Pig&Dan: we tend not to be genre dependent and never really have

'20 Years: Pig&Dan' – the immense, twenty-track, twentieth anniversary album project from industry legends Pig&Dan – is out now via their long-standing record label ELEVATE. Delivering some of the duo's most forward-thinking techno productions date – and a track to mark each year of their musical journey – '20 Years: Pig&Dan' is a remarkable opus of intelligent, cutting edge dance music from two artists who came together back in 2002 to form what would become one of the most prolific and globally revered acts in electronic music.

Unyielding in their commitment to originality, eclecticism and tradition, the album will feature an array of brand new Pig&Dan productions, alongside a selection of new '2022 versions' of some of the duo's most celebrated anthems from the last two decades. We caught up with the guys to find out more.
— Hello Dan & Igor and thanks for taking the time to chat to us. How has 2022 been for you so far? Any particular highlights?
— Many highlights so far, especially post pandemic!! The last event we played before Covid hit was CRSSD festival which is for sure always one of our highlight events. We went back this year again and it was like we started it all over; seeing that same unity we had missed for the last years was incredibly emotional. We do this because we love to orchestrate euphoric moments with people, and help create a place where people feel good and don't worry about life or any devisions of say language, religion or the colour of one's skin. It's pure and that's why we just can't live without it!
— Where in the world are you both right now?
— We just got back from touring the USA, Canada and then returned to Europe to play an incredible Milk Factory near Brussels, which was so underground!! Just love a bit of factory vibes!!!
— Massive congratulations on an incredible 20 years in the industry and your huge anniversary album project. Can you talk to us through the release and what fans can expect when it drops on October 7?
— Thank you so much. It's a milestone for us big time!! The album is a collection of new tracks that we feel represents our journey. We've also revisited some of our first big releases and given them a more modernised touch. Its a mixed bag because that's how we roll. We tend not to be genre dependent and never really have. We write from the soul and hope that translates with others who listen to it. It a full spectrum both BPM wise and sonically. A journey through our minds over the last two decades.
— Going back to your formative years, can you explain when and how you fell in love with electronic music? Was there a particular moment when the penny dropped for each of you?
— We were both ravers at heart from a young age. We were both growing up at the time Acid house and raves just started to happen so we are from the birth of rave generation so to speak. We were both so attracted to the feeling of freedom in raves and the music just got under our skin. We had both had histories working in music in big recording studios and felt at different times that we could perhaps create music like this (I'm talking years before we even met) and both tried building careers individually as artists. I (Dan) had a long career in Drum&Bass working along Fabio and LTJ Bukem and toured the world as a DJ and Live act with an 11-piece band, playing at events such as Montreux Jazz Festival along the way. It wasn't until 2002 that I really got into the techno thing with Igor (Pig).
— What music played the biggest role in shaping you as artists, especially earlier in your career?
— Everything, really. We are so into music of all genres from Dub to 70's rock. We could never put a finger on it. I'm afraid our tastes are far too broad.
— Why did you choose to pursue techno over other styles of electronic music? What is it about the genre that you love so much?
— I think because compared to Drum&Bass for example it holds far less ego. There's a lot of family feeling in this scene over the years and DJs/artists encourage each other to do well instead of compete so much. This age has changed somewhat with the social media world being a strong part of what it has become today, but there's still a core of amazing promoters and artists who are real deal in here.
— How's everything going with ELEVATE? Besides the 20 Years album do you have any other label releases planned that you can share?
— The label was created to help bring attention to producers we felt were outstanding. The concept was to elevate people's careers and become a stepping stone to what we hoped would be a massive part of their journey. We have had multiple amazing artists subsequently being signed to Drumcode for example and this is what drove us… Since the pandemic things had to change sadly, the reason being is that we paid every month for this label to exist out of our own pockets. It was not a profitable venture and because we had no income we had to put the brakes on and concentrate on our own music being released instead of supporting others. We simply couldn't afford it. But who knows what the future holds..
— Looking forwards, do you have any specific goals or objectives you would like to achieve with the label?
— No, as I said previously it's more about putting out music we believe in. Nothing more, nothing less.
— And as artists?
— We strive to push our envelope, we are devoted to bettering ourselves on all levels. We are never satisfied with what we do and I think that's a great part of how you succeed. We have a lot on the horizon and don't intend to change that anytime soon :))
— If you could put on your own show anywhere in the world, where would it be and who would you have joined you on the lineup?
— We would love to host a festival event on our home island of Mallorca with all our close artist friends. We feel it's time to work on this and are looking at options.
— Where can we see you perform over the coming months? Any big tours planned?
— We just finished two long tours so we are looking at some studio time mostly right now. We have a lot of bookings coming up in Germany, Dubai, India and Australia
— Thank you guys, we wish you all the best!
— X