There’s no end to the musical highlights flowing from the studio of Amsterdam-based duo 16 Bit Lolitas. Hot off their successful ‘SUPERMARKT’ album, Peter Kriek and Ariaan Olieroock present a brand new double artist album, ‘Warung Brazil 2012’.
Bursting with exclusive and yet to be released productions by 16 Bit Lolitas themselves, it is the ultimate must-have for fans of their deep, techy yet melodic sound. Underground music at its best!
Whereas the ‘Supermarkt’ album brought out the darker, more experimental side of 16 Bit Lolitas, ‘Warung Brazil 2012’ is all about the dance floor. Inspired by the South American temple of electronic music, the Warung BeachClub in Itajai, Brazil, 16 Bit Lolitas started the ‘Warung’ compilation series in 2008. The first album became a huge success, and the fans have been waiting for its follow-up ever since. And here it is, four years later! Through ‘Warung Brazil 2012’, 16 Bit Lolitas confirm their love for the underground dance music movement.
All DJ’s have their favourite club to play at, and Warung is that clubbers paradise to 16 Bit Lolitas. With their ideal night at the Warung club in mind, Peter and Ariaan rocked it out in the studio, resulting in 21 new originals, coming together in 2 sharp mixes. One of the most talented duo’s in underground music present a unique collection of brand new material, gathered in two continuous mixes, aiming to take the listeners on a 2 - 5 hour journey. So start setting course to a clubber’s paradise…
Whereas the ‘Supermarkt’ album brought out the darker, more experimental side of 16 Bit Lolitas, ‘Warung Brazil 2012’ is all about the dance floor. Inspired by the South American temple of electronic music, the Warung BeachClub in Itajai, Brazil, 16 Bit Lolitas started the ‘Warung’ compilation series in 2008. The first album became a huge success, and the fans have been waiting for its follow-up ever since. And here it is, four years later! Through ‘Warung Brazil 2012’, 16 Bit Lolitas confirm their love for the underground dance music movement.
All DJ’s have their favourite club to play at, and Warung is that clubbers paradise to 16 Bit Lolitas. With their ideal night at the Warung club in mind, Peter and Ariaan rocked it out in the studio, resulting in 21 new originals, coming together in 2 sharp mixes. One of the most talented duo’s in underground music present a unique collection of brand new material, gathered in two continuous mixes, aiming to take the listeners on a 2 - 5 hour journey. So start setting course to a clubber’s paradise…
16 Bit Lolitas are on fire at the moment, with great remixes for other artists as well always with their edgy eclectic deep progressive underground sound that moves on the verge of house, techno, and with some bits and pieces of trance melodies. It is great opportunity to have an interview with them, and to be able to discuss their past, and how it all started for this great project. The present is summed up well by their latest album ‘Warung Brazil 2012’ and a future that includes many releases from them and new talent on their well-known label; Bits & Pieces. Press play on Warung Brazil 2012, and enjoy an informative and very entertaining interview with 16 Bit Lolitas. You will love them…
Interview was written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias, Radio/DJ & Music Journalist
Dimitri: Many thanks for agreeing to do this interview with me. First it would be great to give us some of your background information. When and why did you decide to get involved with the Electronic Dance Music scene? Do you remember the record or records that had the biggest impact on that decision?
16 Bit Lolitas: Both Aad & I have been involved in the scene since around 2000/2001. Aad was involved with Cyber records at the time, and Peter was releasing some of his first ever dance tracks on Sadie records in Amsterdam. When we met each other around 2004, we both had a big passion for music and for producing music. We decided to start 16BL and see if we could follow our dream and make a life out of making music. We're both heavily influenced by a lot of electronic music from the 90s. Acts like Orbital, the Orb, Underworld, Spooky, Massive Attack, etc.
Dimitri: Was your aspiration to become famous superstar DJ’s behind the decks or well known and respected underground producers in front of a PC/Mac monitor in a dusty basement?
16 Bit Lolitas: Haha! We're definitely not in it to become superstar DJ's. That is a bit of a selfish trip. Our aspiration is to make good underground music and as DJ's to consistently bring great music, good vibes and good parties wherever we go. We're here to glorify the music, not to glorify ourselves.
Dimitri: Can you choose your Top 5 favourite DJ’s/producers/artists that have influenced your current sound and DJ’ing style?
16 Bit Lolitas:
1 DJ Sasha, didn’t just play out records, but told an hour’s long story with the records. Using records to create longer storylines and flows was a big influence on us. Sasha was and is the man.
