Comprised of Reuben Styles and Adam Hyde, Australian DJ duo Peking Duk played on the main stage at the Electric Zoo Festival this Labor Day weekend in New York, New York. Their 2014 single “High,” featuring Nicole Millar, reached triple Platinum, and they recently released their debut EP Songs to Sweat. We were able to chat with the duo before their set at the festival:
You guys are at Electric Zoo – how do you feel?
We feel good, a little bit hung over, but nothing wrong with that. We got to New York about two days ago, did a nice studio session until about 4 a.m., and then went and met up with an Aussie band and partied until like 9 a.m. So we’ve been pretty wrecked, but in good spirits. Definitely not as rested as we should be!
Do you guys have anything exciting planned for your set?
We’re going to be playing a song that’s unreleased, featuring the actual singer on the track himself, which is exciting. He’s going to come out and sing a few songs, actually. He’s a New York local, so we’re utilizing our resources. Yeah, it should be cool; we’re stoked to be on the main stage – it looks epic. It’s also interesting to see that an item on the prohibited items list is “bad attitudes,” so we’re pretty excited now. No bad vibes.
You guys have played at other festivals, but is this is your first time at Electric Zoo?
Yeah, this is our first time at Electric Zoo. We’ve played at Webster Hall, and that’s it so far [in New York]. That was sick, and a great time.
What has been your favorite venue so far?
In terms of clubs, Webster Hall was probably one of the funnest shows ever. Definitely the best. Kansas City was dope; it was like a festival in an emporium. Coachella and Lollapolooza were incredible too. We’ve been having a great time in the States; it’s been good.
What are your thoughts about how big EDM has gotten in recent years?
It’s dope; it’s just more music and more coal on the train. At the end of the day it’s just more content. There are more people listening to electronic music, and the more the merrier.
You two used to be live performers – how did you meet and how did you transition to DJ-ing and producing?
We would always see each other and stuff but we didn’t really know anything about electronic music until we heard Crookers and all those guys around 2008. That’s when we thought, “Oh, this is pretty cool;” we loved partying to that music and then eventually we decided to have a crack at creating something like that. We spent ages just making terrible tracks, but it was pretty cool after a while. There was eventually a decent song, and we decided to try to get it onto iTunes. Then we had to come up with a name...and a legend named Hugh Foster really pushed us and sent out some of our demos when Vicious Recordings signed us. From then, the momentum has been picking up, and we’ve been getting better as producers. Now we’re still putting out songs – it just keeps happening.
What are some of your dream collaborations?
There’s too many to mention: Kanye West, Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin, Mark Ronson, yeah, there’s too many to name, really. The list could go on; James Blake, Prince…
So basically everyone.
Yeah, pretty much! Peking Duk is 100% a collaborative project, and that’s what makes making music so much fun for us. There’s never a dull moment, and we’re always meeting new people.
How would you describe your sound in maybe a sentence?
A good time, I guess. There’s a bit of emotion here and there, but at the end of the day, it’s about getting sweaty and having fun with it.
Playing at clubs versus playing at festivals – do you prefer one to the other?
Right now festivals are a bit more awesome for us in America because we’re getting that crowd that’s there for the festival, as well. In lots of clubs, people go there to see who’s playing, so while we’re still building over here and trying to get a bit of a name, festivals are better right now. In Australia, we’d rather play clubs for sure.
Is there a club in the U.S. you guys would love to play at someday?
Well, Webster Hall was definitely on the list and we did that, and it lived up to the expectations we had and more. Like the reception we got was amazing; we still get chills thinking about it. We can’t wait to play there again. There are so many sick clubs in New York – it’s a really cool city, especially when the sun is shining. We always think of New York as the opposite of this [Electric Zoo at Randall’s Island Park].
Anything you can tell us about your upcoming music?
We’re working on a debut album, which is coming along really nicely. We also just dropped our first EP in the States recently, so check it out!
