Homework - Jackmode Radio

Since jumping on the scene in 2007, the DJ duo known as Homework have made some decent headway on dancefloors across Europe and beyond.  Tom Waist and Zip Stoke, originally mates from their hometown of Amsterdam, have produced some pretty nifty releases via the likes of labels Exploited and Made To Play and are block booked across the summer to rock a venue near you.  Get the percolator on and come do your Homework.

Pulse: Hello Homework. How would you describe your sound? We supply music that emits warmth, even when the sun is long gone.

You're relatively fresh on the scene, but what have you seen change over the last four years?  The most interesting thing to us is the sort of renaissance of house music. Over the past few years house music gained ground, not only because the audience demanded it, but also because artists are delivering more and more quality house music. Sometimes inspired by the old dance music from New York, Detroit and Chicago. As is the case with us.

Who's been the biggest influence in terms of your direction? There are a lot of artists that directly or indirectly influenced our sound. It's a mix of contemporary artists and people from the old guard, like Tevo Howard, Kerri Chandler, Boo Williams, etc. But our influences change all the time, so what seems fresh to us today, might seem old tomorrow. Although it must be said there is an everlasting quality to the music of legends like Chandler and Howard.

You've released on the likes of Exploited and Made To Play, any thoughts of starting your own label? The thoughts are there, but it wouldn't make sense right now. A label is a big step and it's more important for us right now to expand and discover our own sound. Funny fact: we're always discussing label names on our trips. It's a regular topic on plane- and train rides.

If you could collaborate with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why? Well, DJ'ing back to back with Larry Levan would be nice. Or a day in the studio with Richard D. James.

Your new EP, Rally Racquet Club, is just out.  Any boyhood dreams of playing at Wimbledon? Every little boy has dreams of playing for Barcelona and beating Pete Sampras, right?

The remixes of the Hudson Square EP are out on July 11th - do you have a favourite remix on there? They're all amazing! So happy with what the remixers did with the originals. Just to name a few: Michael Gracioppo's remix of I'm Into This is special because it expands on the original Moodymann vocal and runs like a train, the groove on the remix by Andre Crom & Martin Dawson of the same track is laid down with utmost genius and Darabi transformed Whipped Cream into a mysterious, dark disco trip. You'll have to judge for yourself when it hits on [July] 11th.

You've put a mix together for us, run us through the idea behind it. It's an amalgam of old and new (deep) house treats we've discovered along the way. We always hope we can present our listeners to music they haven't heard before and hope we do so with this mix.

Gigs-wise, where are you most looking forward to playing over the summer? We are playing Mystery Land festival, in Holland, again this year. Last year, by a stroke of luck, we played at the main stage, but this year we're playing at the excellent Nachtlab/Red Bull stage. Alongside such legends as Richie Hawtin, Marc Houle, Todd Terry, a.o. Our special guest for that stage is Dutch deep house producer Bas Amro, who just released a great EP on Freerange.

And who are you most excited about hearing? In August we're throwing another one of our Boycott parties in Amsterdam and we've invited Cocolores to come over and play. It's going to be a release party for their upcoming EP on Exploited. The EP is stunning, so we're looking forward to seeing them funk up the club in August.

Homework Pulse Exclusive Jackmode Radio Tracklisting
1. An Introduction By Sun Ra
2. Tale Of Us - Dark Song
3. Rampa - Meggy's Desire
4. 6th Borough Project - Back To Me (feat Ricky Reid)
5. Brawther - Do It Yourself (Alternative Mix)
6. Dionne - Back On The Plannet
7. dOP - Half Naked
8. Subb-an feat Beckford - The Lovers Night
9. Bas Amro - Soundkilla
10. Homework - Rally Racquet Club (Oliver $ Remix)
11. Benoit & Sergio - Everybody
12. Carter Bros - Full Disco Jacket (Main Mix)
13. Cristophe - The Force (Julio Bashmore Piano Mix)
14. Pional - Where Eagles Dare
15. Homework - I'm Into This (Homework All Night Stripdown)

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