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Peace Division with Justin Drake
As half of the production juggernaut Peace Division, Justin Drake has had a hand in unleashing studio tracks and remixes that have over the past few years become the gold standard for all things sinister and tribal. Peace Division records are a staple for the likes of Steve Lawler and Tom Stephan, and Danny Tenaglia himself has said "Never before have I played so many tracks by the same artist in one night!" A buzz is felt amongst DJ hopefuls upon the release of a new Peace Division cut – will it live up to their reputation? Their mighty tribal anthem, "Feel My Drums", launched the UK imprint Fuju. It's quite simple, really - Peace Division tracks are the business, no fucking about. The partnership of Drake and Clive Henry results in rampaging drums and wicked bass lines that compel you to dance, yet can still produce that feeling of slight uneasiness brought on by big dark rooms full of dancing bodies and loud music, a sensation which has become all too elusive in the predictable night out that Big Clubbing has become.
Justin Drake put up with the Cobalt interrogation recently, just a few weeks before his Los Angeles debut. How does Peace Division get it done? Read on...
COBALT: “Feel My Drums” seems to be the manifesto of your approach to production. Is your distinct percussive sound part of what’s made Peace Division tracks so wildly popular with DJs?
Justin Drake: We try to keep things to a minimum; I think the key to making good house music is to keep it simple. Sometimes it’s what you leave out that makes tracks special. We build our music purely for the dance floor.
COBALT: How does the studio partnership of yourself and Clive Henry function? Is it a study in contrasts, or similarities?
Justin Drake: I tend to take care of most of the technical side of things, whilst Clive will be digging through records to find more samples. It’s a good way of working; it means Clive can keep a distance from the fine details and have a better overall view.
COBALT: Is there ever a “typical” approach to laying down a Peace Division track?
Justin Drake: We generally start with some loops, throwing stuff in until we get a good blend of percussion. It’s important for us to get a good drum track to build on. We tend to get grooves together really quickly, and then spend a lot of time on the arrangement.
COBALT: Is there a definitive Peace Division track? Which one are you personally most satisfied with?
Justin Drake: Hmmm…difficult question to answer, really. I think the mix of “Roaches” (Trancesetters) was the most important production for us. That’s when things really picked up.
COBALT: How would you characterize American house music production vs. UK / European house production (what are the differences, do you think one is stronger than the other, etc.)?
Justin Drake: We’ve always been heavily influenced by American producers. Most UK / European dance music tends to be far too clean in its sound. Again it comes down to the simplicity of things. We both like the more lo-fi sort of sound.
COBALT: Your remixes span the work of artists as diverse as Way Out West, Katcha, Rui da Silva, and Yothu Yindi. What type of artist compels you to want to remix their track, and are you and Clive able to pick and choose a bit more these days? What is the key to a successful remix?
Justin Drake: We try to be quite selective with remixes. Obviously we have to like the original but there also has to be enough parts for us to work with. It should be a case of improving or putting a different vibe in track rather than just writing something new.
COBALT: Have you seen / do you notice the influence Peace Division has had within the electronic dance music production world?
Justin Drake: Ha, I don’t know. It’s nice to travel around and meet people that appreciate what we do. It’s not something that ever occurs to me – we just do our own thing.
COBALT: Most producer / DJs describe the satisfaction they get from DJing to be more immediate; other than road testing new Peace Division tracks, what satisfaction do you get from spinning?
 Justin Drake: It gives you a good understanding of what works and what doesn’t. You can’t replace the sort of feedback you get from a crowd; even when we’ve done live gigs before, it’s just not the same. There’s nothing more exciting than to turn up to a club with a box of tunes when it’s going off!
COBALT: Do different locales / venues compel you to alter your DJing style in any way?
Justin Drake: I try to take a good mixture of things to gigs. Your job is to create a good night out, and you should always be prepared to alter your set (to a certain degree) to please.
COBALT: Finally, what would you like to say to those in attendance at Cobalt to expect you to bring when you play there on December 5th?
Justin Drake: I’m looking forward to it already. Deep tribal vibes all round.
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Published / Wednesday, 26 November 2003
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