EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH GOLDFISH

The Boys from Muizenberg, Cape Town have effectively taken over the house scene in Mzansi. Their ability to blend pulsating house beats with live instruments have put them in a league of their own, so much so that promoters from afar afield as Spain and South America have come calling.

The last time that Encore caught up with Goldfish, they had just dropped their debut album and were effectively stealing the hearts of fans in every city they hit. A year-and-a-half later, the duo who not so long ago were holding down a residency at mid-size clubs like Baraza and Ignite in Camps Bay have now graduated to big-time venues such as Kirstenbosch Gardens and opening for international headliners such as Fatboy Slim.

Our intrepid music doyenne, Larissa Focke, hollered at the guys while they were in Ibiza and got the inside scoop on their new album Perecptions of Pacha, their international record deal and much much more.

This is Part 1 of the interview; look out for Part 2 towards the end of the week.

So, is Goldfish ever going to slow down?
Things have snowballed so fast that I don’t think Gold Fish is going to slow down in the foreseeable future. Internationally things are just starting to heat up which could keep us busy for a long long time!!

What have you guys been up to in the 2 years since we last spoke?
We have been touring all over SA and the world. We spent the whole of last year recording Perceptions of Pacha and touring at the same time!! It was a crazy year, and this year looks like an equally crazy one with us just having completed a mix album for Pure Pacha release next month containing our original tracks as well as some exclusive remixes that we have done (including our Bob Marley remix!). We have been bouncing between the studio, the stage and aeroplanes!

Dave, you have such an amazing voice. Why don’t you sing live or sample your own voice more often?
Thanks! The new album has two more tracks that I sang on ( Just for tonight and Soundtracks and come backs). Being a live vocalist is another kettle of fish altogether, but you never know perhaps I will break out into song sometime soon?? Up until now we have been concentrating on what we do best, but we are always up for trying new things.



Does it ever irritate you when people compare your music to Cafe del Mar, Kruder and Dorfmeister etc? Sure, these artists may have influenced your music but you have your own style! Plus, it’s pretty much a fact that Goldfish’s sound cannot be put into a box. How do you deal with these comparisons?
Once again thanks, the comparisons are great as we are huge fans of most of the comparisons that are made. It would be a worry if we where being compared to Kurt Darren. Everyone always wants to pigeon hole music as it makes it easier to say to someone “I don’t like Dance music” or “I don’t like hip hop” it allows you to make generalizations and not be open-minded. My advice is listen first, pigeon hole later!

Is house music making waves all over the world? Do you see a trend emerging? Should the local scene jump onto the bandwagon and take advantage of house / electronica’s recent popularity? (Plus, is hip hop dead?)
House has been on the back burner and underground for the last few years but there are such Great things happening in the scene that it is once again starting to feature more prominently in all forms of media.

The internet revolution hit dance music the hardest when it arrived But it also made Dance music react first with websites like djdownload.com and beatport.com launching to allow anyone to buy music online legally. On top of this the explosion of social networking websites has been lovingly embraced by Dance music and allowed it to spread through areas that traditional media never let it in the past. Unfortunately like bob, hip hop isn’t dead, RIP soon I hope.

How was Up the Creek festival? And how do South African gigs compare to the international gigs you perform at so often?
We didn’t play UTC this year. We did have a spanking gig at Splashy Fen in the Drakensberg, What a great festival!

SA is our home and we have such amazing support that it is hard to compare the two, the main difference is that overseas most people haven’t heard of us yet but they are more open to new things and even when they see us for the first time they go mad!

What was it like opening for FatBoy Slim?
It was probably our best gig of 2006 and he is such a cool guy too. Had a couple of beers with him after the show and talked about fishing and just arb stuff!

Which international act (Pete Tong, FatBoy, Stereo MCs, Mr Scruff) did you enjoy headlining for the most and why?
I suppose Pete Tong as we landed an international record deal on the back of that gig! We are playing with him tonight again in Ibiza for the closing of the international Music Summit which has been amazing.

What is the coolest place in the world your music has taken you?
A hidden beach in a nature reserve on the Northern coast of Mahe, Seychelles, Eating freshly caught yellowfin tuna sashimi.

Is Kirstenbosch still the best place to perform in SA?
No in the world, by far!

Who is your favourite South African band?
New Academics, Plush, Dirty Skirts.

How important is it for Goldfish to maintain a South African sound ie to have Shangaan and Shona in the samples and mixes?
It is not about maintaining a sound it is just how we make music and how our country has influenced us over the years. We love having vocals on tracks and sometimes a track just screams for an African vocal.

To be continued.....