One of the more exciting drum n bass tours to hit Australia and New Zealand this year is the Viper Recordings tour featuring superstars The Brookes Brothers, Ekko & Sidetrack and TREi. And it all kicks off this coming weekend. Ahead of the massive label showcase we were lucky enough to have a chat with one half of The Brookes Brothers, Dan Brookes, about the tour and their upcoming album ‘Orange Lane’. And check below for the complete tour dates…
Hi Dan, thank you so much for your time! First thing’s first, where are you currently in the world and what do you have planned for today?
Hey, thanks for having us! Right now I’m chilling in my flat in London after a superb meal (Lamb Vindaloo) – today we started a remix for Tieks new track ft Chaka Khan & Papcaan. We managed to sketch out a rough arrangement, so tomorrow we can start getting stuck in.
You will be coming to Australia as part of the Viper Recordings Viper Live tour in October. That should be huge! What are you most looking forward to about returning to Australia? Do you have anything in particular that you are really looking forward to do while Down Under?
Australia is always good times! I look forward to seeing old faces, meeting new ones, playing great new music and generally enhancing my existence. Gonna be writing music on the road this time as well so I’m looking forward to that too. Oh and I’m definitely finishing the Stephen King book I’ve been trying to read the last two tours I’ve been on.
Viper recordings has been going from strength to strength, and you are also signed exclusively to the label. You are quiet the family at Viper! What for you has been the exclusively to a label?
It’s great to have the support of a solid team around you. Everyone knows their roles and it’s a tightly-run ship, which enables us to focus on what we do best. We’ve always been exclusive to one label or other, so we’re kind of used to having that support base there. For us it works great.
Part of this tour is also to promote your upcoming LP ‘Orange Lane’, which we are very excited to hear! We read that this album was slated for release in 2014, why has it taken so long to finally unleash it onto the world?
We’re excited too! A few reasons for the delay to be honest. A little perfectionism followed by some sample clearance issues. One of the samples we used turned out to be a nightmare to clear but we got there in the end. Our publishers must hate us!
If you could only play us one track form the album which one would it be and why?
That’s a tough question – it’s like saying if you had to introduce me to one of your children which one would it be? Haha. We don’t have favourites, but given where you’re from we’d have to play you our collab wit your homeboy Shock One, called “The One”. You’d like it..it’s intense and fun.
In the past you have shared co-production duties on Example’s album ‘Playing in the Shadows’. If you could choose anyone to work on your new album who would you choose and why?
How about Sade!? We’re obsessed with her.
You will be on tour with TREi and Ekko & Sidetrack, two of New Zealand and Australia’s finest DnB acts. How well do you know these acts? Or will this be the first time that you will meet?
Yeh we know them well! Trei I met in around 2013 I think, I was touring in NZ but exhausted and lagging behind with work – he very kindly lent me his studio for a day where I worked on a early prototype of our track “Anthem” that my bro had started. Definitely a fan of Trei’s productions. Ekko & Sidetrack are doing big things right now, great guys too, and fellow d&b siblings of course 🙂 I met Jono at Rise in Perth in 2008 when he was still quite a nipper, then Geoff a little later, but we are now all good buds! We all had a drink together last month when the boys were in London on tour.
Finally, what is the biggest track we can expect to hear your on your upcoming tour?
The whole set is gonna be pure flames but watch out for our new single Flashing Lights ft SheZar & Bossman Birdie.
