“I’m wicked and I’m lazy”. Love it or hate it, you can’t dispute the success of “Lazy”, the massive 2002 hit from UK house trio X-Press 2, with distinctive vocals from David Byrne of 80’s fame in Talking Heads. “Lazy” is just one of the tracks featured on ‘Muzikum’ which is described as “threading innovation and originality amongst uproarious vocal tracks”.

Just how much do you actually know about X-Press2 though? Internationally we don’t hear quite so much about X-Press 2 or their diverse alter ego’s. For some of you Old Skool clubbers out there, maybe the names Rocky & Diesel or Ashley Beedle prompt a few memories? They certainly do me! I used every teenage trick in the book to make it out so I could go to Flying or Full Circle back in the early 90’s, especially when Rocky & Diesel were playing. Rocky: “hahaa, they were the old days, house music is still so young compared other music – hmm, not so sure bout us though”. Even 15 years ago (ouch that hurts) the Rocky & Diesel were renowned for their back2back, innovative sets and their intuitive ability to mix with each other. At the forefront emerging dance music scene the DJ’s met up with Ashley Beedle, Manager of Black Market music shop and few short years later X-Press was born!

X-Press2 hit the international club scene in 1993 with the in ya face track “Muzik Express” shortly followed by “London X-Press”. An early goal was to create a classic tune – Muzik Express “it’s still played 10 years on, still works on the dance floor – we achieved what we wanted in that track”. It’s a decade since the “hands in the air” tunes, that rocked dance floors worldwide and the last 10 years has seen a series of creative music ventures for the trio. Beedle had his Black Science Orchestra alias, Rocky his Problem Kids alter ego; and the three moved effortlessly into jazzier, funkier, more downbeat arenas with their internationally respected Ballistic Brothers team-up.

“IF it’s about anything, house music is about impact. It’s about hitting them where it hurts, in the groove, in the heart, on the dance floor. It’s about that time of night when everyone wants to surrender to a delicious chaos, to shut out the world, to remember how to feel and forget how to think. Done properly, it is pop music at its most perfect and most pure” taken from the Muzikum, press release. Rocky wants to add one thing, “That bit about pop music, that’s bollocks – we were talking about “Lazy” with David Bryne rather than the whole album or House Music generally”

One thing hasn’t changed since my days of sneaking out to see Rocky & Diesel and that’s their uncanny ability to play together, because you haven’t seen a back2back set quite like the one you can expect to see from X-Press2. "We like a bit of a challenge and it certainly creates something of a potent atmosphere," Rocky & Diesel have played this way for 15+ years, playing 1-2 tunes each, one DJ mixing and the other cutting in accapella’s or driving beats and now with the added extra of Beedle on Mic or with special effects. Rocky explains “It’s like a jam, really, it’s not rehearsed, and we’re inspired continually by the shenanigans on the dance floor. Whoever’s playing the tune coming out the speakers, the other two can cut in effects, beats, acappellas. It becomes like a wall of sound”. Is that hard to recreate in the studio? “yeah, well your fucked really it always sounds different”.

A mere few studio days off a second album, the trio are concentrating X-Press 2 and squeezing in some international gigs before heading back to Europe for the silly season, it’s been a fair while since their last trip and Rocky is quick to say how much they are looking forward to playing Australia and how much fun they always have on the aussie dance floors.

You can see X-Press 2 over the June long weekend at the following venues on their Australasian Tour Dates below.
Sydney - Friday 11 June, Cream presents X-Press 2 at Space
Brisbane - Saturday 12 June, Rocky & Diesel at Family
Melbourne - Sunday 13 June, X-Press 2 at Better Days
Auckland - Friday June 18th Cream presents X-Press 2 at St. James