As far as duo’s go Ben Lewis & Josh Ludlow are a force to be reckoned with. With their party and label Make A Dance along with its also much beloved subsidiary imprint M.A.D Edits, the two have given a much needed outlet to the scene in London as well as further afield. With their party driven sound meeting ties with deep house as well as disco, italo and more they have proven to both deem a quality selection that can bring any party to its knees. And for the 122nd Phonica mix they do exactly that; a pure scope of energy mixed with quality deep anthems and a hint of acid to top it off. We had a quick chat with Ben and Josh about the mix and what they got going in the works.
Hey Josh & Ben, thanks for joining us! Can you tell us about your mix and what the idea behind it was? Can you tell us a bit about how you usually approach recording a mix or a set?
B: Thanks for having us! The idea behind this mix was to try and give a snapshot of the different styles of music we both love in the context of a warm up set, starting mid-tempo and creating a nice vibe for the beginning of the night – both me and Josh feel doing the warm up set is a great privilege. When it came to recording this set we had a brief chat about vibe and then started, going 3 for 3 and recording it live through my Master Sounds mixer.
What are your preferred methods for finding new music—do you still enjoy digging around in dusty crates, or do you prefer to buy online?
B: yeah I still love digging through dusty crates, nothing better than putting in a shift and walking away with a few gems. I love supporting new music so trips to Phonica are still an important part of digging for me. Nick and Luther always suggest fire and I end up spending money I don’t have. Also a massive shout out to Bandcamp as it’s nice knowing your money is going directly to the artists and there is so much digital music on there you can’t find anywhere else.
J: It’s always a mixture of things for me. I love to hit a record store when on tour, but I am focusing on finding newer music as opposed to uncovering older stuff or simply making edits and my own music to play cold calling/harassing my favourite artists and our peers for new Jams!
Having enjoyed your set at our last RSD event I couldn’t help but notice that together as DJ’s you seem like a match made in musical heaven. Does this work the same when it comes to the label, or are there certain styles you both differ in sometimes?
B: RSD was a lot of fun, ngl the live stream aspect had me a little nervous. Me and Josh love a lot of the same music but also can have different tastes that don’t always align, but I think the magic happens when we meet in the middle, like I know I play tracks that josh wouldn’t and vice-versa but I feel that gives us much more of an eclectic style when djing. When it comes to the label we both have to be 100% on the stuff we sign and make sure we road test everything. There is often feedback and a process of working closely with the artists. In this mix we have 3 unreleased tracks forthcoming on the label.
J: Thank you! It’s definitely taken a while to work out the best way to play together. Any one who’s done b2b will know there are intricacies to it…
Regarding the label, Somethings are an instant double YES …other things take some back and forth.
The interesting thing about putting out everything on 10/12” is we have to be extremely stringent on what actually get’s signed due to time constraints of the medium and partially the financial investment (will it sell) which is a blessing and a curse!
What has been one of your most memorable sets over your career?
B: The first time we played at Heideglühen in Berlin I had no idea what to expect and WOW, Move D was playing before us and had the place absolutely glued together – it was utter magic, we played 3-6am and took it all over the place the crowd were top tier. I really think it could be the best club in the world.
Yep, Heidi is and was an absolute treat.
Playing a 4 hour set at we out here festival was also an absolute treat. But at the end of it all, if the crowd and the DJ are aligned you could be playing in a Lidl car park and it would still be monumental.
What do you have up your sleeve for 2024?
B: Lots, on our music side we have handful of remixes and another EP coming out on the label, then on the label side we have some really exciting bits coming out both from regulars on the label and a host of new artists. – We are also continuing to dip our toe into the events side of things, our next party is 9th August at The Carpet Shop in Peckham – We really love that venue, amazing sound and the perfect size for an intimate shin-dig.
J: Yes to all the above, and thanks so much for having us along for the mix series. having been avidly listening to it for years, it’s a real honour!
Big love Phonica!
