Influences: Du Tonc

Disco pairing talk formative sounds...

Du Tonc is a disco fuelled partnership, forged following a chance meeting in a club back in 2010.

Matt Van Schie and Mighty Mouse have developed a real chemistry, with the pair seemingly pushing one another to achieve ever more outlandish feats.

Musically, the pair can go deep, searching through the vast labyrinths of electronic production for sumptuous sounds.

But then, on 'Animals' the duo also sample, well, real life animals. As we say, they're a curious bunch.

Out now on Eskimo Recordings, Clash invited the pair to divulge some prime influences on their work.

– – –

The Reels – 'Last Night I Didn't Get To Sleep At All'

Matt – This cover is pure romance. I love the original, by The 5th Dimension, but The Reels have taken it to another level. I feel like I'm falling in love every time I hear this song. The melodies are poetry in motion.

– – –

Tears For Fears – 'Head Over Heals'

Matthew Ward (Mighty Mouse) – This wasn’t initially one of my favourite tracks of there's, then I remember hearing it in the Donnie Darko film and I became fixated by it. It’s got effortlessly complex layers to it; I find something new in it every time I listen to it, it inspires me to take things further and experiment more when writing.

– – –

Savage – 'Only You'

Matt – Savage is the Italo disco king. Everything about this is right, beautiful instrumentation and clever melodies play off each other. I especially love the 'call and response' vocals in the chorus. It's something I often try to do when writing.

– – –

David Bowie – 'Win'

Matt – I heard this song when I was a teenager, and it was like falling into a dream. It takes me to some wonderful, sleazy paradise where everything is always cool. And I'm a sucker for a sax with lots of reverb. "All you've gotta do is win".

– – –

Killing Joke – 'Love Like Blood'

Matthew (Mighty Mouse) – I’d love Du Tonc to cover this, no idea what we’d do to it. I think this epitomises 80’s power synth rock (if there is such a thing?). I think lyrically it really get’s to me, and for me it’s a great example of music working in perfect harmony with the lyric and it's moody undertone is definitively some I try to emulate. I need to convince Matt to sing it.

– – –

Bob Welch – 'Don't Wait To Long'

Matt – It's all about the groove in this track. It feels so original. It's a great example of how you can create a stirring emotion with-out having tonnes of layers. Bob Welch is one of my guitar heroes, so tasteful and cool.

– – –

Eurythmics – 'Love Is A Stranger'

Matthew (Mighty Mouse) – I reference this track a lot in the studio, it get’s me in the zone. I love the way the song floats around on the quirky synths and superbly executed FX, feels like a band having a huge amount of fun and pushing boundaries at the same time.

– – –

Suicide – 'Surrender'

Matt – Again, this track is all about where it takes me. I feel like a lost teenager from the 1950's, cruising around in my beat-up convertible with my hair slicked back, longing for the girl of my dreams. Pure love.

– – –

Kazino – 'Binary'

Matt – I've been in love with this track for a long time. That sleazy dark, disco groove gets me every time. What an amazing club scene this must have been!! Simple parts used to dramatic effect with nice reverb and tasteful percussion, something I try to do when writing.

– – –

Jeff Buckley – 'Last Goodbye'

Matthew (Mighty Mouse) – I could have picked 'Grace' (the title track off his only studio album also called 'Grace'). It’s my favourite album, His voice makes me melt, he was an incredible guitarist too. Great riffs and raw emotion, I love arrangement in this track, it's another song I reference when writing.

– – –

'Animals' is out now.

Buy Clash Magazine

Get Clash on your mobile, for free: iPhone / Android

-
Join the Clash mailing list for up to the minute music, fashion and film news.