Music > Interviews

Interview with Horse Meat Disco

by Yarreth Plysier

28/04/14

Horse Meat Disco consists of three other DJ%u2019s apart from James. Jim Stanton, Severino and Luke Howard help him carry and channel the massive demand for their DJ skills, resulting in the urge to split up because they%u2019re literally asked everywhere around the world. Take 10 May as example. They have a gig at Norwich%u2019s The Talk, and at the same time in some club in Germany. %u201CWe travel around in pairs. That doesn%u2019t mean we%u2019re playing the same set everywhere around the world at the same time though, we just turn up and play to the crowd%u201D, says James. The fact that every single set HMD%u2019s bringing is totally different, contributes to the exclusive brand they made of themselves throughout the year. If you%u2019re going to a Horse Meat Disco gig, you%u2019re always in for a hell of a surprise.

This imago even cleared the way for them to invade the fashion world. %u201CPeople in the fashion world like to party and go out dancing so there%u2019s that. It%u2019s a place where a lot of designers I think get their inspiration from. I guess music and fashion kind of go hand in hand%u201D After an agent from a fashion company saw a gig of theirs, the DJ ensemble got their golden ticket to a whole new world. %u201CYou could say it%u2019s kind of our job to bring some humour and party%u2019ish atmosphere in the serious fashion world%u201D, says James %u201CAn entirely new thing to do at the time, but it%u2019s a place where you can really seize your creativity if there%u2019s place for it.%u201D

Not that discovering new worlds is an exception for this guys, in contrary. Whereas DJ%u2019s and television might sound as a strange mix, HMD succeeded in bringing a massive party to the television screen in 2012, when they were a host in Channel 4%u2019s House Party. %u201CMost of the time, watching a DJ isn%u2019t very entertaining. We quickly realised we had to add something, so we added a few more visual performances that summed up what we do and what we%u2019re about. A few dancers here, some overly enthusiastic DJ%u2019s there. In the end it was a very fun thing to do%u201D

Apart from that, Horse Meat Disco has a weekly residence at The Eagle in London, a place where they say they%u2019ve had their favourite gigs so far. And that%u2019s something, seen this band literally has been everywhere. Their compilation albums take us back to the 70s, and their newest, Horse Meat Disco 4, will be released in June this year. Apart from at the turning table, the band has also been in the studio lately, hoping to create their very own sound. %u201CWe%u2019re constantly travelling around and then there%u2019s four of us so it%u2019s really hard to get us all in a room with any kind of regularity to come and really make it work. I mean, we got some sort of demos, but it%u2019s a slow process.%u201D

What these demo%u2019s will sound like is the big unanswered question. We can only hope they will give a perfect insight in what HMD%u2019s about: combining four different backgrounds within the wide, vast borders of the disco genre. %u201CDisco now is quite the same as in the 70%u2019s. It%u2019s the same records that we played then. I think it%u2019s just the enduring nature of this kind of music. It%u2019s just a testimony to how good the music really is. There%u2019s always new generations that fall in love with it. We%u2019re bringing it to them in the format of entertainment. That%u2019s what we%u2019re all about, and what we hope to keep on doing.%u201D

Horse Meat Disco will be playing at The Talk on May 10th.

“Lots of disco music and lip synching”, that’s how James Hillard From London’s Horse Meat Disco describes one of their gigs. He’s undoubtedly right but possibly forgot to add another crucial characteristic in his description: a massive party. Horse Meat Disco’s known all around the world for their ecstatic, disco-worshipping and very entertaining performances. A imago that got them where they are now with their weekly residence at The Eagle in London, a place at Channel 4’s house party in 2012 – Yep, on telly! – and an often seen face in the wide fashion world.

Horse Meat Disco consists of three other DJ’s apart from James. Jim Stanton, Severino and Luke Howard help him carry and channel the massive demand for their DJ skills, resulting in the urge to split up because they’re literally asked everywhere around the world. Take 10 May as example. They have a gig at Norwich’s The Talk, and at the same time in some club in Germany. “We travel around in pairs. That doesn’t mean we’re playing the same set everywhere around the world at the same time though, we just turn up and play to the crowd”, says James. The fact that every single set HMD’s bringing is totally different, contributes to the exclusive brand they made of themselves throughout the year. If you’re going to a Horse Meat Disco gig, you’re always in for a hell of a surprise.

This imago even cleared the way for them to invade the fashion world. “People in the fashion world like to party and go out dancing so there’s that. It’s a place where a lot of designers I think get their inspiration from. I guess music and fashion kind of go hand in hand” After an agent from a fashion company saw a gig of theirs, the DJ ensemble got their golden ticket to a whole new world. “You could say it’s kind of our job to bring some humour and party’ish atmosphere in the serious fashion world”, says James “An entirely new thing to do at the time, but it’s a place where you can really seize your creativity if there’s place for it.”

Not that discovering new worlds is an exception for this guys, in contrary. Whereas DJ’s and television might sound as a strange mix, HMD succeeded in bringing a massive party to the television screen in 2012, when they were a host in Channel 4’s House Party. “Most of the time, watching a DJ isn’t very entertaining. We quickly realised we had to add something, so we added a few more visual performances that summed up what we do and what we’re about. A few dancers here, some overly enthusiastic DJ’s there. In the end it was a very fun thing to do”

Apart from that, Horse Meat Disco has a weekly residence at The Eagle in London, a place where they say they’ve had their favourite gigs so far. And that’s something, seen this band literally has been everywhere. Their compilation albums take us back to the 70’s, and their newest, Horse Meat Disco 4, will be released in June this year. Apart from at the turning table, the band has also been in the studio lately, hoping to create their very own sound. “We’re constantly travelling around and then there’s four of us so it’s really hard to get us all in a room with any kind of regularity to come and really make it work. I mean, we got some sort of demos, but it’s a slow process.”

