INTERVIEW: Du Tonc

THE MAGICIAN summed DU TONC up perfectly, ‘deep, beautiful and melancholic’. The duo's (VAN SHE's MATT VAN SCHIE on lead vocals & MIGHTY MOUSE) latest single 'Surging Memories' showcases their ability to write catchy melodies and fuse live bass, guitar and drums with their love of synthesizer’s; glued together and ignited by a stunning vocal performance.

It was THE MAGICIAN who premiered ‘Darkness’, the debut single from DU TONC back in January of this year. TENSNAKE put ‘Darkness’ in his BBC Radio Essential mix and it’s since gone on to accumulate over 118,000 plays on Soundcloud.

This heady disco tinged partnership came about during a chance encounter in the basement of the smokey Parisian ‘Social Club’ where both were playing back in 2010 and as they say, the rest is history.

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We caught up with MATT VAN SCHIE this week to find out what this fairly new collaborative project is all about!

How'd the two of you first meet and when did you start collaborating together as Du Tonc?

We just started sending each other tracks after our chance encounter at Paris Social club in 2010. Originally I was was just getting a remix done by Mighty Mouse, but we decided to create a band once I heard the brilliant re-work that Chipsey (Mighty Mouse) had done to my song.

Your debut single 'Darkness' was recently featured in a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix by Tensnake. Did this come as a surprise for you?

Yes, we thought Darkness was a bit left field for that kind of attention so we were stoked with that.

Is a there a full length album in the works?

We'll drop an EP this year and get cracking on an album after that.

Considering you've both been fairly busy recently with your other projects Mighty Mouse and Van She, was it difficult to allow time for Du Tonc?

Not for me personally. I've been stock piling songs / ideas onto hard drives over the years so that really helps. I know Mighty Mouse has been doing the same so it's just about bouncing our ideas around until we have a Du Tonc sound.

Who are some of the artists which have inspired your sound?

Kazino

Lizzy Mercier Decloux

A Certain Ratio

Konk

Bob Welch

Is there a tour on the horizon? Will it include Australia?

We're hitting the road in June/July around Europe/US/Mexico and Canada. It'll be a Live/DJ. Around an 1.5 hour set that'll consist of original songs, re-edit jams and some of our favourite DJ party tunes.

Are you planning a full live show for the future? If so what do you think it'll involve?

Yes - it'll be a the two of us with live vocals, guitar, bass, sample pads and track beats. And heavenly lights!

With an impending tour of Europe and the US in the June/July 2013 the boys are pleased to present their new single ‘Surging Memories’ to be released on seminal electronic label Cheap Thrills.

DU TONC 2013 TOUR DATES (Further shows TBA)

13th June 2013 Social Club, Paris (France)

14th June 2013 XOYO, London (UK)

27th June 2013 Harlot, San Francisco (USA)

28th June 2013 Fixed @ Glasslands, New York (USA)

29th June 2013 The Dolphin, Philadelphia (USA)

04th July 2013 TBA, Los Angeles (USA)

05th July 2013 Baltimore House, Hamilton (Canada)

06th July 2013 Supernite, El Paso (USA)

12th July 2013 El Imperial Club, Mexico City (Mexico)

13th July 2013 La Favorita Chupiteria, Guadalajara (Mexico)

Words by Tony Kingston