2 The Orb. The music of the Orb is kind of a library of different ways to be psychedelic in music. We still totally love the Orb. Being psychedelic in music is definitely something we always try to do in our own way. It adds space and abstract meaning to tracks.
3 Ritchie Hawtin. His 'Concept 97' album is one of the first ever minimal CD's, and in our opinion the best. That album has been a big influence on Peter particularly. It's also the Techno guys that first started mixing 3 sometimes 4 tracks together in a mix. Something we have since also adopted because it allows for much more options in making transitions.
4 MTV Partyzone. Not a DJ nor producer nor artist, but who didn’t watch that show back in the day? It's a really big shame that the MTV library burnt down and they lost the original tapes of the show. If anyone has any good quality recordings of shows, upload them on YouTube why don't you! ;)
5 All the great pop music that was ever made. Both Aad & I have listened to a lot of pop music from the 60s/70s/80s/90s and 2000s. That music will always be part of our roots.
Dimitri: Do you believe that your album SUPERMARKT managed to find its intended audience, and make its statement within the such a huge but highly fragmented EDM culture? Are you 100% satisfied with it?
16 Bit Lolitas: We're satisfied with the album. There were many successful tracks on it. The album as a whole was more of a listening experience than a true soundtrack for a party in a club. The album also had some darker vibes on it. We're just following our own flow and making the music that also expresses whatever we feel at the moment, whatever vibes we're in. It's easy to copy popular sounds and make generic underground 'hits'. But that has never been what we're trying to do. Our music comes from inside.
Dimitri: In 2008 your mix compilation ‘Live at Warung’ from Brazil’s ultimate Beach Club caused big waves for your project, and is considered to be a major highlight in your career. Would you like to tell us what is so special about the vibe of that club and its location that you wanted to dedicate a whole compilation to it, and why after 4 years, you released a kind of sequel to that legendary compilation?
16 Bit Lolitas: One of the best clubs in the world if not THE best club. And they wanted us to do a compilation. Who would not be totally honoured by such a request? We are very lucky that our music is received very well in the warmer countries. The Warung compilation definitely was a highlight for us and got us a lot of fans. We're proud to be associated with such a magical place as Warung. We didn't really plan this second Warung album long in advance. It just came on our path and we did it.
Dimitri: Your Double mixed album ‘Warung Brazil’ is out soon. How long did it take you to produce the tracks and complete this great album? Can you describe the process that you took in order to prepare/produce and release this album?
16 Bit Lolitas: We had about 3 months to make the whole double album. We work kind of like a giant bakery. First we make like 40 sketches of tracks. Then we select the best ones and just work on them to get them finished. So we basically work on all the tracks at the same time. The big advantage to this is that we never get stuck. If we don't know how to finish a track, we just continue working on the other ones. Working on other tracks always gives new insight into how to finish the one we were stuck with.
Dimitri: Have you actually mixed the album live at Warung or was it mixed in the studio with the aid of computer software?
Dimitri: Have you actually mixed the album live at Warung or was it mixed in the studio with the aid of computer software?
16 Bit Lolitas: As you so eloquently put it, it is mixed in the studio with the aid of computer software. We have to do it that way otherwise we could never get the project done in time. The tracks of the album were done pretty much on the deadline. We could never have made a live mix on the last day of the project. Besides that, we want total control over the mix and the flow. So we used the aid of computer software! ;)
Dimitri: Can you remember the most interesting incident that happened during the production process of the album which you will always associate with it in your mind.
16 Bit Lolitas: The making of this album went without incident. With Supermarkt, our studio computer died and we lost all our sketches and had to start over again. This time things went smoothly and that is also nice for a change!
Dimitri: Would you like to give us a short virtual tour in your studio for all the music technology freaks out there? What is your favourite software and hardware that you like to use in order to produce your trademark deep atmospheric cinematic textures of the 16bit Lolitas sound?
16 Bit Lolitas: Our mixing desk is a modified SSL4000. We have some outboard analogue eq's and compressors: 2 department of commerce limiters, 2x EQP1a, LA2A, 3x 1176, 2x Neve 1073, Neve 33609, Altec 436c, Tubetech multiband compressor, Drawmer 1960, Shadowhills mastering compressor. Some outboard FX units: Eventide H8000, Lexicon PCM80, Lexicon PCM70, Roland SDE330 (these are currently used in our SSL routing). And a bunch of synthesizers of course!
