Between 2 DJs: Detlef and Latmun

When standing ear-deep in the seething, surging, bouncing, booming crowd that is Insomniac’s Beyond Wonderland, it very well may not occur to you that the world of EDM is, in fact, a very small one. We know the names of one another’s pets, downtime hobbies, and favorite types of pizza. We remember one another’s birthdays. It’s true. It is not uncommon for real friendships to sprout against the backdrop of life-changing bass and sweat-stained decks. And more often than not, those friendships turn out to be the stuff of legend.

So it goes with UK underground tech house hard-chargers Latmun (Joe Bradley) and Detlef (Alexander Georgiandis), both having come up recently, both having astounded various and sundry dancefloors, amphitheaters and festivals—both in support of high-cred names and riding the headline themselves. Both have recent EPs that have flashed fire: Latmun’s Everybody’s Dancing, along with the more recent Groove Tool, and Detlef’s Swagon.

Both are well aware that their time is now.

So, when they aren’t busy trading recipes, or whatever as good pals they dig doing, they’re writing their own stories, blazing their own paths, magicking up the crunk that makes you want in on that friendship. Check them in March at Beyond Wonderland SoCal 2018.

(True believers: Keep an eye out for their b2b world tour. You heard it here first!)

All questions were asked of both. So, it’s safe to assume the pronouns “him/he/his” is in reference to whom?
Answer: The OTHER DJ. That’s right!
*Note: B2BB= Back-to-Back Buddy.

What do you appreciate about each other’s stage presence/online persona?
Latmun: Alex is one of the best DJs I know. He can always take the journey of a set in a fresh direction and also go with whatever direction I take it. Aside from that, he is always super happy when DJing, which the crowd can feel. I can’t ever stop smiling while doing it, too, so we pretty much end up having a smile-off during the b2b sets, haha.

Detlef: He is a down-to-earth person with no fake posts making him look like a different person.

Name your favorite track by your b2bb. What’s a good track of yours that would be a good mix-in?
Latmun: I think it has to be one of his older ones, actually—Carlos Sanchez’s “K15” (Detlef Remix)—but it sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released! It mixes well into my track “Footsteps,” as they both have a rolling feel. I know, because I have tried it!

Detlef: I really like “Footsteps,” and I think it worked really well when Latmun mixed it in after my S’Express remix. Sounded mega.

What are some things you wished people knew about him?
Latmun: This is turning into quite a romantic interview, haha! Alex is incredibly genuine and also very wise. I often turn to him with questions about the industry, and I look up to him for that. He has a dog called Joey; I’m not sure if it was always called that or he changed the name after he met me, haha. But the b2b was obviously meant to be! He also drinks coffee slower than any human being I’ve ever met. I would easily drink three in the space he drinks one, and he complains that I drink coffee too fast and need to drink it the Greek way.

Detlef: He is taking too much time to get ready for a show.

If he weren’t a DJ/producer by profession, what do you think he’d be doing for a living instead?
Latmun: He would definitely be a barista at whatever coffee bar lets their employees drink unlimited coffee on shift!

Detlef: Probably work as a graphic designer.

What’s one thing you would NOT be surprised to see on his DJ rider?
Latmun: One litre of popcorn-flavored vape liquid.

Detlef: Olives.

What do you think makes him smile the most?
Latmun: When I’m not making him use the Xone92 mixer rather than Pioneer.

Detlef: Olives.

What’s one song you like that your b2bb has probably never heard of?
Latmun: I used to love the UK funky sound, back when it was really popular in the UK, and one of the songs from that era and genre that went off the most was Champion’s “Lighter,” so I’m going with that! It realistically won’t get played in any of our b2bs, but I thought it would be an interesting one to mention, as it might not have been a genre the US readers knew very well, either!

Detlef: I think we never played “Burnin’” from Daft Punk, but maybe we’ll do it at some point, when the time is right.

If he needed a new DJ name and you were tasked with giving him one, what would it be?
Latmun: DetElf, as that’s probably the funniest misspelling of Detlef that happens sometimes!

Detlef: Latnum.

What are you looking forward to most about playing Beyond SoCal?
Latmun: It’s both of our first times there, for starters, and the first time is always the most exciting! I’ve heard lots of great stories and things about the event, so I can’t wait to make my own stories there!

Detlef: I know it’s such an amazing event, and I already have a lot of people sending me messages about it, so I am looking forward to experiencing it.

What can fans expect from your b2b set?
Latmun: I can’t be too specific, as we don’t 100 percent know ourselves! That’s the beauty of it: We work so well together musically that it can end up going in any direction, which means each set is something totally unique. We are both focused strongly around groove, though, so that will always remain the most important ingredient throughout.

Detlef: We play so differently in almost every set, so definitely, it’s good vibes and new music.

What are you working on right now? What’s coming up?
Latmun: I have my next release coming out on the 2nd of March on Relief; it’s a single A-side release. This one is a weird track and a fresh sound for Latmun, so I’m really excited to get this one out and see what you guys think!

Detlef: I have a few collaborations I am working on at the moment, one remix on Wow! and one on Elrow, and a single on Relief.

Beyond Wonderland SoCal 2018 takes place Friday, March 16, and Saturday, March 17, at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA. Tickets are on sale now.