D-Node 107: Donk Boys | Sweden

Sweden’s odd couple Thomas Jaldemark & Martin Abrahamsson take a break from their exhaustive remix schedule to answer a few questions and provide a rare look into their musical influences via this DJ mix. Strictly for Droid. When they’re not busy taking weird press shots they’re placing their musical expressions and interpretations on labels Frankie, Floppy Funk, Siteholder and Dirtybird. Enjoy.

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the name donk boys comes from….

It’s really an inside joke with some old friends from the UK. They dubbed poor 4/4 dance music ‘donk’ on the message board I used to visit years ago… When Thomas and I started making tracks together the name (donk boys) just popped up in my head. The music genre that later surfaced as ‘donk’ is pretty damn scary though. It didn’t exist when we started out, but ‘donk’ still equals the big bass drum.

and we became the donk boys when…

We first met at the small electronica festival in Norberg Festival in 2005, but we knew of each other long before then… Back in 1994 I started playing around with tracker software and soon launched my own free music label (lasted for 5 years), putting out all sorts of techno, electronica and ambient from myself and friends around the world. Funny thing is, Thomas did the same thing later, launching the Thinner netlabel, putting out dub techno and tech house. All free stuff. I think Thinner still exists but he’s not involved any more. Anyway, Thomas moved to Malmö and we started hanging out, getting all nerdy about techno. Found a big apartment, moved in together and started making music together. That’s how things got started.

musically Sweden has influenced me….

A LOT. Well, Cari Lekebusch and old school Hybrid stuff still rock my world! Beyer, Delano, Alpha, Jesper Dahlbäck (think early Swedish techno) were all huge inspiration for me when I started making music. The Docklands parties and all those secret raves in Stockholm. Buying vinyls from MGA Records, Planet Rhythm, Mega Records, Healing Effect… Labels like Börft, Hybrid, Trainspotter’s Nightmare, Blank Ltd, Plumphouse, etc. (I’m getting all nostalgic here.) Thanks to Calle Dernulf, who hosted national radio show P3 Dans since 1995, I learned a lot about electronic music. I’d record the best tracks and tried to find the records. I still got a box full of tapes with recordings from his 2 hour show.

atmospherically Sweden has influenced me….

Hard to say, because I never lived in another country. I tend to get inspiration in periods, sometimes making a track a day for a week and then nothing for a month. I’m trying to balance producing with a full time job which isn’t easy…

the first dance record that really caught my attention was…

U96 – Das Boot (1991? I was 11 or 12.)

other early influences include….

MTV’s Chill Out Zone, Alternative Nation, Depeche Mode, The Prodigy – Experience (first album, still awesome), Aphex Twin and Autechre, Warp Records, Joey Beltram, Neil Landstrumm, Robert Hood, loads of stuff I heard on P3 Dans, my friends (for dragging me deeper into techno).

favorite color is…

Don’t have one, really. Black always works.

how has your approach to production has developed from our first release to now…..

We used to make more cut-up tracky tracks, and now we’re going deeper and/or harder. It’s hard to say, we’re still all over the place genre wise and grab what we like to make what we feel like. One of our recent remixes coming out is an homage to old school deep house, bumpin’ in 116 bpms.

our thoughts on moving to Berlin….

Thomas lived there for a year like 5-6 years ago. We both love the city and everything there is to love about it, just being there basically. I try to visit at least once a year to remain sane. Guess I still have a pretty romantic view of Berlin and the club scene there, and I have no plans of moving there, because I appreciate it so much more as I am not living in the middle of everything. Know what I mean?

whats on the ipod? musical radar? etc…

We’re both blown away by the Maskin Ljud EP on Färden. EP of the year? Also much into Horizontal Ground, DBX (always), Krause Duo, Kink, Robag Wruhme, and loads of old murky techno and acid. Right now I can’t get enough of old Paul Birken tracks! Just found his ban dcamp site which is hosting loads of goodies. http://paulbirken.bandcamp.com/ …Don’t own an Ipod, hehe.

next item of buisness…. (next releases, mixes, podcasts, remixes, tours, etc)

We have no releases coming out soon, working on new material for now. We just released a remix of Kane Roth on Front Recordings and the track “Balls Out” on a MP3 compilation for Input-Output. We’ve recently remixed Sian, Mark Hawkins, The Liminals, Dmitry Fyodorov and Freakslum – all being released sooner or later. Probably all digital though, which is a shame, since we’re vinyl heads.

http://soundcloud.com/donkboys – with some unreleased tracks to listen to.

Läs mer: http://www.myspace.com/donkboys#ixzz10HMTSbeS

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m-donk mix for droid 2010 08 23

matt john – the o [sender]
DBX – flying saucer [accelerate]
laverne radix – dick control [love letters from oslo]
dimbiman – köppchen (herberts d-d-d-dazzle dub) [perlon]
the persuader – what’s the time mr templar [svek]
petre inspirescu – sakadat [vinyl club]
nicholas will – i want you [comfortable records]
neil landstrumm – leaving edinburgh humour [tresor]
mr barth & the persuader – snorkelmannen [svek]
repeat repeat – bounce your body [soma]
julia decay – the karoo [scandinavia]
tyrone – touch sensitive [siteholder]
braincell – peterson session [harthouse]