Things have moved very quickly over the last twelve months for Clive Henry and Justin Drake, aka Peace Division. Their pared down, tribal and hypnotic spin on house music has been supported by dance music s heavy hitters names like Sasha and Digweed and Carl Cox are advocates of the duo s work, while legendary and highly influential New York DJ Danny Tenaglia has called the pair the most important producers since Giorgio Moroder.
Apart from running their own label, Low Pressings, and boasting a prolific output that has included their debut album, Junkyard Funk, Peace Division have also become one of the most in demand remix acts in modern music, turning their dirty, looped Midas touch to the likes of Moby.
Despite their recent success, Clive Henry is quick to point out that the road to recognition was not an easy one. A seven year struggle was necessary before Peace Division came to the wider attention of the dance and later pop music communities.
Yeah, Justin and me did our thing for a good few years, explains the amiable Henry. At the start it was more our hobby than any sort of career. We originally hooked up in 1992 and we just clicked straight away, but last year was make or break for us. I said to Justin, I can t just keep on releasing records like this, we got to make something of it . I was DJing and doing the odd remix, but it was up and down and I had a second child on the way. My girlfriend was behind me but I couldn t afford to sit around and wait for things to happen. We had to put 100% into it, but it s paid dividends. It was a bit of a gamble, but I m glad we took that leap of faith.
As is the case with all success stories, an element of good timing is at play in Peace Division s ascent from credible underground circles to superstar DJ supported act. This transition ties in with a realisation by the more commercially oriented spinners that lowest common denominator trance has a limited shelf life, that a return to groovier, funkier sounds is necessary.
Perusing charts from DJs as seemingly disparate as Oakenfold and Mr. C, Peace Division s tracks are a staple. It s like acid house never happened:
Yeah, music isn t as pigeonholed now, it would have been unheard of to have that range of DJs playing our music a few years ago, agrees Clive. I heard Sasha and Digweed play in Space recently and it was tough and tribal. Because they are such big names, they re educating more people. Even DJs like Oakenfold are playing Knights Of The Jaguar. I think they ve realised that there s not much depth to trance, it s a soulless thing. Our music can fit into a hard house set, a deeper set, whatever. It s a hybrid and I suppose that s what people have liked about it.
Despite the patronage of the big names, Henry views the support Peace Division have received from Danny Tenaglia and the adoption of their sound in cutting edge clubs and nights like Fabric and Elements, as vital to their progression upwards.
Two years ago, if you d told me that there d be a 2000-capacity crowd listening to our sort of music on Saturday night in London, I d have said no way! Fabric and the Elements night has helped push our music, and it shows people are willing to listen and learn. Fabric has been very important, with the residents, Craig Richards and Terry Francis, who are totally behind what we do.
As to Tenaglia, he s the pinnacle of DJs, he sets the standards! enthuses Henry. There s only a certain amount of DJs who can do what they want, and he s one of them. It s done us the world of good to get support from him. Having the Tenaglia stamp of approval has opened up other doors for us, it s meant we get taken more seriously.
Currently, you d be hard pushed to find a more in demand, critically lauded dance act than Peace Division, and, despite the increased media focus there s no let up in the duo s activities. Apart from new releases on Low Pressings from Murray Richardson, The Sun Lounge and Yann Fontaine, the duo have got releases lined up on Yoshi Toshi, a new Junior Boys Own spin-off label as well as their first ever mix CD, available in the autumn on Tide, with the second Peace Division album scheduled for next Spring. It s hardly surprising that they ve recently had to turn down some very high profile work offers.
We got asked to do Kylie Minogue s single; we didn t do it and it went straight to number one, Clive says nonchalantly. The money was really good, but we could have got really slated for it. In general, we re slowing down with our remixes because we want to focus on what we believe in.
We know what we re into, so we know exactly what to do. It s a good relationship; we ve had our ups and downs but we work well together. Long may it continue!
Junkyard Funk is out now on Low Pressings.