Over the past couple of years UK Duo Tuff London have exploded onto the House & Techno scene with a string of chart topping releases that have seen support for their music right across the board from artists as diverse as Techno luminary Carl Cox to BBC Radio One’s Danny Howard.
Combining a wealth of musical knowledge and experience, Ben and Sam started the Tuff London project with a view to creating music with character and energy aimed solely at the dance-floor.
Heavily inspired by the underground sounds of house & techno from the 90’s through to the current day, Tuff London’s breakthrough single “Sending Love” was released on Toolroom Trax in 2016 and saw support from pretty much every single house & techno DJ right across the summer becoming a bonafide Ibiza anthem.
They've released music on the likes of Toolroom, Relief and Get Twisted, all of which charted high on Beatport, including an exclusive collaboration with Mark Knight himself.
Listen now to Tuff London's mix recorded live at Toolroom Ibiza and read our exclusive interview with the British Duo down below.
STEVE STIMPSON: Just back from your Eden Ibiza set in Ibiza for Toolroom Records, what do you guys think makes Ibiza so unique?
TUFF LONDON: The legacy and history of the island is unparalleled and because of this everyone who ventures there has a certain mind set for having a good time and partying before they even step off the plane! It's changing a lot out in terms of how clubbing is received but there's still parties and people trying to stick to the original ethos of the clubs that first made the place so good, and it'll always be a special place to us and many other people as it's one of the first places many people experience clubbing on such a big scale. We love it!
Your success as a duo has sky rocketed, with no signs of slowing down since your release ‘Sending Love’ on Toolroom back in 2016. Continuously having releases on some of the scenes top record labels such as Solä, Cr2, Elrow Music, Ultra and now onto your second Spinnin’ Records release with ‘Bits & Pieces’. What can you share with us about forthcoming projects and releases coming soon?
Thanks, we've been busy! We've got new music lined up for release on Toolroom in October, a collaboration with Ron Carroll on Ultra and we've just finished a remix of a new Idris Elba record, so we're keeping busy and constantly working on stuff.
What are your Top 3 records in the bag right now?
- Tuff London - So Restless
- Mark Knight x Mr Roy - Something About U
- Ron Carroll x Tuff London - Aint No Pride
For the aspiring producers that are looking to collaborate or form a duo, what are your top tips for working in the studio with someone else?
Have strong ideas before you go in there of what you want to achieve out of the track you are working on and have direction. Listen to other people's music and be inspired by it, and also don't be afraid to change things - sometimes the best tracks can take weeks, if not months to get right!
Veterans of the London scene, playing for DJ Mag, Egg and Ministry Of Sound, what do you think makes the London club scene such a hotspot for House and Techno Music?
Probably the diversity of cultures and people helps bring a lot of influences to the fore. it's a melting pot of different inspirations from around the world and everyone likes to work hard down there, so they party f*cking hard too!
Where can our listeners find you playing soon?
We've got a few UK dates in the diary and we're just putting the finishing touches to our debut tour of Australia for the back end of the year. Check out our socials for all the information - search tufflondonmusic across FB, Insta and twitter!
We’ve just announced the new EvermixBox4, with live streaming capabilities and crowd capture features, how important is capturing the crowd in a DJ performance live when recording or streaming a set?
It just adds to the vibe and makes a massive difference to the listening experience. It really helps the listener be in the moment with the crowd at the club and definitely helps enhance the music and really feel what the Dj is trying to get at. A track might sound random dropped in the mix when listening in a sterile environment, but you really get it when you can hear a live crowd reaction :)