The Joy Of Drex

It's been two years since we last heard from mysterious Detroit techno-electro outfit Drexciya. The Quest double album, released at the end of 1997 was their parting shot to an industry they clearly wanted no part of.
Refusing to do interviews, have their photos taken or indulge in any part of the media circus, Drexciya believed that Quest was the final chapter in a story which began when the act were spawned from African slaves brought to America hundreds of years ago. The act had found their own "Atlantean utopia", and there they would rest for time immemorial.
However, in true renegade fashion, they have returned, with a new album, Neptune's Lair, on the German Tresor label. Surfing effortlessly between experimental gurgles, gritty G-funk, clinical electro and classic Detroit dancefloor depth, Lair stands tall, proud and polished above all the second-rate electronic muck currently clamouring for our attention. It's a bold, adventurous and clinically futuristic return to form from Motor City's original purveyors of hi-tech funk. Digital Beat was granted an interview with a Drexciya spokesperson. Here's what happened . . .
The Quest was meant to be your parting shot. Why have you returned?
The music scene has started to pick up again. There's some really good 'pieces of music' out there at the moment, stuff we've heard in clubs or on the radio that has impressed us and made us go wow! We always hoped people would listen to Drexciya and become influenced to make their own music, and now it's happening. We try and keep away from everyone else in Detroit, avoid picking up on other people's energies and do our own thing. At the same time, we've come to realise that we're all into this, we're one big family. Drexciya are as guilty as anyone of putting people down back in the day. Now we try and encourage people to do what they do best.
Given that every other dance producer is currently making electro, your reappearance is more than timely. Why do you think it's enjoying a renaissance at the moment?
The music we make is electro. Others tried to make it because it was deemed 'hot', but electro comes in so many different flavours. Electronic music, whatever you want to call it, needs this kind of music to give it variety. Instead of just hearing a 4/4 beat, instead of just having potatoes, we're saying why not have a steak as well?
In my opinion, Neptune's Lair puts you way ahead of the opposition. Did it take the full two years to make?
Yeah, it took two years on and off to make it. Some of the tracks were old, and there's a track on the album called 'Draining Of the Tanks', which represents Drexciya shedding our old ideas and injecting new sounds and experiments. That's the whole foundation of what we do: making things people don't think will work work. We also had some personal stuff we had to deal with, but the album was done at our pace. In the future we're going to be more steady with our releases instead of taking long breaks. There is a reason why the album took so long which we'll reveal at a later date. As always, we're gonna go with the water, whatever way the tide flows. It's the way we work, but we certainly ain't gonna be cranking out a record every month.
This brings us neatly on to the subject of your fascination with water, lost civilisations and tracing your roots back to some long lost water bound race. We suspect the whole 'Drexciyan Warriors' image is a bit of a piss take. Is it?
It's just an ongoing situation, we're just trying to bring a new perspective to our music. It's not radical or political, more of a history lesson, and the whole fantasy goes with it. The intelligent listener will weed out the real meanings, though.
Our music works on the same principle. We're trying to give something to all our listeners, that's why we chose not to put any vocals on the album, to let the music give people the vibes.
Think about it - humans don't even use half their brainpower, let's see where we can bring them. Who knows, if you keep on knocking on our door you might even develop telepathic powers! We're all about making people happy through our music, and not painting ourselves into one corner. We want to remain as free as the water and the wind.
You all hold down regular day jobs to keep Drexciya going. You refuse to play the media/industry game. To all intensive purposes, Drexciya are a 100% underground act. Were you ever tempted by earning some real greenbacks?
It's never been about the money. We could have signed a deal with Sony no problem, but that's not the foundation or priority with us. Sure, you need funds to keep operations going, but even if you have money you still have to stay on ground level. If you believe that the money makes you, then you're in big trouble.
There are things we do that make us money, our jobs, but that helps us stay ahead, remaining at the cutting edge. We have very high standards, and are never satisfied with our music. We're always trying to come up with something new, we're never content with what we do. The day that happens is the day we all die. n
* Neptune's Lair is out now on Tresor.