Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2012
Few associate Boston with dance music, but house duo Soul Clap don’t see it that way. With roots in ’70s disco and a career forged amid the city’s ’90s rave scene, they continue to base themselves in their hometown. From Boston, they travel the world, and are in such demand that it took Tokyo party Lilith a year and a half to book them.
With an opulent sonic vocabulary spanning classic to minimal and tech-house on their new album EFUNK, Elyte and Cnyce’s upcoming set at Eleven promises to get the Year of the Dragon off to a flaming start.
What was your first impression of each other?
We were 16 when we met and were psyched because at that time there weren’t many DJs our age and the only way to learn was from other DJs.
How did you decide to become a team?
We didn’t really decide. We got thrown together opening for Joey Beltram in Washington DC and it just clicked. After that Soul Clap was born and soon we combined our record collection.
Who does what in Soul Clap?
Charlie writes the songs, Eli plays the drums. Charlie is the lead singer, Eli runs the internet. Bam.
Boston is not a big dance music town. Tell us what it’s like to base your careers there.
Believe it or not, Boston was a hotbed for disco in the ’70s and ’80s. Even in the ’90s when we were growing up, Boston had a thriving rave scene. After that the city cracked down and made it impossible to party all night, which basically killed dance music. We had a tight crew of DJs and friends and we’d just party at each others’ houses and spin and make music together so we really developed our own sound. We definitely wouldn’t be who we are without Boston so we have a lot of love and pride for our city!
Give us a taste of the upcoming album—how is it an evolution from past work?
We really haven’t released that much original music up till now so the album is our first real statement about what Soul Clap really is. It’s an exploration of our many influences and runs through different genres and tempos. In the end we really wanted to make a timeless album, not a compilation of dance songs for DJs.
In your college course on dance music, what was the most important wisdom you imparted to students?
The most important wisdom we’ve learned is that house wears many hats.
What’s right and wrong with dance music today?
Beyond dance music there is so much creative genre-bending music out there, it’s a really exciting time for music in general. The problem is that in dance music most DJs limit themselves to one genre and just play the new popular tracks. To quote Bob Marley “if you don’t know your history then you don’t know where you’re coming from.”
Tell us about your relationship with Japan thus far.
We spent a week in Tokyo last summer and fell in love. The food and music and shopping are so unique. Plus you have the best record stores and of course we love the Japanese aesthetic.
What can we look forward to at Eleven?
A journey through time and space. Guided by bass that will move your ass.
What’s the perfect night out for Soul Clap?
Sushi + ramen + sake. Arigato!
Dommune, Jan 26 and Eleven, Jan 27 (listing). Soul Clap’s debut album EFUNK is out on Wolf + Lamb at the end of March.
