Interview by Danny Calvi
Photography by Jamie Dunbar
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| Jonny, center, and some of his buddies at the sauna formally known as Ken's Karate Klub in Sydney |
When Jonny and Paul met in Sydney one night, they quickly formed a brotherly bond and musical partnership, Stereogamous. Jonny got busy behind the decks, deejaying clubs and saunas, while Paul decamped to the studio. These days, they’re quite in-demand for their remixes — they’ve done them for LCD Soundsystem, as well as George Michael and Kylie Minogue. They’ve recently put out their first twelve-inch, ‘Face Love Anew’, with Shytown native Shaun J. Wright. In the run up to their appearance at the House of BUTT party in Berlin, they’ve crafted a steamy mix of their current favs especially for BUTT readers.
About once a year, Stereogamous head over to Europe to play a string of dates, and I am treated to one of Jonny’s seriously deep hugs. If hugs can heal, Jonny’s the go-to guy for a robust squeeze. It’s a shame you cannot hug over Skype.
Danny: You got your start deejaying at Ken’s Karate Klub, this sauna in Sydney. Do you still deejay in saunas?
Jonny: The last one I did was in Auckland at the Centurian Sauna. They had a party with five hundred men. And the great thing about New Zealand and sex clubs is you can buy alcohol. Alcohol plus steam rooms means a fantastic time for all.
How did you end up collaborating with Shaun J. Wright?
Paul: We were in Barcelona and managed to crash backstage when Azari & III and Hercules were playing. We totally connected. We started sending music that we’d been writing and Shaun sent vocals back from Chicago.
Jonny: Shaun just arrived in Sydney actually. He’s pretty jet-lagged, but he’ll be performing at my club night, Club Kooky, at the Sydney Opera House this weekend.
Paul: Every time we get together, we write new music.
And whatever became of your George Michael collaboration?
Paul: We did a bunch of stuff, and we did a remix for that single that he put out just before the Olympics. There was going to be like a bunch of tracks for his album, but then he kind of like — we haven’t seen him for a while.
Jonny: He’s kind of been off the radar.
Didn’t you guys meet when he was there in 2010, when he was hanging around on the yacht with the bisexual escort?
Paul: Yeah, we were on that trip.
Jonny: We had an amazing time. He took us around and we went dancing. He does have really good taste in music. He loves deep house… He actually cancelled his opening act and got us to support him when he played that stadium show.
Apparently George Michael returned to Australia this spring to go to rehab at this place called The Sanctuary near Byron Bay.
Jonny: Is that what the UK media is projecting?
Yeah, did you two check-in on him there?
Jonny: No. The press was also saying that he bought a house in Sydney.
I read The Sanctuary is most luxurious place in the world to dry out — Naomi Campbell went there in 2006. But Byron Bay seems like hippy central. Like, the kinda place you go if you want to score some weed.
Paul: Well, it used to be, but it’s very upmarket now.
Jonny: Going to Byron Bay to go to rehab is like going to Amsterdam and to give up pot. They have MardiGrass there, which is like a celebration of all things marijuana-related.
Paul: They have a great gay beach there as well called King’s Beach.
Jonny: It’s incredible! You can have sex then wash off in the beautiful ocean. And people will give you a free beer.
Paul: It’s like a rainforest with heaps of walking tracks.
You allegedly dropped E with Kylie. Is that true?
Paul: You’re going to get us in trouble…
Jonny: It’s funny, people allege that we’ve done drugs with everyone we’ve ever worked with, you know, but there are some things that have to be kept sacred.
Paul: We don’t drop and tell!
↓ Download the 4/4 Finger Bang by Stereogamous as MP3
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