Metronome #106: Peep This

After a chance meeting in a random club setting, DJ Tyco and Peep’n Tom would soon learn they click perfectly in the studio. Three years on, and their chemistry has only gotten stronger, as the duo from Edmonton, Alberta, continues to bang out the bass bombs.

Peep This first homed in on their sound at the peak of the Melbourne bounce explosion, having scored several Beatport Top 100 and iTunes Dance chart positions. However, they were far more of a threat as a wildcard, the type of project that would die before letting genre conventions define them. This versatility is the reason so many heavy-hitters across the board have backed up their work, from hotshots like Tiësto and What So Not, all the way through to Diplo and Fatboy Slim.

Last year, they struck gold when they dropped the breakbeat and bass house hybrid “Can U Feel Dat.” The inebriating basslines wobbled their way into the record boxes of Afrojack, Mak J and Showtek, while also spending a staggering 10 weeks at the top of the Beatport Top 100. They’ve released slumpers from all genres on labels like Brooklyn Fire, Panda Funk, Dim Mak and Interscope.

Behind the decks, Peep This are the real deal as well, effortlessly leading dancers on a joyride through the diverse sounds that make up the modern-day dance music landscape. Their Metronome mix is exactly what you would get from a live show, including the on-the-fly aesthetic. That’s right, no Ableton mixing here—just two guys, two turntables, and a stack of fat tracks. Tom and Tyler lead you on an hour-long adventure, starting in the land of bouncy future bass, taking a left turn on Trap Avenue and a quick right at D&B Lane, and ending up on the deeper side of Breakbeat Street. Buckle up.

How did the two of you meet, and when did the project come into the picture?
We met at a club called Suite 69. Tyler was running a night there and asked me to me to come down and play. We started chatting about music and, a few days later, started to work on a song. Our fist single reached #18 on the Beatport charts, so we decided to start Peep This. My DJ name was Peep’n Tom, and I guess we just rolled with the Peep part and made Peep This.

Can you tell us a little bit about your BPM Academy project?
Tom: I started the BPM Academy to help both new and experienced producers get to that next level. BPM stands for Business, Production and Mastery. The BPM Academy doesn’t focus on strictly music production; it also covers in-depth areas of music business. I upload a new tutorial and video blog every week, with heaps of great content. The main goal behind the academy is to help people achieve their dreams of having a successful music career.

Do you see the act of providing these tools to other producers as a form of mentoring? Why is mentoring important for producers?
Tom: Yes! Having mentors in all areas of life is extremely important. That is why I started a mentoring program. I assess where producers are at in their career, and tailor a plan to get them to that next level. I would not be anywhere without my music mentors. They have helped me reach new levels in my productions. Without a trained ear, it is very difficult to pinpoint mistakes. It is like building a house with your eyes closed. You can put the walls up, and when you feel like the house seems it’s all there, you realize you’re still missing the roof. Unless you have someone who can see things that you’re not seeing, you won’t be able to make consistently amazing music.

You have actually played at EDC on the Dancetronauts art car. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Playing EDC was an amazing experience. It was our first time playing on a stage that shot fire every time the song dropped. It was one of the smaller stages at EDC, and there were probably only 50 people there when we started, but by the time we finished, there were over 1,000—definitely one of the best moments of our lives.

You guys did a video on how meditation helps music production. Can you talk about your experiences with meditation and how it has helped you, both with production and life in general?
Meditation and creativity go hand in hand. In order to sit down and write something creative, you need to be in the moment, and not in your head. I find that meditating just 20 minutes a day really helps to center the mind and let the creative juices flow. We definitely look at meditation from a practical standpoint. Right before a studio session, or when we are creatively stuck, we both close our eyes and try to become as present as possible. When you try to think a problem out too much, the answer never seems to come. But if you become present to the moment and just start listening to your instincts, the answer always seems to pop its head out.

Track List:: MAKJ & Max Styler ft. Elayna Boynton “Knock Me Down”
Timmy Trumpet “Satellites” (Dirtcaps Remix)
Travis Scott “Goosebumps” (NGHTMRE Remix)
Lil Debbie ft. Cesqeaux “Today”
Marilyn Manson “Beautiful People” (Peep This Bootleg)
UZ & ATLiens “Cavern” (UNKWN Remix)
Mickey Valen ft. noé “Meet Me” (BKAYE x Ben Maxwell Remix)
D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty “Broccoli” (BUSTED by Herobust)
Peep This “Trap”
Vintage Culture, Constantinne, Felten “Eyes” (A Liga & Ciskko Remix)
Adam Bomb “Let’s Get It”
Habstrakt “Clowns” (Hydraulix & Oski Remix)
Zomboy “Lights Out” (Rickyxsan Remix)
cciv & sofocle “candyflip”
Herobust “Dirt Heater Tea”
Jayceeoh, CLVZA “I’m OK”
Maria Lynn ft. Jayhood vs. Boombox Cartel “Physical” (DJ Nasa VIP Bootleg)
NSYNC vs. DJ Snake, Yellow Claw & Ricky Remedy “Bye Bye Bye” (Spindiana Jones Trap Bootleg)
Meaux Green & Tascione ft. Mark Hardy “Soundkillaz”
Hardwell “Party Till the Daylight” (TC Extended Remix)
Biggie “Party n Bullshit” (Phibes Remix) [Dirty Dreamz Cut]
Buku “Front to Back” (Bassnectar Remix)
Shaun Frank, Ashe “Let you Get Away” (CK Intro)
Freestylers ft. RDX “Rude Bwoy” (Aphrodite Remix)
Valentino Khan “Deep Down Low” (Mister Gray Bootleg)
Lil Jon vs. Mightyfools “Get Low” (JD Live Moombah Flip)
Mightyfools & Boogshe “Girl on Girl”
KRS-One vs. Brillz & Teddy Tuxedo vs. Milo & Otis “Sound of Da Police” (R-You Edit)
Red Hot Chili Peppers x Dillon Francis & NGHTMRE “Can’t Stop” x “Need You” (Adrian Napster Edit)
Vinte7 & the Miners “Lick”
HI-LO “The Answer” (Oliver Heldens Edit)
Treasure Fingers “Koolaid” (Landis LaPace Remix)
Martin Horger, Neon Steve “You Don’t”
Valentino Khan vs. Flo-Rida “Deep Down Low” (Ben Rainey Mashup)
Matroda, Wess “Get Down”
GARABATTO “Send Nudes”
Migos, Karl Hungus, Eptic “Bad and Boujee” (Deville Bass House Edit)
Peep This “Shakti”