INTERVIEW: Soul Clap

Charlie and Eli, the funky duo from Boston, USA - probably better known to the world as SOUL CLAP. They are the purveyors of silky disco that have been slaying dancefloors and breaking hearts the world over since 1998 - you could safely say that these guys are living legends in the realm of electronic music.

We recently got the chance to sit down with the dudes to discuss the origins of SOUL CLAP, the first party they ever played, what's on their musical radar, and much more. Read on!

How did SOUL CLAP come together, how did you guys meet one another?

SOUL CLAP started waaaaay back. So far back that life was little more than parachute pants, newport cigarettes and more rave flyers than anyone knew what to do with. We were both rambunctious young DJs with wide eyes and an insatiable hunger to live life in the mix! We had a mutual friend named Vegan Pete aka Sour Pete aka Hardcore Pete who introduced us. He had a feeling we'd hit it off, especially since there really weren't so many DJs in those days. That was 1998 and here we are 15 years later!

What was the first album you owned?

Charlie: I have a picture at my parents house of me playing air guitar listening to Eddie Van Halen's badass solo on Michael Jackson's 'Beat It', so Thriller was definitely one of my first.

Eli: My dad was a jazz head so I was super into jazz when I was young. The first album I remember buying was John Coltrane's 'My Favorite Things'.

How did you start producing/DJing?

When we started DJing, it was this really mysterious and fresh/new thing. We were just so drawn to it, especially because it was a young cool thing that couldn't be explained or taught academically. It was SO underground back then. The only way to really get a taste was to go out to the raves and the record shops since we were too young for the clubs. Of course all serious DJs had mix tapes out, so we got really into collecting those. We had messed around with production over the years, but didn't really throw ourselves into that aspect until much later. In 2007 after years of working local clubs and bars we realized if we ever wanted to really get our name out beyond Boston we'd have to get serious about production, so thats what we DID!

Can you quickly take us through your writing process?

Charlie typically starts most of the music production. Either there's a melody or bassline (or sample shhhh) and that's what the songs get based around. Then Eli comes in to help polish everything and get things sounding tight. Theres no exact science to our creative process, it keeps changing, just like the kind of music we make. Keeping things fluid is the key to avoid getting stuck or bored.

What was the first event/party you ever played at? How'd it go?

The first party we ever played together was for our friend Adam Friedberg who used to throw parties up and down the east coast as Deservedly So Productions. This party was in DC at a club called Showboat. We opened up for Joey Beltram and the set went GREAT! We totally infused our two distinct sounds, which were Charlie playing disco house and Eli playing garage. We actually went back to an after party and recorded our first ever tag team mix which we called the Disco Step. It was soon after that we formed SOUL CLAP! You can actually listen to the mix online here.

Any plans for future collaborations?

Of course! The biggest news is our forthcoming EP with George Clinton, Funkadelic and Sly Stone. We've also just recorded with Robert Owens. Can't wait to hear how that turns out.

A few months back Eli, you played a set at the Boiler Room. What was that experience like, playing predominantly to a webcam?

Eli: Playing the Boiler Room is a totally different experience than playing in a club. It's actually more like when I was a kid in my bedroom and pretending I had a crowd going crazy every time I dropped a killer mix. Performing with an anonymous audience watching your every move makes the set much more like a performance so we always do these webcams mostly vinyl and quick mixing. Also because your not worried about the dancefloor you can drop crazy shit you couldn't play in the club.

Favourite electronic acts at the moment?

Charlie: I've actually gone back and have been listening to Wally Badarou's 'Echoes' when I'm traveling. The album is almost entirely synths. It's fucking amazing!

Eli: I have 2 favorites right now. Crew Love's very own Nick Monaco and Boston-based Bosq who just dropped the best album of the year on Ubiquity.  It's called 'Bosq Y Orquestra De Madera' and it's future electronic afro latin funk.

What's next for Soul Clap?

At the moment things are moving steadily along for our Soul Clap Records. We're really excited to put out some new material from Nick Monaco, Lonely C & Baby Prince and the Genevan Heathen. We've also been called in by legendary UK Garage label Nice N Ripe to mix and edit their back catalog and that drops end of November. Most exciting of all is our collab with Funkadelic, we're currently putting the final touches on a three track EP that should be out sometime in the spring!

Words by Nick Luke

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