Drunken Kong is a techno duo from Tokyo, Japan, consisting of D. Singh and DJ Kyoko. They have been making waves in the techno scene since 2010, with their music being supported by top DJs such as Carl Cox, Adam Beyer, and Christian Smith. In 2022, their track âSparkâ was the most sold and streamed raw style techno track on Beatport, and they were awarded as the Best Seller on Beatport.
Their latest release is the “I Want To See” EP, which is their debut release on the prestigious Drumcode label. The EP features four tracks of dark, driving techno, and has already received positive reviews from critics and fans alike.
In this interview with SIX AM, Drunken Kong talk about their new EP, their influences, and their plans for the future.
Hello Drunken Kong! Thanks so much for talking to SIX AM, itâs been nearly 2 years since we last spoke to you, how have you been since then?
Hey guys! It’s very nice to speak with you again. Yes it’s been a while. We have been doing great. We have been quite busy with a lot of studio time and a lot of touring in the past couple of years.
Listen Now: Global Vibe Radio 213 feat Drunken Kong (Tronic)
So just to start off, congrats on your first release with Drumcode! Has this always been a label that youâve been trying to release on? Why do you feel it was these particular tracks were fitting for the label?
Thank you so much. Yes we are very happy to be releasing on Drumcode. Drumcode has always been a label that inspired us and it has always been a goal for us to have an EP release, so we are very happy and excited!
We felt the first track of the EP, âIt`s Thenâ was definitely fitting for the label. We were able to use this cool vocal sample along with a powerful groove which worked very well when we tested it during our gigs. We think the track stood out since people were asking us about this track after our set.
Listen Now: Drunken Kong I Want to See EP – Drumcode
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Style wise is there anything different with the Drumcode release versus your past releases that youâve done? Did you approach the production of this release differently than your other releases?
We feel it was a result of new ideas and feel adding up. Since our recent releases focused more on raw techno style, this definitely did change our feel and approach to producing.
Recently we try to focus more on the groove and stay away from things being too melodic.
For this EP, we really focused and took our time on making things simple but something that stands out. This was a new challenge for us but we feel we were able to accomplish this.
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Since the last two years weâve talked to you, other than the Drumcode release, what have been some other big highlights/achievements for you personally and for your artist project?
In the past couple of years we have had some big releases and we were very happy that our track âSparkâ from Tronic was the best selling raw techno track on Beatport for 2022. This was definitely a big achievement for us.
Things have been going well on our gig side too. Our resident party here in Japan has been going very well and for the first time we did an all night set at WOMB, which went very well.
We also had great gigs around the globe so we are very happy with how things are going.
We did ask last time about being a full time producers and djs and full time parents. As your child has grown, and as youâve progressed as an artists, how has your work/life balanced changed? Or has your intense hustle pretty much stayed the same?
We feel things got easier in some parts but at the same time we are getting busier with other parts of parenting. My partner Kyoko and I work better as a team than before so this made things a bit easier. It’s always been a big challenge and we are still figuring things out! đ
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Thanks again so much for talking to SIX AM and our audience. Is there anything else youâd like to add before signing off?
Thank you SIX AM for having us! It’s always a great pleasure for us to speak with you and thanks to everyone that read this interview.
We hope you like our EP from Drumcode!!
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