Sometimes it doesn’t matter where you go, or what kind of car you drive, as long as you have the right driver. Over the past few months Pharao Black Magic has offered us unforgettable rides, from Basel to Nile and back to Athens, with their delicious remixes and their brilliant debut EP “Heliopolis” on Nang. Now our beloved Swiss duo of Nicholas Probst and Konrad Sigl pulled over again in our station, this time with their l La.Ga.Sta. mixtape full of great tunes. This ride will surely last longer than 60 minutes. Check out what they told us below and make sure you grab this magical mix. Fill it up!
La.Ga.Sta: Can you tell us a bit about your La.Ga.Sta. mix?
Pharao Black Magic: I’ve tried to blend some of my current favorites into a mix that is fun to listen to. While my past mixes this year have been quite on the summery side, this one is a bit more moody at times.
How did you guys meet and end up making music together?
Konrad and me met initially with academic purposes in mind, but pretty soon discovered a mutual interest in music – at that time we were totally fascinated by space disco and the like. Since Konrad was already playing out as a DJ, he had the right network to get us started. Consequently, we also got into producing music. Our teamwork kicks in around the final stages of a track. I usually produce most of the stuff, and we then finalize it together in our studio, optimizing the sound and mixing down. Konrad is quite a wizard on synth settings and equalizers. Also, he will sing on one of our upcoming originals – the guy has a warm and cuddly voice. And finally, he should also produce more, but he is always busy running a club or looking for a new one to run.
Is there any story behind your name?
The name came to me out of the blue while I was having a Hot Toddy at the fireplace in a chalet in the Swiss mountains.
What has influenced you the most?
Musically? 12 years of playing classical guitar.
Tell us something about your debut EP “Heliopolis”…?
“Heliopolis” is the first official release of original material. It was received pretty well, we’re quite happy about this. It’s also very smooth that we could get our amigos from the UK – Coyote – to do a remix for us there. “The Eye Of Horus” seems to work good at parties – it can definitely beam some energy over to the crowd. “Mambo Marimba”, named after a preset on Korg Wavestation, is a bit more laid back and plays well together with a cold freshie in the sun.
Five words to describe Pharao Black Magic?
Oh Nile, come and prosper.
Which is your favorite sound?
Jupiter 8, Juno 60, Wavestation. Pianos, Guitars, Shakers. Harps are also pretty cool.
Will disco ever die?
It has already died many deaths.
What turns you on?
The alarm on my iPhone.
Which are your favorite track at the moment?
I was just listening to the new Zimmer release on Discotexas – “Horizontal Disco”. It features a track called “Bay Bridge” – it’s super smooth! Some recent favourites include:
Apparat – Candil De La Calle
Chairlift – Amanaemonesia
Escort – Why Oh Why
Flight Facilities – Feelin (Johnny Pow! Mix)
Tornado Wallace – Don’t Hold Back
Marius – Things We Did
Ponty Mython – Parade
Also, I’m enjoying the new Neon Indian album a lot.
Which is your favorite destination?
I love New York, Paris and Tel Aviv. Woods, mountains and deserts are also very cool. Not to forget anything with reasonably warm water in it – like lakes, rivers, oceans and pools.
What are your future plans?
Regarding originals, a single called “Amulet” will be released in January 2012 on one of our favorite labels – Is It Balearic? Records. It’s a 90 BPM balearic pop tune – something for the sofa. Then, there’s a few more promising originals currently in production – for one of them I’ve just received vocals by a guy called “Ghostape”.
As far as remixes are concerned, a new one should just be out now – it’s for Walter Sobcek’s cute song “Miami” on the easy going Schmooze label. For this year, I think we have one more remix in the pipeline, but are definitely focusing on original material.
Do you believe in black magic?
I believe that some dark, strange wizards are casting evil spells on my bank account lately.
What is your moto?
Too big to fail.
Tracklist:
01. Sloppy Seconds – Dreams
02. Marius – Staniel Cay
03. Marius Circus – Marabella
04. Hannulelauri – Europa
05. Drop Out Orchestra – EGO (Lou Teti Remix)
06. The Owl – Feel Good
07. Cosmonauts – Cycle Eyes (Cosmonauts Summer Version)
08. Foto and Chicken Lips (ft The Bolton Tadcaster) – Love Will Break Her (Chicken Lips Warehouse Inst Mix)
09. Greenskeepers – Beat The Clock
10. Marius – Love Gun (6th Borough Project Version)
11. Alain Ho – Into A Deep (Hot Toddy Remix)
12. Ponty Mython – Parade
Download it here and enjoy the ride!
[Artwork: Yannis Dragasakis]