Photo Credit: Alessandro Cinque
Following the critically acclaimed release of their seminal Destination Unknown album in 2014, industry stalwarts Pig&Dan now return eight years later with their eagerly anticipated follow-up long-player, Destination Unknown II. A blissful, ten-track excursion, exploring an eclectic selection of trip-hop, dubbed-out electronica, and sun-drenched, down-tempo sound palettes, ‘Destination Unkown II’ is released on Friday, July 1 via Bedrock Records.
Restless in their unwavering commitment to originality, the duo’s tastemaker qualities and deep-seeded musicality are firmly on display, alongside their long-standing love affair with dub, reggae, and roots. Galvanized by sublime vocals and exquisite production values, the album’s rich sonic tapestry is a compelling and thought-provoking study of life’s own soundtrack; capable of soothing, exciting, and invigorating in equal measure.
EG caught up with Dan from Pig&Dan to learn more about the drop of ‘Destination Unkown II’, they love for downtempo, future endeavors, and more.
EG: Hello Dan! We’re excited to have you here with us today. How have you been? All good here, massive thanks for having us! Where in the world are you right now?
Dan: Thanks for the invite. I’ve just landed in Mallorca after just finishing up a month-long tour of India, Australia, and New Zealand.
EG: First things first, congratulations on the upcoming release of your new album, ‘Destination Unknown II’ on Bedrock Records! Can you talk to us about the record and how it came about?
Dan: We always wanted to make a follow-up to our first downtempo album ‘Destination Unknown’, and the pandemic enabled us to work on many new projects in the studio.
EG: It’s certainly a departure from your usual techno sound. What will your fans find on this one? What can they expect, sonically?
Dan: We strive to grow sonically every day and I think it’s apparent that this is another exercise on how far we can push our musical boundaries. We challenged ourselves to go in another angle of our roots, featuring a more dub-styled edge. This album features trip-hop grooves with plenty of hints of Dub reggae throughout.
EG: So what inspired you to create a downtempo album?
Dan: We’ve always been into exploring different BPMs and as we are experiencing a global pandemic it affected us emotionally on so many levels. This album is very much a reflection of some of those emotions and how we could turn them around. Hence why there’s a lot of depth in the tracks but throughout there’s a strong message of positivity.
“We challenged ourselves to go in another angle of our roots”
EG: Have you always been big fans of dub, reggae, and trip-hop? Can you name some artists that have influenced this side of your sonic repertoire?
Dan: Gregory Isaacs, Funki Porcini, Steel Pulse, King Tubby, Super Discount, The Revolutionaries, Kruger & Dorfmeister, Papa Tullo, Lee Scratch Perry, Roots Radics, Air, and Rhythm & Sound.
EG: We understand you’re gearing up to celebrate your 20-year anniversary as a duo later this year. What a milestone! There must be so many highlights, but if you had to pick one that stands out?
Dan: There’s been a few along the way, so it’s hard to put our finger on one, but I would say our first time playing Amnesia Ibiza was a huge moment for us both. We had been going to Ibiza since the late 80s, looking up at that DJ booth in particular, dreaming of playing there one day. They say dreams come true and that was such an epic milestone for us both. I was shaking so hard I found it impossible to move the pitch on the decks properly, lol!!
EG: Are you guys doing anything special to mark the occasion?
Dan: Yes, we will be dropping a 20-track techno album that features plenty of new tracks and some remakes of some of our more well-known older tracks that we felt would be great to revisit and give an update to.
EG: You both live in different parts of the world. How do you make this work, as such a successful two-man outfit?
Dan: Actually, we live around 20 minutes away from each other, luckily : )
“Right now, it’s all about these new releases and being back on tour. Bringing back connection and unity to a world that’s been going through a very bleak and challenging shift”
EG: Dan, we understand you’re big into art and have made a recent foray into the world of NFTs with your CryptoDJs platform. Can you talk to us about that?
Dan: CryptoDJs is very much about streamlining the artists/supporter relationship. Providing NFTs (sort of baseball card looking) that feature access to more personal and unique content for the true fan. I felt it was time to try to bring these two works far closer because there’s so much saturation and perception out there. We offer music you can’t find anywhere and one on one connection through a great community.
EG: What’s next for Pig&Dan in the next few months? Anything else you can share with us?
Dan: Right now, it’s all about these new releases and being back on tour. Bringing back connection and unity to a world that’s been going through a very bleak and challenging shift. I guess we just want to make sure we can give as much as we can and get back out there doing what we do. Project positive vibes and connect music lovers. Hands in the air and smiling faces!
EG: Thank you for your time, guys! We wish you all the best for the future!
Dan: Thank you!
Pig&Dan’s ‘Destination Unkown II’ will be out July 1st via Bedrock Records. Purchase your copy here.
Follow Pig&Dan: SoundCloud | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify
