Greenmoney talks

Following a very well received remix back in 2009, Alex Phountzi and Leo Greenslade AKA Greenmoney  have gone on to create quite a stir with their productions and DJ sets. The duo will be starting a monthly radio show exclusively on Pulse. With the first episode acting as a snapshot of 2011, with some of the big club tracks and a couple of classics thrown in for good measure, Helen S speaks to them about YOYO, working in the studio together and their radio show.

Hello Greenmoney, please introduce yourselves to us. Alex Phountzi, fomer Bugz in the attic producer, and yoyo promoter Leo Greenslade

How did you two first get together?  AP - We'd been friends for a while and had similar taste in music, and there was always this idea we kept discussing about going in the studio together. Leo had some stems for Kanye West's Love Lockdown track and suggested we try out a remix. We did this, pressed it to vinyl, it was well received and we've continued with the project ever since...

Kanye West "Love Lockdown" Greenmoney CC Remix (N/A) by Greenmoney

LG - LoveLockdown lit the touch paper and soon we were onto remixes for Busy Signal and Kid Cudi, so we just continued in the studio..

You've been running YoYo for ten years now in Notting Hill. Who's really rocked the party in that time? AP - Leo runs yOyO with Seb Chew. We don't play there as Greenmoney but were part of the yOyO lineup that rocked Glastonbury 2010

LG - YOYO is constantly rocking on a weekly basis! Terror Danjah and Stay Fresh Ent smashed it up a few weeks back. We had Rebel MC and Breach for the Xmas Party.

Why do you think the night's been such a success? LG - The clubnight is founded first on foremost on 2 dj's who love spinning records and have an appetite for the rave. YOYO has always been about the music, and bringing in live music in the past few years has added a new dimension to the night. We get the bands on early and the djs rock it later on.

As DJ's and producers, how do styles differ between the two of you? AP - I had more experience as a producer when we started, but part of the attraction of working with Leo was that he was new to it but with a lot of fresh ideas & energy.

LG - Alex has his experience and ideas from his studio days with Bugz and Neon Phusion and I come from a more dj based background via YOYO and collecting tunes. We both love house music, both have varied record collections and a different take on dance music and we bounce that vibe off each other... I suppose our tastes differ but also overlap around Greenmoney and dance music.

How did you first come to do your radio show?  AP - We were asked to get involved with Ministry radio by a guy called Dave Vega (Louie's 2nd cousin twice removed) as he was playlisting a lot of the stuff we were doing. We thought it was be a good way of showcasing what we were into and what we were producing in the studio, and we liked being involved in the format.

What can Pulse listeners expect from the show?  AP - It will partly sound like a Greenmoney DJ set but we'll also be playing stuff we like but can't play out in clubs as well as pulling out some a few classics from the back of the stack!

LG - hope to bring the unique Greenmoney vibe to the table...

Who are you most looking forward to hearing more from in 2012?  AP - Lil Silva, Hardhouse Banton, Major Notes, Mista Men, Jim E Stack and plenty more.

LG - the Greenmoney label artists...

Finally, where can we see you playing in the next few weeks?  AP - We're going into studio hibernation for the next 4-5 weeks. We've had a busy schedule of gigs and promo and need to get our heads down on new material. Gig highlights of 2011 include The Blast in Bristol alongside Ms Dynamite & Dark Sky, every show we've done at Cable in South London and a wicked show for Red Bull up in Nottingham a few weeks back. Now is the time to get things cooking for our next dancefloor onslaught...

Listen to Greenmoney on Pulse Radio