What these demo’s will sound like is the big unanswered question. We can only hope they will give a perfect insight in what HMD’s about: combining four different backgrounds within the wide, vast borders of the disco genre. “Disco now is quite the same as in the 70’s. It’s the same records that we played then. I think it’s just the enduring nature of this kind of music. It’s just a testimony to how good the music really is. There’s always new generations that fall in love with it. We’re bringing it to them in the format of entertainment. That’s what we’re all about, and what we hope to keep on doing.”

Horse Meat Disco will be playing at The Talk on May 10th.

%u201CLots of disco music and lip synching%u201D, that%u2019s how James Hillard From London%u2019s Horse Meat Disco describes one of their gigs. He%u2019s undoubtedly right but possibly forgot to add another crucial characteristic in his description: a massive party. Horse Meat Disco%u2019s known all around the world for their ecstatic, disco-worshipping and very entertaining performances. A imago that got them where they are now with their weekly residence at The Eagle in London, a place at Channel 4%u2019s house party in 2012 %u2013 Yep, on telly! %u2013 and an often seen face in the wide fashion world. Horse Meat Disco consists of three other DJ%u2019s apart from James. Jim Stanton, Severino and Luke Howard help him carry and channel the massive demand for their DJ skills, resulting in the urge to split up because they%u2019re literally asked everywhere around the world. Take 10 May as example. They have a gig at Norwich%u2019s The Talk, and at the same time in some club in Germany. %u201CWe travel around in pairs. That doesn%u2019t mean we%u2019re playing the same set everywhere around the world at the same time though, we just turn up and play to the crowd%u201D, says James. The fact that every single set HMD%u2019s bringing is totally different, contributes to the exclusive brand they made of themselves throughout the year. If you%u2019re going to a Horse Meat Disco gig, you%u2019re always in for a hell of a surprise. This imago even cleared the way for them to invade the fashion world. %u201CPeople in the fashion world like to party and go out dancing so there%u2019s that. It%u2019s a place where a lot of designers I think get their inspiration from. I guess music and fashion kind of go hand in hand%u201D After an agent from a fashion company saw a gig of theirs, the DJ ensemble got their golden ticket to a whole new world. %u201CYou could say it%u2019s kind of our job to bring some humour and party%u2019ish atmosphere in the serious fashion world%u201D, says James %u201CAn entirely new thing to do at the time, but it%u2019s a place where you can really seize your creativity if there%u2019s place for it.%u201D Not that discovering new worlds is an exception for this guys, in contrary. Whereas DJ%u2019s and television might sound as a strange mix, HMD succeeded in bringing a massive party to the television screen in 2012, when they were a host in Channel 4%u2019s House Party. %u201CMost of the time, watching a DJ isn%u2019t very entertaining. We quickly realised we had to add something, so we added a few more visual performances that summed up what we do and what we%u2019re about. A few dancers here, some overly enthusiastic DJ%u2019s there. In the end it was a very fun thing to do%u201D Apart from that, Horse Meat Disco has a weekly residence at The Eagle in London, a place where they say they%u2019ve had their favourite gigs so far. And that%u2019s something, seen this band literally has been everywhere. Their compilation albums take us back to the 70%u2019s, and their newest, Horse Meat Disco 4, will be released in June this year. Apart from at the turning table, the band has also been in the studio lately, hoping to create their very own sound. %u201CWe%u2019re constantly travelling around and then there%u2019s four of us so it%u2019s really hard to get us all in a room with any kind of regularity to come and really make it work. I mean, we got some sort of demos, but it%u2019s a slow process.%u201D What these demo%u2019s will sound like is the big unanswered question. We can only hope they will give a perfect insight in what HMD%u2019s about: combining four different backgrounds within the wide, vast borders of the disco genre. %u201CDisco now is quite the same as in the 70%u2019s. It%u2019s the same records that we played then. I think it%u2019s just the enduring nature of this kind of music. It%u2019s just a testimony to how good the music really is. There%u2019s always new generations that fall in love with it. We%u2019re bringing it to them in the format of entertainment. That%u2019s what we%u2019re all about, and what we hope to keep on doing.%u201D

Horse Meat Disco consists of three other DJs apart from James. Jim Stanton, Severino and Luke Howard help him carry and channel the massive demand for their DJ skills, resulting in the urge to split up because they’re literally asked everywhere around the world. Take 10 May as example. They have a gig at Norwich’s The Talk, and at the same time in some club in Germany. “We travel around in pairs. That doesn’t mean we’re playing the same set everywhere around the world at the same time though, we just turn up and play to the crowd”, says James. The fact that every single set HMD’s bringing is totally different, contributes to the exclusive brand they made of themselves throughout the year. If you’re going to a Horse Meat Disco gig, you’re always in for a hell of a surprise.

Not that discovering new worlds is an exception for this guys, in contrary. Whereas DJ’s and television might sound as a strange mix, HMD succeeded in bringing a massive party to the television screen in 2012, when they were a host in Channel 4’s House Party. “Most of the time, watching a DJ isn’t very entertaining. We quickly realised we had to add something, so we added a few more visual performances that summed up what we do and what we’re about. A few dancers here, some overly enthusiastic DJs there. In the end it was a very fun thing to do”

What these demos will sound like is the big unanswered question. We can only hope they will give a perfect insight in what HMD’s about: combining four different backgrounds within the wide, vast borders of the disco genre. “Disco now is quite the same as in the 70s. It’s the same records that we played then. I think it’s just the enduring nature of this kind of music. It’s just a testimony to how good the music really is. There’s always new generations that fall in love with it. We’re bringing it to them in the format of entertainment. That’s what we’re all about, and what we hope to keep on doing.”

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