Belgian Systematic Recordings artists Dimitri Andreas and Igor Vicente, well-known for their work on Visionquest, Hot Creations, and Mobilee, have recently joined the esteemed roster of 8bit Records.
Photo credit: Dimitri Andreas and Igor Vicente – Official
Dimitri Andreas, a seasoned music artist with a decade of experience, has gained fame with his unique sound. Dimitri’s productions have a catchy groove, earning him global recognition. Teaming up with Dimitri is Igor Vicente, a talented Belgian artist with a successful music career known for his eclectic selection and charismatic presence. Igor seamlessly combines house anthems and techno, creating an exciting atmosphere at his shows.
Leading the latest release is the original mix of the title track, ‘La Bamboula’. This captivating composition features organic percussion, mesmerizing synth flutter, and a compelling bass groove. Igor adds his dreamy French spoken word vocal, recounting a vivid story of partying and the aftermath of a hangover. In Belgium, ‘La Bamboula’ is a term for partying hard, perfectly capturing the essence of the track. Next up is the ‘Novox’ mix, which takes a more stripped-back approach, focusing on psychedelic melodic elements and a bouncy rhythm, offering a fresh perspective to the release. Completing the EP is ‘Love Affair’, a mesmerizing exploration of shimmering metallic chimes, ethereal synth melodies, and cinematic strings.
EG caught up with Dimitri Andreas and Igor Vicente to learn more about their latest EP ‘La Bamboula’, as well as their future projects.
EG: Hi Dimitri, Igor, thanks for taking the time to speak with us alongside the release of your new EP ‘La Bamboula’, out now on Nick Curly and Gorge’s 8Bit imprint. Could you describe to us the sound of the EP and tell us how it all came together with the label?
Igor Vicente: It’s the sound of having fun, ‘La Bamboula’s’ sound is what we would call a big mish-mash of music culture to bring back the party and the funny lyrics, like back in the days a bit. Not a tool track, not a loop, something with guts that when the crowd hears it, they can recognize it, identify themselves with it, dance on it, and have fun. I’m talking in French because it’s my mother tongue. French is sexy and beautiful, and the cherry on the cake is the Belgian accent from Mons pitched Serge Gainsbourg style a bit, Bingo! La Bamboula! I sent it to my longtime friend and great selector Nick Curly who liked it, so he talked with another amazing producer, I mean the one and only Gorge and Bim Bam Boom Tagada on 8bit Records a label that has an important role in the electronic music culture for years and keeps on continuing the legacy.
Dimitri Andreas: We want to stay away from making DJ tools and prefer making music with an emotional story inside. Music that touches you. It didn’t take long before we found out we both have this longing for musical depth while creating in the studio. So, I’m very happy we got in touch again and decided to do something new together.
I have always been a fan of 8bit. I played their music from the early beginnings. So, signing on the label felt really good. We all have a very similar taste in music. We love deep warm organic sounds that feel alive, with a positive vibe, and maybe for me personally with a psychedelic touch. I’m very thankful that Nick & Gorge seemed to have felt these qualities in our music too.
EG: You’re both producers and DJs coming out of Belgium, a country with a long history of rave culture and a love for electronic music. Could you both share with us a little about your roots and path to discovery of House and Techno on your home turf?
Dimitri Andreas: Belgium has a unique place in Europe. It is exactly where the north and south of Europe collide. We have a Dutch-speaking part in the north and a French-speaking part in the south. Both have different cultural influences. This gives a very interesting mix.
That’s why it is difficult to put a label on the music we Belgians make. It’s always something special. The new beat and, later on, the house movement represented a cultural shift that bestowed upon us a shared sense of culture and communication for the first time. In my view, this was one of the driving factors behind the thriving nightlife in Belgium in the 90’ies. This wild 90’ies nightlife was the core energy to all that we have been doing until today. I could write a book about all the legendary moments we experienced in that decade.
Igor Vicente: Exactly, I would encourage people to watch ‘The Sound Of Belgium’ documentary. In Belgium we party hard for decades, that’s also the meaning of ‘La Bamboula’, it’s what we say when we party hard in Belgium.
EG: Individually as artists you have releases on many of the powerhouse imprint in contemporary House music such as Systematic, Hot Creations, Get Physical, Avotre, and more. Here though you join forces for the first time to present this collaborative project on 8Bit, can you tell us why you decided to work together here and what brought you two together to make this happen?
Igor Vicente: We already made a track on Get Physical in 2014 that was well played back then. Dimitri and I know each other’s since many years and since COVID-19 I’m back from space so it was inevitable that we would spend time in his studio. We crossed ideas and influences and realized that we were both on the same page for a lot of things and ‘La Bamboula’ EP is the first result.
