FIVE MINUTES WITH... THE 2 TROUSE BROTHERS

Who are these masked men? Where do they come from? These are the questions that surround the DJ duo known as The 2 Trouse Brothers… but what’s never in doubt is their superb bi-monthly performance at Zouk’s Dirtybeats! Tiesto may have pioneered trouse music (combination of house and trance) but The 2 Trouse Brothers elevated it to another level. We interrogated the helmet-clad, LED-sparkling duo and tried to lift the veil on their origins…

First off, you’re collectively known as The 2 Trouse Brothers, what are you guys known as separately?

We come together, as a pair, never separately. We’ve always been known as The 2 Trouse brothers, of course!

What’s the appeal of trouse for you guys?

People think of "trance" as being cheesy. We think the marriage of house and trance helps neutralize this perception slightly. We also believe in what Zouk represents; forward thinking and constantly pushing the boundaries of dance music. As such, when we were approached by Zouk to helm a night, we saw how this would potentially change the lives of many and create an experience to last a lifetime and take trouse music to new heights.

What’s your defence for people who say that “progressive” is the proper term for “trouse”?

We don't care how people classify us, we view trouse as the new sound to pay attention to, and it seems that all the trance house or electro DJs are jumping into it as well. Just check out Above & Beyond's new album and you’ll realise more than half the tracks fall under the category of "trouse". The distinction between what is considered progressive, trance or house has suddenly been blurred.

Your origins are murky, well… more like unknown. Could you elaborate on how The 2 Trouse Brothers came about?

We choose to remain anonymous and our origins remain unknown. What matters is our coming together to make music.

What were you doing before your Zouk residency?

Concentrating on music.

How did you rope in Emma Hewitt for the upcoming Dirtybeats event?

She did a couple of amazing tracks with Dash Berlin and we have been closing our set with Waiting, so we thought it would be great to have her onboard. She has never been to Singapore before so we are excited to be part of her debut.

What do you have planned for Dirtybeats on July 22?

Expect everything and you’ll still be amazed.

Lastly, how do you stay cool underneath the helmets and LED-laced jackets?

We are cool by nature ;)

Text by Wayne Cheong

Image and interview by Zouk