The next SNOEflakes is ready, and it is packed to the brim with hard hitting grooves. Introducing some fresh faces to the family, this package is a dance floor oriented selection offering a lot of good vibes. First up is German Phineo and Mad Brother delivering a top notch Tech House tune with “Where Do We Go”. Upbeat percussions and a wicked synth underline jacking vocal elements, all melting together in a sweet release. We caught up with the guys from Hamburg for an interview just before the weekend begins.

Hei Phineo and Mad Brother. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. We are very much looking forward to your track “Where Do We Go” on the next SNOEflakes.

Thanks for the opportunity to become part of the compilation and the SNOE family. We are really looking forward to it!

What would you say is the essence of the track?
Good Vibes, Summer Feeling, Balearic Touch, Uplifting but soft

Do you make a lot of music together?
Yes! We have basically been in a regular musical exchange since we first met nearly ten years ago and our current collaborations are only the latest peak of a long term friendship.

Mad Brother: When we first met, Phineo was one of my biggest fans and came to nearly every show I played. He was always the guy to spread energy in the crowd and get hyped up even harder after every drop. Over the time we became very close friends and even something like brothers.

How did you start making music together?
Mad Brother: Phineo used to support the music I played and made under my ex alias “BLASTNOIZE” which led to our first bedroom-studio sessions in which we analyzed what we had been working on and how we could improve our sound. Some years later and I am now his biggest fan and actually have to work really hard to keep up with his talent. I really appreciate his musical evolution over the last years and I´m happy to say that he was the one who really got me back into music and relit my fire when I was almost out of the game.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you before?
Complex, intelligent grooves influenced by other genres and combined with newschool & oldschool vibes. For us it´s always important to be innovative, ignore boundaries between genres and to see music as a whole.

You both have pretty unusual names, is there a special story behind them?
Phineo: I´ve been working under the alias Phineo since the beginning. My real name is Philip and “Neo” is Greek and means “new”, as I always strive to create new innovative sounds which comes from my love to sound design.

Mad Brother: As I said earlier I have been in the music scene under a different alias before but now think that I really found myself in the new one. Since Phineo and I started to promote our Groovement events in 2016 my old name just didn´t seem to fit any more and it was time for a new one. “Mad Brother” really describes best what I am to most of my close friends and musical partners. I´m usually the old stagger that tries to help the young talents I see around me and is always open for a mad sesh.

And can you tell us a bit about your musical background?
Our influences come from House, Techno, Drum and Bass, Dubstep, Garage as well as Hip Hop.

What is your favourite toy for making music?
We love Xfer´s Serum pretty much the most. Its just incredible what sound you can get with this tool.

What is the one thing you can’t be without in the studio?
We would say our friends.

We spent most of the time in our home studio with each other and our befriended artists or with the guest Dj´s we played with whenever there was time. Currently we are in the middle of building our own professional studio in the heart of Hamburg to give us and our friends the working conditions in which we can continue to work on our sound.

And what is the one thing you do not want in your studio?
My phone.

What are your quirky sides?

Mad Brother: Mine would be that no matter how many of my idols I meet or get in contact with, I still sometimes have a short fanboy moment in which I can´t stay focused.

Phineo: That’s a real hard question haha. But sometimes I’m talking too much and when I try to match the talk I’m thinking why the fuck do I make myself so much work and my life could be way more relaxed… But in the end I wouldn’t be where I am without that “quirky side”.

How would you describe the scene where you live?
Repetitive, boring and too narrow minded. We really want to break up some of the old structures and get something new and exciting going that gives the audience a special experience.

Any place you would like to play that you haven’t been yet?
Sisyphos, Fusion Festival, South Africa/Mozambique, EDC and Electric Forest.

What do you drink when you play?
Fritz Kola, Jaegermeister, Gin Tonic and a local beer.

How do you balance music and everyday life?
To be honest no idea… Music has really become our everyday life.

What’s in store for you over the next few months?
Groovement and some things we can’t tell for now but keep posted! There is a lot coming 😉

What is your favourite Norwegian word? 😉
spor (groove), bærekraft (nachhaltigkeit), fred (frieden)