The Leeds duo take us on a journey through rave history, admit their fondness for ‘yacht rock’ and explain why they hate Abba and Elton John.
What’s the first record you ever bought?
Tom: Duran Duran’s ‘A View To A Kill’ 7″. Did I just admit to that?! The theme tune to James Bond. I was and still am a fan of Roger Moore!
Bonar: Prince – ‘Diamonds And Pearls’. And so my lifelong obsession with Prince began. Probably the single biggest influence on me in music, that guy.
The first time you remember hearing electronic music?
Tom: I got hold of some old rave mixtapes from Shelley’s, Gallery, and Wigan Pier when I was about 14. Even though the quality was rubbish I was totally hypnotised by the underground vibe. I still know one of the lyrics from an MC on one of the tapes… “A is for acid, B is for whizz. C is coming at ya, D don’t dis. E for ecstasy, F for free. Buzz devastation. G… Gallery.”
Bonar: For me it was probably listening to my brother’s Altern-8 CD when I was about 9 or 10. I’m the baby of the family so I was always sneaking in to my two older brothers’ rooms and listening to their CDs and mixtapes.
Your favourite ever record?
Bonar: I hate questions like this. The answer is I don’t have one. It’s like asking a parent which child they love the most. I have lots of favourite records… I love them all equally!
Tom: Mine’s currently Sebastien Tellier, ‘La Ritournelle’. Such a beautiful piece of music and he’s pretty nuts… I caught him play the Big Chill festival about six years ago. He performed most of his set with a cigarette up his nose!