Designer Drugs is scheduled to play a set at the upcoming Spring Awakening Music Festival at Soldier Field this weekend and according to the band, it’s about to be a “crazy good” time. The electronic duo has a history of producing psychedelically-playful electronic beats, remaining one of a kind in their constant remixing, producing and international touring. If their set is as colorful as the interview we conducted with them, it’s sure to be one to remember. Here’s what they had to say:
Chicago Phoenix: Are you looking forward to playing Spring Awakening Fest this month?
Designer Drugs: Hellz yeah. It’s gonna be massive. The line up is sick and Chicago is always fucking rad for us.
CP: What should Chicago expect to hear from you at the festival? Any surprises?
DD: Yeah, actually, we are working on our second album and it’s coming along fast so we are going to be playing probably five or six originals and the remix we just did for Joachim Garraud and Alesia for Dim Mak which is a fucking banger. They are all mega bangers. … Can’t wait to hear them out for the first time!
CP: Are you all looking forward to seeing other acts at Spring Awakening?
DD: Green Velvet is probably the one i’m most stoked on. … Kill the Noise should be rad — hopefully we’ll get a chance to kick it and have some drinks together. Skrillex obviously. Joachim Garraud because since we just did the remix for him it would be nice to kick it with him too. Diplo too — that’s obvious.
CP: What’s your favorite part about touring? Playing festivals?
DD: Seeing the world, meeting people and making billions of dollars.
CP: What was the message behind “For All We Know” in its production and the recent video?
DD: Hmmmmmmmmmmm there was a message? I think I was just really fucked up when I made so it was like I woke up and the song was done. … My post-conceptualization to the underlying meaning is that if you think you know who we are or what we are about you probably don’t.
CP: What’s been the inspiration behind your recent work as a whole?
DD: The inspiration for our second album is totally different then the inspiration for our first. The first album was about experimenting and doing different stuff then what we have been doing the last few years but the second album is about going to back to our original concept for DD which was experimenting with contemporary culture. The new stuff is more relevant to pop culture and music where the first album was irrelevant more based off of contemporary underground culture.
CP: What have you all been listening to recently?
DD: This is always a really hard one! Especially, now since we have been locked in the studio almost everyday. Luckily today I stayed home so I watched Soul Train which was dope. I listened to DJ KNC’s Booty Hard with a Vengeance mix tape when I woke up and Mr. Fingers – Can you feel it, Jon Convex – Pop that P, M Machine – Black, Second Phase – Mentasm, Franki Knuckles – Your Love when I was chilling in my room and pretty much just our album demos because I need to make notes on what I need to do to finish them.
CP: Is there anything we should be looking forward to from the band?
DD: The new album. It’s a new chapter for us so to speak. I hate using cliches but we honestly haven’t worked on a song together in years because Theo was in medical school and I was touring a lot. Everything we have done in the past was hasty but now we have all the time in the world to work out musical idea, sound design, mixdowns, etcetera. Also, DATAMIX 17 should be dropping soon and those are always huge.
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