“I find psychedelics to be mind-expanding as they help me cast off the societal norms that stifle creativity.”
Following the success of their first collaboration on underground hit Cuckoo, LOSH and Senufo release new house slice, In the Cut.
The guys’ fresh take on tech house/techno ensures a floor filler ready to pay homage to the relationship between B-Boy and the DJ, calling them swiftly to the dance floor.
We caught up with the duo, to speak to them about their new single, and also touch upon the inspiration that psychedelic life has on them.
T.H.E – Hey guys! Welcome to T.H.E – Music Essentials. What have you been up to?
Losh – The weather in NYC has been prematurely cold so I’ve been spending more time indoors working on a ton of new tunes and trippy visuals to go with the releases.
Senufo – I’ve been putting these psychedelic shorts up on Instagram stories @senufomusic. I wish each story could be more than fifteen seconds, but the limitation makes me focus on the image and short message, so maybe they come out better that way.
T.H.E – You guys recently released ‘Cuckoo’, the first single together, a while back. How was it received in the underground scene?
Losh and Senufo – The funny thing about ‘Cuckoo’ is that its one of those tunes we just made for ourselves. It was like an inside joke or slang word that only you and your crew use, but somehow it starts resonating with other people and it catches fire. I started sharing it with other NY DJs, and the response was overwhelmingly positive so when Braslive picked up the release we knew that it had something that would speak to the underground.
T.H.E – How did you guys meet up?
Senufo – I had been skating around Bushwick checking out some new graffiti when I found some after-hours party that had just gotten underway. A friend of mine was at the door talking to some kid who ended up being Losh, and we struck up a conversation about music that continued till the dawn.
T.H.E – Tell us about the ‘psychedelic life’ that you guys live.
Senufo – I can’t speak for Losh, he does his own thing, but I’m the tripster. I’ve been living my own Electric Koolaid Acid Test. Looking for my band of Merry Pranksters to expand our minds and experience the light that shines in between the lines. There is so much to learn through psychedelics that its hard to describe the amount of joy and discovery that comes from a good trip. 2CB has been my favorite hallucinogen of late.
T.H.E – When did you guys realise that the usage of drugs, proves to be inspiring when it comes to producing music?
Senufo – I find psychedelics to be mind-expanding as they help me cast off the societal norms that stifle creativity. I’m not creating music while on a trip, but sometimes I’ll get stoned before diving into a track, or I’ll record my thoughts, during a trip, that I’ll later turn into a vocal sample or song idea.
T.H.E – Overall, drugs have a very negative definition, when it comes to the electronic music culture. What are your views on this?
Senufo – I think the definition of drugs is the problem. It’s too much of a blanket term and what is acceptable changes over time. Right now, because rich white men think they can cash in on the weed market, weed is much more socially acceptable like alcohol.
Acid, mushrooms and other hallucinogens reconnect us to the natural world. They are mind-expanding. The drug culture has always been a part of music culture, and I think that the counterculture will always find a use for illicit substances to help shed the doldrums of our daily lives.
MDMA used to be legal. Demonized by the mainstream but embraced by the underground, it’s finding its way back into the light with its therapeutic uses for treating psychological disorders such as PTSD.
Some drugs aren’t’ good for the scene but to each there own.
T.H.E – Lastly, your new single ‘In the Cut’ is quite good. How long has it been in the works?
Senufo – Most of my music comes out very quickly once the concept is in place. ‘In the Cut’ was an idea I had floating around after watching the classic breakdancing movies Beatstreat and Breaking. The song is about losing yourself to the music because the DJ is in control. I’m all about real DJs, like the early house and hip-hop DJs, not fake ass button pushers who can’t read a room or mix to save their lives. The DJ and dancer should become one, and the music is the motion that keeps the party alive.