Dimitri Andreas: Igor and I in the studio is a good example of 1+1=3. We are in a flow together. Each one of us harbors ideas that, in a ripple effect, ignite fresh sparks of inspiration in each other, a captivating snowball effect. We also decided to stop thinking in the studio and just make fun. A formula we won’t change.
EG: The music found on the project is not simply a club track designed as a tool for dance floors, there’s a story behind its creation and a message to be received. Could you delve deeper into this for our readers to understand the music?
Dimitri Andreas: In our project, the music goes beyond being a mere club track designed for dance floors. It’s a feeling we want to transmit. The first track we’ve made for this EP, ‘Love Affair,’ embodies a captivating blend of deep emotional melancholy while it’s built around a groove for the dance floor. Guy Gerber’s music was an undeniable wellspring of inspiration for sure and he’s actually the one who told us to revamp the baseline, infusing it with a ‘sexier’ vibe compared to our initial version, Guy was right! … We further deepened the emotional resonance by incorporating the vocal samples.
As we mature, our comprehension of the intricate dynamics of relationships and the profound complexities of love deepens. The text woven into the track not only conveyed this profound wisdom but also played a crucial role in intensifying the emotional depth of the melodies.
Igor Vicente: The process for ‘La Bamboula’ was totally different and for sure funnier. I quit alcohol in April and one night I had a dream I was heavily partying and drinking but when I woke up I really had the feeling of having a real hangover. When I arrived in the studio that day I was narrating it to Dimitri who just let the microphone of the studio recording and at the end he told me now we have the speech. I wrote it down and we decided that I should narrate it in a dreamy way like a fairy tale for kids. From then on, we also added all those noises that I made with my mouth that fit perfectly with the groove and buildup of the track.
Dimitri Andreas: Sometimes these ideas fly into the studio as a surprise. We just have to catch them.
Igor Vicente: It’s Bump ‘o’Clock.
“The creative process is no process, we first have fun and for sure follow our creativity”
EG: What is your creative process in the studio, could you break down some of the techniques or any particular gear you used to compose this EP?
Igor Vicente: The creative process is no process, we first have fun and for sure follow our creativity, and all the rest follows. We both have a rich background in music so plenty of ideas and Dimitri totally understands what’s happening in my brain, I feel like, actually like “Hi Mr. Brain, Dimitri will take care of you, have fun, and come back soon, ok?”
Dimitri Andreas: I’m a serious gear freak. I worked hard to get my top-notch Dolby Atmos immersive audio studio the way I wanted, but I have to tell you that the most important thing is the ideas. The energy you feel when working in the studio. It’s all about this human emotional communication. The technical machines help us with making an idea alive. We used some hardware like a Moog Sub37 and ARP2600 next to tons of plugins and samples. For some rhythms, we recorded live claps and percussion coming from teaspoons in the kitchen for instance to transfer our joyful energy even more in the production.
EG: What’s next for Dimitri and Igor after this release, are there plans for more collaborative works and do you also have any other projects on the horizon individually that you would like to share?
Igor Vicente: We go as a team, so more music to come for sure, we never know what will come up when we enter the studio. I’m relaunching my legendary party ‘Wildfamily’ in Gent that I started back in 2006, kicking off the 16th of September, I mean be there or be squared!
Dimitri Andreas: Making more releases together with Igor is something the world deserves. We are already working on new stuff, so good times ahead. I also embarked on an intensive creative journey alongside Marc Romboy, resulting in the album ‘Metamorphosa’, scheduled to drop on September 22th. Next to that, I’m working on new music on my own, I had lots of inspiration lately.
EG: Lastly, could you both please share with us something that’s been brightening up your days recently outside of music, it could be a place you go, something you practice, something you’re reading, watching, or anything else?
Igor Vicente: My son Leo (BBoy Olé) is breaking through in breakdance so I kinda “supervise” it but let him do his thing, it’s amazing to see him growing totally dedicated and passionate. I discovered some nice places in Morocco where there’s nothing else but nature, great food, and lovely people. I will go back soon and for sure and there’s no better place than Ibiza to feel inspired and creative, that island has something loco that most people can confirm. I just finished ‘finally!’ to read ‘Electrochoc’ by Laurent Garnier, it’s a bombastic book, and the way he narrates his story, you almost wanna take a pill and do it again, music never stops (laughter).
Dimitri Andreas: I started reading a book by Rick Rubin called “The Creative Act: A Way of Being”. It has been a true inspiration up until now. A while ago, I also have been introduced into breathing exercises, meditation, and other mind-tickling activities. This really gives my life an extra layer of depth, providing me with an island of peace into this fast-turning world.
Dimitri Andreas and Igor Vicente’s EP ‘La Bamboula’ is out now on 8Bit imprint. Stream and download here.
Follow Igor Vicente: Soundcloud | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
Follow Dimitri Andreas: Soundcloud | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
