They’re the brains behind top Leeds party Asylum, they’re part of the We Love… Ibiza crew, and they’re starting to turn heads as DJ/production outfit PBR Streetgang guise. ROB CHADWICK meets the duo everyone’s talking about…
Bonar Bradberry and Tom Thorpe are hot property just now. And they’re about to get hotter. The duo are currently rocking the floors of Space in Ibiza as part of their summer residency for We Love… as PBR Streetgang. They’re also busy in the studio, proving they can make music as well as they play it. And if that’s not enough, the boys are also donning their promoters’ hats at the end of this month when their Asylum party teams up with Technique for the third Garden Party to hit Leeds this year. The last one – featuring Dyed Soundorom, Chez Damier and Dixon – was a belter, and this one looks set to be just as good. Matthew Dear, Omar S and Trus’Me are headlining, promising another cracking day out at the Faversham. All in all, they’re busy boys who prove quantity and quality are mutually exclusive. And it’s this ethos that has earned them and their regular nights at Leeds’ Mint Club the respect of everyone from Crazy P and Greg Wilson to Nic Fanciulli and Ralph Lawson.
To help get you in the mood for their next big bash, we managed to get hold of a tasty little mix from Tom and Bonar. And we also managed to track them down to find out how their summer has been so far…
You’re just back from Ibiza where you’re in the middle of your residency with We Love… for the summer. What’s it like rocking the main room this season?
Tom: It’s pretty much a dream come true for us. We Love… is regarded as one of the best parties in the world, so we’re over the moon to be part of their programing again. The terrace especially is amazing from a DJ’s perspective – the set-up in the booth, the sound system, and crowd it attracts. It was the also first place I visited on my first trip to Ibiza 14 years ago. I can remember thinking back then how great it would be to play there.
Is the Ibiza club scene as good this year as to previous years?
Bonar: For us, so far, it’s been just as good as usual. And we’re only halfway through the season so there’s still a lot more fun to be had. We don’t live on the island during the season so it’s really hard to give a balanced and accurate view on how busy Ibiza is at the moment, but as far as the vibe goes, for us it’s just as great as it’s ever been.
The past few years have also seen you take on the Croatian clubbers, and the Garden Festival has been a highlight of many people’s summer. How was it for you guys?
Tom: This year’s Garden Festival was my favourite so far. They’ve got totally the right ingredients over there. The combination of like-minded people who attend, the eclectic mix of DJs and live acts, and the picturesque location make it so special. Like a lot of the DJs who play over there, we’ve been a part of it for a few years, so it’s great catching up and hanging out with everyone.
We played quite a lot this year. We did a boat party with The Revenge on Friday, which was probably the highlight for me. We played an early Balearic kind of set on the Saturday afternoon on the main terrace. Then on Sunday evening we played the Tikki bar. I really didn’t want to leave this year – I could have stayed for weeks.
Bonar: The boat party was pretty special – just check the videos. And playing the old lighthouse on the tikki bar as the sun was going down is always special. Getting to and from boat parties via speedboat was pretty amazing too. But it’s just the people who run it and the people who go that really makes it.
Technique and Asylum are about to team up for the third installment of their infamous Garden Party series, with Omar S and Mathew Dear. What can we expect from this soiree?
Tom: This will be the fifth anniversary of the Garden Parties, so we’ve pulled out all the stops for this one. Trus’ Me has recently been added to what already is a mega line-up. We’ve tried to expand the events, adding a little bit more to them each time. This year the main room has been refurbished, and we added a quirky tearoom tent which has gone down a storm. They seem to have a great reputation. People come from all over the country for them now. There are exciting projects to be a part of.
You’ve also found time in the studio this year, with originals and remixes out on Wolf Music and 20/20 Vision. Anything else in the pipeline?
Bonar: Yes, we’ve been keeping pretty busy. I have two EPs out, one out now on Under The Shade, and one in September on Need/Want with some great remixes from Burnski and Pete Herbert. Together we have our J2thaB EP out on ISM before the end of the summer. And our remix of Ron Basejam’s Is The Word should be out on vinyl in the autum too. And if you look hard enough you might still find some of our limited edition vinyl only remixes and re-edits of JP Massiera in a couple of good record stores…
CLICK HERE FOR PBR STREETGANG IN THE MIX…
Technique & Asylum’s Fifth Anniversary Garden Party is at the Faversham in Leeds on August 29. Visit www.clubasylum.net, www.soundcloud.com/pbrstreetgang, and www.myspace.com/pbrstreetgangmusic
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