Two crazy kids from Leeds, we give you funkers the chance to meet funkisms newest friends, Eskimo Twins.

FUNKISM: How and when did you give birth to these Eskimo Twins?

ESKIMO TWINS: We started working together just over a year ago. It started with the two of us producing demo tracks, finding our common ground, and developing our sound. We did tunes, re-wrote and re-worked them, then scrapped them, and started over again. Then repeated the process a few more times until we were happy. We're both pretty obsessive and are very anal about production and sounds. Basically we're just a couple of synth fanatics who flippantly change their minds whilst trying to make electronic music.

FUNKISM: By logging onto your myspace it's clear that you create dark electro, do your influences of Kraftwerk and Slayer have a big part in your sound? Being head bangers at the tender age of 15 I am sure it played a part.

ESKIMO TWINS: Both of us have pretty a wide ranging taste in music. We love metal, rock and 60's pop alongside techno, house, electronica and electro etc. I guess our sound hints at the rougher musical elements you might find in a Slayer song, fast rhythmic changes, dischordant harmony, stuff like that.

In our formative teenage years we were both pretty hardcore into metal. We still like our music heavy and that probably reflects in places, but equally we're all about kick drums and vocoders. Kraftwerk's songwriting approach to electronic music is second to none. We like to have a more 'song' based approach to our music, not always just your typical Big Club Tune structure, so in that respect they have influenced what we do.

FUNKISM: If you had an Irish accent do you believe you would be a bigger hit with the ladies? Which leads me into asking, who is the better wing twin?

ESKIMO TWINS: Erm...

FUNKISM: Eskimo Twins got their taste of playing Wax: On, any funny stories to tell us seeing as you shared a stage with the Erol Alkan and Diplo.

ESKIMO TWINS: Wax:On constantly puts on the best lineups in the north of England. Last months ended with Erol, Boys Noize and Diplo going back to back in the main room and a massive stage invasion, always a great night.

FUNKISM: Any chance Diplo slipped you the Major Lazer album that night, to pass on to me of course

ESKIMO TWINS: No unfortunately he didn't.

FUNKISM: Explain the Eskimo Twins live show. Is there lots of synths and laptops?

ESKIMO TWINS: Our setup is based around 2 synced laptops, some synths, midi controllers, FX units all running together through a big desk. It's a mix of sequencing and live instrumentation; everything that can physically be played live by two people, is played. We try to make the live show as hands on as possible. One of us will be playing the basslines on the Moog whilst the other plays synths, edits, arps, or samples via triggers: then we'll swap round.

The set is organised so we can jump around tracks, extend sections and jam live as we go, so it's never quite the same each time we play it. It's more fun for us to actually play instruments rather than tweak controls on a laptops. Adding that element of un-predictability engages the audience more. With live electronic music, the sounds involved can be quite strange & ambiguous, but if the audience see you hit a key on a synth and hear the resulting noise, it makes it clearer for them what we do and keeps them involved. It also makes things interesting for us, we'd definitely get bored just pressing play on a computer and adjusting a couple of filters here and there, the way we do it is much more fun. There's always lots of running about and bad dancing on stage, we want to give the audience something to look at.

FUNKISM: Why doesn't an igloo melt inside?

ESKIMO TWINS: Because after they are built, the door is closed, a lantern is lit, the snow walls melt a little, the door is opened, the water forms a protective layer of ice over the inside. They melt in the summer.

FUNKISM: Your debut EP is out next month, is there a buzz going about the igloo? Should we be excited by delicious remixes?

ESKIMO TWINS: The EP has been a long time coming so we are please to get it out. The remixes are great, In fact our igloo recently fell down as a result of the buzz caused by the remixes on there.... Jo Kira has turned Red Triangle into a really groove-laiden, bouncy house track, it's a great summer club remix. Hostage has re-worked Insidious into a heavy electro banger. We're big fans of Hostage and were really stoked to have him on remix duties, he certainly didn't disappoint.

FUNKISM: The two of you seem very open to your fans and more than happy to give out your music if they drop you a message, which is always nice to see. Nevertheless, can you tell us where we can expect to buy your debut EP so we can show you love with some coin?

ESKIMO TWINS: Yeah we are always posting stuff up, podcasts, remixes tracks etc, the more people it reaches the better. The Red Triangle EP is coming our on 27th June via the Street Beats label. Digital download from all the usual sites, (ITunes, Beatport, DJ Download, Juno etc.) and the 12" should be doing the rounds in independent dance record shops. Our 2nd EP will be out at the end of August.

FUNKISM: We like to think we keep a bit ahead of the game here at funkism, so we cheat and ask artists such as yourself who we should be looking for in the next coming year.

ESKIMO TWINS: Joe and WIll Ask? have been making a name for themselves for a good while now, but we think they'll really be making a serious impact on the scene over the next year. We haven't seen them live yet, but their productions are great, a good mix of groove and melody. Doorly is blowing up at the moment. He's an excellent DJ and his productions and remixes are smashing it. His Toys EP will be out in July on Wax:on Music, expect big things from him over the next 12 months. People Get Real are producing some great Techno at the moment, and Youth Attack! are coming out with great remixes and tracks. On a non-electronic tip, The Old Romantic Killer Band are gonna do big things this year too.

FUNKISM: Cheers guys for letting this go ahead, I'll leave you to fish and gut polar bears. Talk soon.

Wow, don’t know about you but I definitely learnt more about the Eskimo Twins and my love for them grows once again. Would like to thank them loads for allowing this to go ahead and best of luck with the releases this summer. 27th June sees the drop of their The Red Triangle EP, be sure to get it! Get a cheeky first listen of Red Triangle here.

Any more questions for the Twins, hit them up on their myspace! They would be more than happy to sort you out with answers. Watch this space for more in the coming weeks. If you want to get even more interested in these guys, download their Wax:On Podcast.

marky!xo