On the verge of a long awaited debut album planned for 2011, we caught up with Isaac Klawansky and LouRoux, of PatchSaver.

PatchSaver has culminated following a fruitful 13 years teamed together as performers, composers and producers. Can you tell us a little bit about your evolution?
Isaac: My Dad bought me a drum kit when I was 14. Shortly after this myself, Louis and my brother started our first garage band called Rock Star (presumptuous indeed!). This led to an enormous love affair with live performances, playing with as many bands as possible and hundreds and hundreds of gigs all over the country. Louis and I have been musical partners since the very beginning dabbling in many different styles like rock and roll, the blues, funk, weird jazzy stuff, electro pop and now we have the dance style of PatchSaver. The journey has been interesting to say the least.
Lou: I started playing bass in a band with Isaac and his brother when I was 13. We did the garage band/rock n roll/playing at Tempos and Roxy's thing for a few years. Then I moved to Cape Town and started writing tunes on a loop station. That's where my love for gadgets and electronics began. The music I was writing became a lot more progressive and melodic, electronic etc. Then I began acquiring more electronic gadgets like synths and effect units, Ableton Live etc, all the while still playing session bass. Isaac, his brother and I started a band called Future Records and did the electro-prog-rock thing for a few years, writing albums etc. That eventually led to going into full-on dance music production and here we are!

What do you think contributed to, or why do you think that your success has recently turned for the better? Anything to do with the different styles you focus on?
Isaac: Personally I believe it has nothing to do with anything other than perseverance, passion and a belief in your product. Clichéd, yes, but because music is about as tough a career as anyone can choose to follow, all three of these characteristics are essential. Of course experience plays a huge part in the success of a musical project and the fact that we have played so many different styles has definitely led up to this.
Lou: Well I guess being exposed to a lot of genres through collaborations and various musical projects has given me a keen ear to try anything. When you start out with production you're often only focused on what you hear in your own head. A couple of years working with different people will teach you to listen more, try more. You learn to relax into the process and often when you least expect it, you just slip into a good groove.

Explosive lives sets are Patch Saver’s renowned elements. What’s your view on the digitalisation of music today and where do you think it is going?
Isaac: It’s the natural progression. It’s the only way to put out full-sounding tunes quickly, easily, cheaply and independently. The want and need to be able to put your music, thoughts and ideas out quickly without anyone’s help has risen from a frustration with the pasts’ long, tedious, overly expensive recording and marketing processes. Thanks to digital music, anyone can record their songs and put them out. It’s just easy and the younger generations that exist today are all about efficiency and seeing results quickly. As someone who grew up surrounded by rock ‘n roll, I am sad to say that I think the distant future holds the slow death of the classic rock band.
Lou: I've always had a bit of a purists view up until recently. Don't get me wrong, I haven't lost my faith, but performing the kind of music we make, with all its different element would take an army of men! If it was possible right now, I take it on in a heartbeat. One day, ah....

I’m curious to hear, what has influenced the musical style, instruments, tempo and genre of PatchSaver? Is it perhaps magic in the making, brewed by the submerged confluence of two musical wizards?
Isaac: I’m a drummer so naturally that is my instrument of choice on stage. I’m currently playing on Roland V-drums which rock because they are super easy to set up, pack away and transport and they sound perfect every time. The module of this instrument has both acoustic and electronic samples, but it’s the electronic samples which I use predominantly in our live performance and recordings. In terms of our genre, I would say it’s a mixture of funk, techno and trance with hints of rock n roll somewhere in there. Our tempos up until now range between 120 and 135 bpm. I think most importantly we are both just looking to find a groove in our tunes and get people to lose themselves in the journey of the beats and melodies.
Lou: Confluence? Ah yes, c-o-n-f-l-u-e-n-c-e! For me it’s the love of that 'good feeling'. Always chasing the rush, but with a cheeky twist! The fact that we both play a couple of instruments on top of what feels like many years experience in studio are just a bonus.

PatchSaver is currently unsigned to a record label and deep in production with the debut album. How does that work in terms of ownership and distribution? Are you personally funding the production? (or are your life savings invested?)
Isaac: We are recording the album independently in Louis’ studio. We fund the project ourselves and we are putting all our energy and focus into producing an album of superior quality. Personally I would love us to hand the album over to a label on its completion and let them deal with distribution, but until then we will print as many as we can, give them out for free probably and just do our best to get the name out there. Obviously of course we will distribute across all possible internet channels.
Lou: I've basically poured every cent I’ve ever made in to musical toys and 'stuff'. I've been building a studio for about six years. Ownership? I guess we 'own' it, but we want you to have it to ourselves. Distribution? Don't know a thing about it. At the moment we do the usual internet thing with regards to marketing/distribution etc. of our music but that’s where it ends. Ideally I think we'd want all that stuff handled by a great team of like-minded people so that we can keep making killer beats and filling dance floors. Bring on the label, our doors are open for business!

For someone who asks ‘how many people does it take to spin a CD’ explain the dynamics of a DJ Duo behind the decks and behind the scenes. I’m sure each person brings different elements to the table that contributes to the building blocks of this epic production.
Lou: We work in studio composing the music, getting a basic idea of what it is we want to do with our ideas (melodies, baselines, rhythms, etc). Then we deconstruct each element and build it up again with the vision we have in mind. Sometimes we'll write a song that sounds like a bunch of squeaking ducks on a farm but by the time we're done re-building the elements and we've arranged them, there's your dance floor anthem, hooks and all ha-ha! It’s great to hear the final product and still be excited about it. Isaac and I both have vision for what the track can be, it’s not easy to look forward. When it comes to performing those same tracks live, we do as much live as we can, generally just sequencing a kick drum to keep us in time. Lately though, we've had a couple of glitches with Ableton and midi and carrying all the studio gear to each show means its gets damaged and spilt on or you get attacked on stage by a crazy drunk dancing maniac who tries to push your gear over-so we're looking at recording more stuff for the live show. We will always do as much as we can live!

In terms of the genre played together as a DJ duo, do both also play the styles of the band individually? Would you say PatchSaver is built around two individual DJs or are both DJs focused on the success of this duo?
Lou: I think we both like similar types of music, being in the industry for so long helps you enjoy lots of styles of music. I play my own LouRoux stuff sometimes, which is similar but a bit more progressive and we both play in a rock ‘n roll band The Shadowclub. When it comes to Patchsaver we really are on the same page. It’s about the song, the feeling and the party. Like a good friend of mine said “I wanna be a party boy, I wanna party all night long, I wanna party till the dawn!”

Isaac your name appears in the Flash Republic bibliography. Did you collaborate on several songs as an individual artist or are you apart of Flash Republic as well? What’s the story here?
Isaac: I have been playing drums permanently for Flash for about 15 months now, so I would say that I am a full time member of the band. I recorded on the new album as well which had been released in South Africa about two months ago.

There is news in on the office floor of Mr. Spencer that The Shadowclub is closing? Can you tell us if this is true and any reason if so?
Isaac: This is not true at all, we are alive and kicking. We have exciting gigs coming up and an album release scheduled for early next year. Busy times ahead…
Lou: Not true

Isaac and Lou you are both heavily involved in music. Are there any other places you invest your energy?
Isaac: Not really. I think we are both currently completely obsessed with carving successful music careers. We have worked hard up until now to get to where we are and I don’t think we have any intention of letting up just yet. I think it’s cool that we get to do it together being best mates and all that.
Lou: Obsession can drive you crazy. I’m still trying to get my hands on the wheel. Lately I’ve taken up gardening and I got two puppies so my family get to see me a bit more.

The dance scene is constantly evolving. Some people on our forums consider it dead compared to recent years. Being in the music world for as long as both of you have been, what is your take on this?
Isaac: I am finding the dance scene very exciting at the moment. Maybe that’s because I have only been involved in it recently but either way I’m having lots of fun, listening to and making dance tunes. I would love to see more live dance acts as opposed to just DJs all the time. That’s what I think makes PatchSaver so unique –the fact that our tracks are performed live. An inspiring aural experience is always great, but combine that with a pumping visual performance and you have a winning combination.
Lou: Firstly, I know of a couple young DJs that are reviving the dance scene in Cape Town. Joburg is a little dead but you still find those underground pockets hosting legend events. I think it’s about styles. This is in and then it’s out. For me it’s about making music with longevity- strong melodies, groovy baselines etc. Stuff you can listen to in 10 years and it'll still be hot. Enough electro pop already!

Live dance acts always create an explosive energy and we witness music in the making egged on by the energetic crowd response. This is picking up speed around beach clubs globally. In South Africa, do you think that there is room for more exposure for a live dance music act? Perhaps any suggestions?
Isaac: Live dance music is the next step. Like I said before it’s the mixture of audio and visual which takes performance to the next level.
Lou: In South Africa, there's a giant market in house music and such a smaller dance scene. The figures based on demographics are like day and night. Maybe we need more dance labels in South Africa who can push parties and festivals like the festival Boom in Europe etc...

You know, maybe I just need to get out the studio for a while. Ha-ha.

Finally, is there anything in the pipeline that we can look out for in the near future?
Isaac: Our album is due out next year, as well as a brand new rocking live set that we are currently putting together.

ALBUM IS COMING! WE'RE WORKING ON 23 TRACKS! I think we'd like to release a few singles before the release of the album though. Any suggestions how?

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By Andrea Steyn