With Wild Wood festival on the horizon, we caught up with Make A Dance to talk crate digging, party energy, and what they’ve got lined up before they tear into one of the summer’s most anticipated sets.
In a scene that’s always chasing the next buzz, Make A Dance stands out for all the right reasons. Ben and Josh, the duo behind the name, have been deep in the trenches for over two decades combined, quietly mastering their craft before exploding onto the radar of those who know. With a crate-digging spirit and a keen ear for the unexpected, they weave together Classic House heaters, sleazy B-sides, off-kilter edits, and full-throttle party jams into sets that leave dancefloors spinning.
From sweat-soaked basements to the hallowed booths of Fabric, Hï, Pikes, and the fields of Glastonbury and Gottwood, their reputation for pure, uncut energy has earned them a fierce following. Whether hijacking BBC Radio 1’s Hot Mix, rinsing it out on NTS and Rinse FM, or dropping mixes alongside heavyweights like Peggy Gou and Move D, Make A Dance has shown they’re not here for the short game.
With a string of underground weapons like “I Need Somebody,” “Mad Queen,” and “Don’t Touch That Dial” on their own imprints M.A.D Records and M.A.D Edits labels that somehow still manage to push serious wax in a digital world, Ben and Josh have built a world of their own. And with the likes of Optimo, Honey Dijon, Laurent Garnier, and Seth Troxler firmly in their corner, it’s clear, Make A Dance is just getting started.
Ahead of their appearance at the Wild Wood festival this June held in Cambridge, we caught up with the lads to talk about all things M.A.D…
KOTT: Make A Dance has built a strong reputation in the underground electronic scene. Can you tell us how the duo first came together?
It’s really thanks to covid. We were living very closely to each other in lockdown and knew we had a similar taste in music. There was nothing else to do so we would just get together and make music.
KOTT: Your DJ sets are known for their eclectic mix of Classic House, Exotic Edits, Weirdo B-Sides, and Party Bombs. How do you approach crafting a set that keeps the energy high?
I think most of it is reading the room and getting people on your side, and when they are on your side you take more risks and that’s often where the magic happens.
KOTT: You’ve played at some of the most iconic venues and festivals—Fabric, Hï, Pikes, Glastonbury, and many more. What’s been a standout moment for you on stage?
There have been so many, but one that really jumps out is Heideglühen in Berlin that place is pure magic – would maybe even goes as far as saying it’s one of the best clubs in the world, perfect sound, perfect size (around 500 cap) and Woody the owner is a legend.
KOTT: Your productions, like ‘I Need Somebody,’ ‘Mad Queen,’ and ‘Don’t Touch That Dial,’ have resonated with audiences globally. What’s your creative process in the studio?
Each time is different, but I would say the common thing is we always start with one element that gets us excited, either a vocal or a bass line idea and then go from there. Josh is a real wizard producer and gets the records sounding so good.
KOTT: You’ve also made waves on the airwaves with BBC Radio 1, Rinse FM, and NTS. How important is radio and mix culture to your musical identity?
Personally, I think independent radio is so important, we have had some support from radio one but really its all the shows on NTS and Rinse that have given us the continued support, so big shout outs to people like Moxie, Bradley Zero and Scarlett O’Mally
KOTT: Your labels, M.A.D Records and M.A.D Edits, have been consistently putting out quality music. What’s your vision for the labels moving forward?
More more more, I feel we are just getting started and hitting our stride after 5 years, its taken some time to work out how to run the label and we are still learning every day. We have a very special 5 Years of MAD compilation coming out, and one day we would love a physical space, that would be a shop by day and events space by night.
KOTT: You’re playing Wild Wood Festival this year, what are you planning to bring to this already amazing lineup of talent?
We are so excited, the line up is amazing this year so feel very lucky to be included. Guess we will be bringing our own take on what dance music means to us, so expect a wild ride into the doof cosmos.
KOTT: Finally, what’s next for Make A Dance? Any exciting releases or gigs on the horizon?
The next release on the label is one of our own that’s really exciting, it’s important to us to put our best music out on our own label, if we expect other people to give us their best we also have to do the same. Then gig wise we are playing Panorama Bar in May so that’s wildly exciting.
Thanks to Make A Dance for chatting to us, go follow them on Instagram here. And check out the Wild Wood festival here.
