Words-Toni Tambourine
Killer on The Dancefloor aka KOTD are Brazilian DJs and producers Phillip A and Fatu. They have risen to the dizzy heights of success on the Brazilian Electro/Indie/Maximal House scene. Already established as energising talent in their native country they have shared the stage with epic artists like Digitalism, Soulwax, Justice and MSTRKRFT. Their high octane DJ sets have grasped the attention of the rest of the world and they are ready to drop their debut album entitled Criminal. Read on to find out all about them.
‘Killer On The Dancefloor’, it’s a dark but fun title, what was your thinking behind your name?
Killer On The Dancefloor came from MSTRKRFT’s music “Street Justice” where the lyrics say: “This is The Killer On The Dancefloor, Another Killer On The Dancefloor”.
How would you describe your sound? Difficult to do but go for it best as you can.
If i had to describe in one word, it would definitely be FREESTYLE. We always aim at working with friends and producing good stuff rather than sticking to a style. It has to be fun, it has to ‘kill the dancefloor’ in a good way, if I may say. Mash-ups, partnerships, remixes and edits….each one ends up having a style but with the same Killer essence to it.
You both DJ, what are you current top 3 tracks so we can get a sense of your DJ sound.
Oliver – Dirty Talk (Kitsuné),
Killer On The Dancefloor – I Feel So Strange feat. Antonio Eudi,
Holger & Edu – Foo (3plus Music)
Justice – Helix (Ed Banger)
Do you have residencies in Brazil and do you tour? Tell me about one of the best experiences you have had whilst on the road.
Yes, we have residencies all around Brazil, in different cities and have played in all of the festivals in our country. I would consider them (festivals) some of our best experiences as we have big crowds in front of us, and of course the whole backstage environment which we love and has so much to do with our vibe.
Tell me about some of the DJs that you have played with or shared the same stage as.
Justice, Digitalism, Steve Aoki, David Guetta, Moby, 2ManyDJs, Crookers, Soulwax, Boys Noize, The Twelves, Mixhell, Database, MSTRKRFT, Prodigy, Pendulum, Treasure Fingers, Copacabana Club, Chromeo, Diplo… amongst many others.
Brazil has a strong reputation for delivering cool indie / electro pop acts, why do you think this is?
I’m not sure but maybe the mix of cultures found in Brazil might add a special flavour to the creations and our indie style of fixing things might help specifically on this segment.
Who would you count as your musical influences and do you reference these influences in your own sound?
From the crib I would have to say jazz but along our career many important figures, some of them friends, have to be stated. Names such as; Atrak, Diplo, Soulwax, Justice, LCD Soundsystem, Skrillex, Daft Punk…influence us daily. They led the way and we’re close behind. And yes, naturally these influences can be noted on our work.
You have a new album due to drop, tell me about the vibe of the album and where it was recorded?
First of all our vibe was dictated by everything we like, from people to sounds utilized. We recorded the album at our co-producer’s studio: Ali Disco B. It was loads of fun in the middle of really hard work, but always with special people bonded to it. So, in the end it has that indie-Brazilian happy feeling to it.
‘Running Away’ featuring Ale from Copacabana Club is one of the key tracks. Do you see any similarities in sound between you and Copacabana club?
Not Really, Copacabana Club is one of my favorite indie bands from Brazil, but we have a more electronic grip to our music whilst they are more of an organic team. Anyway, we are close friends and exchange a lot of inspirations and ideas….but I would have to say that the main similarity we have today is Ale’s vocals to our track.
Who else did you collaborate with on the album?
Turbo Trio, Thiago Pethit, Holger, Dada Attack, MC C4bal, FBRZ!, Antonio Eudi, Edu Foo, Marco Hanna.
Which other tracks on the album stand out for you?
I guess each track has a special flavor to it, probably due to so many different collaborations along the album. But I guess I would point out ‘Feel So Strange’ at the moment.
Where can we see you performing this year?
Well, the year has practically just started and we’re already in Lollapalooza’s line-up for Brazil (most of the festivals here only happen after August). So we’re sure many other things will rise for Brazilian festivals haven’t been defined or had line up’s escalated yet. But we’re aiming at a tour in Europe and another one in the U.S.A. really soon.