EDMinsider Interviews DJ/Producers Filo & Peri

Whoever said trance music was dead, was obviously wasn’t listening to Filo & Peri. Electronic Dance Music duo from New York, Dominic Filopei and Bo Pericic have been remixing and producing since the early 2000′s and have collaborated with some of the biggest names in EDM. With the release of their debut studio album “Nightplay” in 2009, the duo became more familiar to the masses. Having done remixes for Alex MORPH, Paul Van Dyk, & Marco V along the way, Filo & Peri received the immediate support of legendary DJ/Producers such as Armin van Buuren and Tiesto. With a dedicated fan base, the guys are looking forward to starting this year off right with the debut release “Sub-Zero” off their new label, Lights n Loaded Records due out this month. In our exclusive EDMinsider interview with multi-talented DJ/Producers and friends Filo & Peri, we learn more about the new label and sound for 2012.

EDMinsider 1. When did the both of you first start listening to EDM?

Filo & Peri: We both started listening to EDM in the late 90s.

EDMinsider 2. Your first album “Nightplay” was a very deep album with intense lyrics and hard-hitting uplifting melodies. Do you write your own song lyrics for your tracks?

Filo & Peri: Not every one but we usually co-write on a majority of tracks. Every song is its own process and there are a lot of opinions thrown into the mix lyrically and musically before we arrive at a final product.

EDMinsider 3. Are there any vocalists you would like to work with on future productions?

Filo & Peri: There are definitely a few but we are really into Kate Elsworth lately. She rocked on Dirty South and Thomas Gold’s – Alive last summer.

EDMinsider 4. What is the album making process like? Describe what a day in the studio consists of for Filo & Peri.

Filo & Peri: We’ve never sat down and said “ok, we need to make an album, lets start here!” as we tend to focus on tracks on an individual basis. When we happen to have a lot of material & ideas we are happy with we will think about an album then. That’s how Nightplay came about anyway. As far as a day in the studio, we used to work together every day until our studio burned down so our routine has changed a bit. We now work separately from our homes until we have ideas that both of us are into. Once that happens we spend time finishing the tracks together. It all starts with an initial idea from one of us though. We find this to be more efficient since we are equally versed in the studio – better two have two minds on the job than one. In fact we know a few other duos who work this way as well. We hung out with the guys from Dada Life at Global Gathering this summer and they have the same workflow. Two different rooms/studios to create ideas and both work on the final product.

EDMinsider 5. How much time a day is spent in the studio?

Filo & Peri: A lot lately! Maybe will invite the EDMinsider team to come hang out on a session as well.

EDMinsider 6. Tell us about your new label Lights n Loaded Records?

Filo & Peri: Lights n Loaded Records is our own label that we created with Be Yourself music. They also run Fedde le Grand’s “Flamingo” and Gareth Emery’s “Garuda“, so we are in great hands without all the label politics as we have full creative control over releases and scheduling. We are really excited to build our own brand and sign local artists as well. Our first release is January 23rd!

EDMinsider 7. You guys have both changed your style as far as making music and your live performance. “Lights & Loaded” seems to give the clubber a completely different experience. Why do you think this is so?

Filo & Peri: Looking back we’ve really been changing our style since our first release. A lot of artists work for years to get signed and our story is a bit different. Armin van Burren signed our first record within a few weeks of meeting each other and working together. We were thrown into everything head first without really developing our own sound so it was a learn-as-you-go type of deal. It was like “Hi, nice to meet you” to “Oh sh*t Armin, Tiesto, etc. are playing our tracks” to “time to start touring!“. That’s how a lot of our career has gone so far which is why we took a step back recently to really think things through, start our label, and do things our way.

EDMinsider 8. Which cities do you find most exciting to play and why?

Filo & Peri: NYC is our favorite because we get to party with all of our friends! It’s home!

EDMinsider 9. Which of your own tracks do you hold closest to you?

Filo & Peri: Closer Now is up there. We’ve received messages from fans telling us Anthem literally saved their life so that obviously means a lot when you can have that type of effect on people.

EDMinsider 10. Once the party has died down after a gig, what are some things you enjoy doing after leaving the venue?

Filo & Peri: Breaking down our show, grabbing a late night bite and going to sleep!

EDMinsider 11. Your first release on the label is called Sub-Zero, tell us about the track.

Filo & Peri: Subzero is a banger! It was made with the dance-floor in mind and has gotten the thumbs up from Gareth Emery, Kaskade, Gabriel & Dresden, and a bunch of other DJs so far. Check it out on soundcloud.com/filoandperi and let us know what you think!