have lived through the transition of outboard units to the more contemporary digital software we use today. We still use some of our outboard units now and again.
It’s so much easier to make music today: you just fire up the computer and you are ready to go.
I hear you favour some older hardware: what does it have that, when it boils down to committing it to an eventual digital mixdown, sets it apart in the creative process?
Yeah, we use a lot of outboard units. The quality of sound the sound is warmer, even if our old units have noise.
We actually want to add some dirt in our mixdowns just to get away from the perfectly clean digital sound.
Take us into ‘The Beast’… and wat’s it like live may I ask?
Just like the name says, it’s a beast. The sub bass is huge, the oldskool percussion gives it the energy it needs, and the dark bass sets the angry mood.
Where’s some great spots to hit on the live front and what makes a great gig?
Rupture in London UK, Breakfast In Eindhoven NL, Deep Cuts Nijmegen NL, Bass Massive in Leipzig, Flavor of the Month in Paris FR to name a few.
The best gigs are when people are really vibing off of the music.
Who are some key producers that astound you?
There are soo many good talents out there but name a few: Loxy, Resound, Gremlinz, Amit, Morphy aka Dubmonger, Double O, Mantra, Paradox, Ruffhouse, Pessimist, Clarity, Overlook, Theory, Homemade Weapons, Flatliners aka King Fifi.
What tune, old or new, is in your head right now?
Morphy ‘Backpack‘ (CX:Digital) – still hurting us hard ’til this day.
Any shouts?
Yea biggups to Brian & Steph from Translation recording for putting this EP together.
Biggup to Resound for using his magical talents. Shouts to Loxy the Cylon terminator, and Presha from Samurai music.