Disclosure: We’d never even been to a club when we made our first single

For most of us, reaching eighteen years of age opens up a new world for exploration, spontaneity and out right drunken silliness. Although, for two young brothers from Surrey, before even reaching eighteen they were already unleashing some of the most talked about DJ sets across the country.

Guy who is now 20 and his brother Howard who is just 17, have since 2010 been laying down some of the most compelling and innovative performances, in the depths of some of the country’s leading underground electronic music venues. Tipped by the likes of Radio 1’s Annie Mac and Pete Tong as one of 2012’s most thriving new talents, the pair have been key contributors in carving together a contemporary sub-genre of bass music itself. Their unique two-step, soulful, jazzy house sound has been immensely popular following the release of their first their first EP, ‘Offline Dexterity’ on the label – Moshi Moshi in 2010. Since then, their songs have employed vibrant, energetic and bouncy bass lines, whilst incorporating the purity of soft female vocal chords.

When the pair became aware of the existence of electronic music two years ago, they became engrossed in already established artists, Burial and Joy Orbison and wanted to influence their sound on such pioneers within the genre. However, I must clarify, these guys have formed their own unique identity, which can be demonstrated in their sets. At their live gigs, both come equipped with drums, cow bells, a bass guitar, symbols, meanwhile combining an electronic synth linked up to their MacBook. It creates a different kind of atmosphere at the venue, as you witness the mechanics of the sounds being put together, you feel even more compelled to dance away amongst the rhapsodic mood Disclosure effortlessly attain.

I managed to catch up with the pair ahead of the release of their new EP on 4 June, which will have their new tracks on: Boiling featuring Sinead Harnett, Lividup, Control featuring Ria Ritchie and already a YouTube hit – What’s in your head.

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First up, where did the idea come from to make a duet or did it just happen naturally?

Guy: It wasn’t intentional, in fact it was a total accident because Howard started making beats on his laptop and I was doing music technology at college, and it was then it all merged together.

Did you expect to achieve the level of success you have had so quickly?

Howard: No, not at all. When we made our first single, ‘Street Chronicle’, we knew absolutely nothing about dance music. I was 15 and had never been to a club. I didn’t even know the bass music scene even existed.

Howard, you attended college, but with your busy gigging schedule have you managed to keep up with the work?

I’ve technically left college, I think I’m still allowed to take the exams, so someone pulled some strings along the line somewhere. [Laughs]

When did you both realise that Disclosure was starting to hit the big time?

Guy: It has started to feel crazy recently, when my friends who are at university, send me pictures of their mates who we don’t even know, are playing our tracks at parties. It’s a great feeling, it’s really amazing.

Howard, your still not quite 18, is it frustrating not being able to drink at bars and clubs your playing at?

Let’s just say when your an artist at the venues it has its perks if your not quite 18 yet. [Laughs]

What do you want the crowd to get out of your sets?

Howard: We never wanted to be DJ’s, we are a band who DJ. Sometimes when people come up to us during our set, they hold up phones with a track to play, but we are playing a live gig.

Guy: We like to build the track together when we are playing live and we really want our sets to be captivating and really create a sound the crowd can relate to.

Who are your main musical influences?

Guy: I used be into singer song writers and some pop, whereas Howard was into 90’s hip hop, but I think Joy Orbison and Burial are ones we look up to now.

And finally, you recently finished supporting SBTRKT on tour, how was that? And what was the best night?

Howard: It was such a great experience, but I think we’d both agree, Nottingham was the best night of the tour, Stealth and Rock City are superb venues and the crowd gave us a great reaction as well.

For details on their EP release and upcoming tour dates, check out the Disclosure Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/disclosureuk

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• Robert Maune

  Do you mean ‘cymbals’?

• Daisy_whitehouse

  Really like this article. Saw these guys in Reading a few weeks back and they were immense!

• andychelsea1988

  Disclosure are officially smashing it at the top now, looking forward to seeing them at Lovebox festival..and the weather better stay as nice as this.

• EowynRohan01

  Disclosure are superlative….. as DJ’s go. However, let us not accord to them a higher degree of reverance than any DJ would reasonably expect, nor proceed to confuse their stature as mere DJ’s with others who actively create music.

• dannydj2011

  Saw Disclosure last week and they certainly smashed it up, been following them for a while, cool little interview!

• ChiefBloviator

  The great thing about House music is its underground status – very little corporate music and lots of highly respected people who have been creating a rich vein of excellent music for years. Jimpster and Atjazz come to mind in the UK. Disclosure’s music is ok but this does sound like an attempt at ‘the old kids picked up making music one afternoon and are now killing it everywhere’ marketing spiel beloved by promoters. 
  Best of luck to them, hope they stay true to their influences 

• serpentdanslherbe

  I assume they ‘ come equipped  with ‘ cymbals and not symbols, as stated?

• markharter_01

  Really like this article and of course, Disclosure. I think it’s great that these guys are getting a good amount of coverage, keep up the good work. Although, I hope that they stick to what they know is their identity and do not get caught up in the whirlwind of commercialism.