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Blind Motive: 'DJing is about taking your audience on a journey'
We touch down with London-based techno duo Blind Motive, a pair most certainly on the rise.
It's been a while, how's life treating you right now?
Ryan: Yeah man everything’s good. A lot going on behind the scenes but everything finally feels like it’s moving in the right direction.
Danny: It definitely feels like the effort is paying off now.
What was your first thought this morning?
D: Can’t believe I’m still fucking Ill haha.
R: Cooking a Lasagne at 1 am was probably unnecessary.
Describe your current state of mind in 5 words or less.
D: Clear, proactive state of consciousness.
R: Fucking hell man! Let's stick with that then! Haha!
Who knew a break up could bring so much joy!
D: Oh Christ here we go.
R: I'd say focus more than joy. Think break-ups generally align your thoughts into what you really want and push all those feelings and shit into something positive. Or you’re a massive sulking mess. Take your pick.
You've had a crazy year last year, what has 2018 brought for you so far?
R: Honestly the back end of last year we weren’t sure what we were doing. So we just kept our head down and almost let things die out.
D: Yeah, we needed that time to work on music we genuinely loved and now we’re really in a place where we are proper happy with our own sound.
R: It’s nice to be genuinely excited about your art, it makes the world of difference.
D: It took a while to get where we wanted to be and now we feel we’re on the right track.
How was it playing the final record at Sankeys Manchester?
D: We didn’t know it was the last record, the show itself was brilliant.
R: We were more upset by yet another club closing than the kudos that came with playing the final record there.
How was Drumcode last November?
R: Ah mate that signified for us the start of everything moving in the right direction. Obviously, we’d grafted to get there but it really felt right,y’know?
D: Just one of those moments where everything feels like it will only get better from here on.
R: And obviously it got well out of hand! Haha! Fingers crossed we’ll be back this year
Where are you looking forward to playing this year?
D: I’m really looking forward to going back to Bristol to play for the Mi Casa Su Casa lot, and obviously a return to our beloved Manchester.
R: Just been announced for a big Electric Brixton show with Charlotte De Witte on June 8th which will be unreal and also all the boys on our management are getting together for the debut Dwaal night at the Nest on May 19th, that one will be special to finally have us all, Luca De Santo, Transcode in the same room. Frazer is joining the party from Glasgow too, only hear nice things about the guy so that should be umm messy!
Ryan, your tattoos look dope, tell me about that?
R: Cheers! yeah, majority are done by a good friend - Ricardo. He lives in Venice so flew there for a few days and he was back here a week or so ago, love his style so basically just let him loose on me!
What's the most magical thing that's happened to you in music?
D: I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited than when we got announced for Warehouse Project. I remember getting the text and being like ‘fuck, fuck FUCKKKK’ haha!
What five songs have been most influential on you and why?
R: Right okay. Haha, this could take a while...
D: Okay, first off - 'Conjure Dreams' by Maceo Plex, probably the first techno record that properly spoke to me.
R: 'The Bells' by Jeff Mills. Doesn’t really need explaining does it. Also 'Window Licker' by Aphex Twin. I remember hearing that and I don’t think I’ve been the same since haha
D: 'Way I Am' by Eminem. It was one of the first tracks that really made me think about standing up for what you believe in rather than what others think about you.
R: 'Drain You' by Nirvana, I grew up listening to a really broad mix of stuff, but the whole Nevermind album just sticks out in my head. I was torn between that and Ride on time by Blackbo, haha, my mum used to have it on twelve inch and apparently as a child I listened to it so much it burnt out haha
Tell us a bit about your latest 4 track EP on Spartaque's label…
D: So it features the first track we wrote in this new style (Leather Glove) that we were really happy with.
R: We’re still thinking about which is gonna be the lead track but it feels quite apt that one of the tracks is called ‘Progress’ haha so maybe we should go with that. The other two, ‘Sixes’ and ‘Talons’ couldn’t be more different one is a thumping club track and the other a really hypnotic one, so it’s actually a really nice mixture of what to expect from us in the future.
What's surprised you most about the industry?
D: People are actually way nicer than you’d expect them to be. At the end of the day we’re all in the same industry working towards similar goals, so just be fucking nice haha!
R: Yeah second that. And how even big-name artists, especially in Techno. Will normally give you the time of day for feedback on new music etc.
What do people often misunderstand about DJs?
D: All we do is press buttons... I could really go in on this but I’ll refrain haha!
R: I think a great DJ is a really interesting selector. I couldn’t care less about your method, be it Tractor or vinyl or whatever. To me, 90% of DJing is about taking your audience on a journey.
Tell us 5 things people don't know about you.
R: Can I tell people yours? Haha!
D: This doesn’t seem safe. I will say this though. I can wiggle both my ears separately... Ryan loves a plan, haha! Like verbally. Aloud. Constantly. On repeat. On the hour. Every hour haha!
R: Anyone who knows him will know how bad Danny gets FOMO. Our manager likes to wind him up by telling me everything first haha cracks me up every time haha. Look what you've started!
D: Ryan's not too fond of kitchen tables...
R: Look right, long story short. Big night out. Tripped. Fell through a table. Fucking WWE style. Backwards. I’m sure everyone has done it. It’s like texting your ex or something...
D: We live together and obviously see some dark shit hahaha but recently our house has become something of a Sunday morning breakfast spot.Whereby our manager rings us up at 5 am and just brings DJs over for breakfast. Ryan cooks and I host... That’s how our marriage works haha!
R: I do make a mean breakfast to be fair.
What do you want to accomplish in your life?
R: Happiness.
What's been your best experience on stage so far?
D: Counting in the new year at E1 before handing over to Rampa, kick-starting a 27-hour launch party was pretty special and a really nice start to the year for us.
What's Blind Motive? Is it because you have no idea what you're doing!
R: Hahaha so Blind Motive is all about the feeling you get when you finish a track. For a brief moment, you think it’s the best thing anyone’s written and that addictive feeling is what motivates you and blindly pushes you to do it over and over again. You’re not sure why you’re doing it. But something is telling you to just keep going.
Great, thanks, guys!