Dimitri: Lately you have done some fantastic remixes for other artists and you produced a track with Emma Hewitt for her album. Do you have any favourite remix from the ones you produced for other artists? Would you like to give us your comment about Emma as a singer & songwriter, and talk to us about the track you compose together?
16 Bit Lolitas: The 'State that I'm in' remake is our favourite. It’s got this nice retro 'semi schizo Frank Pourcel' vibe. Hardly anyone that reads this will probably know who Frank Pourcel is. And that's ok! Hehe.
Emma is a very talented singer/songwriter. It's been a nice change of pace for us working on her material.
Dimitri: Do you enjoy interacting with your fans through your social media pages? What do you think about artists that tweet during their DJ sets and feed the world with very personal details of their life?
16 Bit Lolitas: We do interact with fans, mainly through Facebook. This whole 'tweeting' business has obviously gotten out of hand. It almost seems that people are tweeting about their lives so much, that they almost don't have the time and the focus to actually live their lives anymore. But each to his/her own! If it makes you happy then go for it! We'd rather make music then tweet about making music. I guess we're part of a dying breed of human being.
Dimitri: One of my favourite questions to all the DJ’s is that one about self-reflection and self-criticism. Out of 10 with what score do you rate the various elements of your DJ performances and why?
16 Bit Lolitas:
16 Bit Lolitas:
a) your mixing skills: 8/10. Aad is a great DJ. Of course we're all human beings. There are better nights and worse nights. We're not machines. We need something back from the crowd. A good DJ set is like a conversation with the crowd. But whenever that conversation is there, its good vibes all around!
b) your ability to choose the right track for the right occasion: 8/10. We have been travelling around the globe DJ-ing for a while now. That gives us a lot of experience and teaches us a lot about what works where and with what crowds. Of course, we don't come to play the ‘hits’; we come to play fresh new music. So it’s a balancing act to combine giving people what they want, with playing out new music.
c) your friendly attitude towards the fans that come to shake your hand when you perform and after that?: 10/10 We're so friendly it hurts! We're all equal, all human beings. In the end it’s only the fans that allow us to do this. So we are in their debt.
Dimitri: Please give us your message for all those young people out there who aspire to produce great music and reach your success. Do you accept demos for your label, and what kind?
Dimitri: Please give us your message for all those young people out there who aspire to produce great music and reach your success. Do you accept demos for your label, and what kind?
16 Bit Lolitas: Making it in the music scene today isn't easy. But if you feel that fire deep in your heart then go for it! Don't ever stop. 90% of the people who don't succeed, gave up. 90% of the people that don't give up, succeed! Remember that!
We always accept demos and are planning to do some releases of upcoming talent next year on Bits & Pieces. Find us on Facebook! Keep rocking!
Many thanks to the loveable 16 Bit Lolitas for such a great interview.
Many thanks to Carmen van der Werf at Armada Music press office for her fantastic support in helping organise this great interview.
Many thanks to Tjerk Coers at Armada Music for his support in my radio shows.
Many thanks to Paul at 1mix Radio for proofing the final version of this top interview.
Warung Brazil 2012 Tracklist
CD1
1 Dooh Dooh
2 Chant A Tune
3 Deep Space Girls
4 Leave Me Cold Part 2
5 The Coastline Of Atlantis
6 Temple In The Clouds
7 Caught Behind Mars
8 Nevertheless
9 The Diary Of John Glitch
10 Wounds
CD1
1 Dooh Dooh
2 Chant A Tune
3 Deep Space Girls
4 Leave Me Cold Part 2
5 The Coastline Of Atlantis
6 Temple In The Clouds
7 Caught Behind Mars
8 Nevertheless
9 The Diary Of John Glitch
10 Wounds
CD2
1 Full Moon Sunrise
2 Make It Mine (ft. Chino)
3 Revolution
4 Santa Clause Is An Alien
5 The Garden
6 So High
7 The Cream
8 6 O'clock In The Morning
9 String Theory For Beginners
10 All I Want Is You
11 Nuclear Power Pants
1 Full Moon Sunrise
2 Make It Mine (ft. Chino)
3 Revolution
4 Santa Clause Is An Alien
5 The Garden
6 So High
7 The Cream
8 6 O'clock In The Morning
9 String Theory For Beginners
10 All I Want Is You
11 Nuclear Power Pants
Additional info: