Bodhi Interview: A fusion of genres constantly moves the goalposts

Image: Alex P Photography

Cardiff 24 year olds Olly Howells and Luke Welsby, better known to ravers across the globe as Bodhi, have been bringing their own brand of bounce driven soulful deep house to the masses for a hot minute. They've released productions and remixes on the likes of Future Classic, Push & Run, Grizzly, Pictures Music, and Atlantic, earning prasie from the Red Bull Studios Music Academy and countless dancefloor attenedees along the way.

Friday 25th October sees them headline Spacestation's collaboration with Data Transmission, where they'll be jhoining Doorly and Last Magpie in Peckham's Bussey Building. Ahead of the show we caught up with the duo to get the lowdown on Planet Bodhi.

For those of our readers who may not know too much about you, how would you describe the music you make and the style of DJing you opt for?

We like to make playful, soulful, groovy house with a bounce. We usually DJ three tunes each back to back, and just see where the night takes us.

Are you looking forward to playing at Spacestation/DT at the end of the month? How often do you get to play London?

Yea it looks set to a be a great night. We get to play London every couple of months and it always goes off.

As proponents of a sound focused on fusing genres with a ready groove, are you happy that the electronic music world remains so eager to clash differing musical templates so often?

Yea of course. It is important that artists are experimenting and forward thinking when it comes to their music. A fusion of genres constantly moves the goalposts and helps evolve the scene, it definitely keeps things exciting.

Do you ever look to seek inspiration from outside of the electronic music world, and if so who do you look towards?

There are so many sources outside of the electronic music world that influence what we do. Growing up listening to motown, funk and blues music is something that we still enjoy a great deal today, along with hip hop, jazz and everything else that is on a soulful tip.  

From Benson to Badu, and Jamiroquai to Dilla,  there's too many musical legends involved within those genres, we'd be here all day naming them.  

George Benson - Turn Your Love Around by trashfan

Where else have you been playing recently?

We had a busy summer where we played a number of shows across Europe including a few trips to Ibiza. We also had a great time at Glastonbury & Bestival.

What remixes and productions news can you let us in on?

We're really looking forward to later this year as we have a 3 track release all ready to drop on Ten Thousand Yen.  

What else lies in the future for you?

Next year we will be spreading the Bodhi love across the pond in the States, and along with a few more releases it's starting to look very exciting already.

Dream situation time... you can go back to any period in clubland history, and play at any club. Who would you have playing alongside you and what tune would you drop that would define the evening?

Back to the 70s, to New York and play Paradise Garage with Larry Levan. We'd have to drop a real peak time bomb to define the evening, maybe some Earth Wind & Fire or Loleatta Holloway would do the trick.

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