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Q&A: Matt Tolfrey and Lee Curtiss Dive Into Each Other’s Minds

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It felt almost destined for Matt Tolfrey and Lee Curtiss to cross paths, and end up forging a close musical relationship.

They’re both forward-thinkers in their home regions, responsible for a couple of the finest imprints in house music today: Leftroom and Visionquest. Both are known for their non-conformist approach to dance music, and their often off-kilter productions in house, techno, electronica, and beyond.

Having met on the party circuit throughout the years, their first musical meeting came from Lee Curtiss remixing Tolfrey’s 2010 “Hollywood.” A 2011 collaboration, “Candy,” followed, and “Who’s Ya Daddy” came a couple years later. Clearly, the two share a deep chemistry in the studio. Their most recent collaboration now comes as a full EP: For Your Mind, which lands on Desert Hearts and introduces Lee Curtiss to the label family. Both tracks show their collective adoration toward gargantuan sounds, with the title track built to explode in an open-air setting and its closer taking on a more eclectic, quirky note that feels fit for the day time.

Curious to dive deeper into their partnership, we sat Tolfrey and Curtiss down for a brief chat with one another. What they came up with was quite cheeky — and insightful.

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5 Years of Visionquest: A Chat with Ryan Crosson

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Visionquest with logo

Photo courtesy of Zoukout Festival

It’s hard to believe that Visionquest is in the midst of celebrating five strong years in operation as a record label.

In 2011, what was originally a collective of like-minded and individually talented musicians, Visionquest decided to transform their personal accomplishments and prowess as a studio ensemble into an imprint that has since gone on to represent releases by new and now well known talents such as Benoit and Sergio, Tale of Us, Chaim, Laura Jones, and remixes from techno and house stalwarts like Ricardo Villalobos, Carl Craig, and Pepe Bradock.

Visionquest 5

This coming Saturday, the trio composed of Ryan Crosson, Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtiss is set to touch down in Los Angeles for a specially curated 5 Year Anniversary Party that features all three on decks alongside guests Daniel Bell and John Tejada. The event, organized by local promoters Underrated Presents and taking place at the Downtown Globe Theatre, is set to highlight the type of atmosphere and music that has made Visionquest’s label one of the most respected in the electronic music industry: “slow-burning, shape-shifting, expansive techno and house marked by compositional elegance and unabashed pop hooks.”

Tickets are available on Resident Advisor and full info on the event can be found on Facebook.

We had the chance to chat with Ryan ahead of this special night, to talk a little about the past, present and future of Visionquest.

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