I had a chat with Weston & Engine before their set at Mieliepop Festival, check it out…

How did Weston & Engine start?

Weston & Engine started at a contemporary music school situated in Fourways called Organic Audio (OA).  Initially, WE were formally known as a Dj/producer duo called Earth Engine. At that time WE had just started establishing ourselves amongst many other respected professionals WE are now humbled enough to call our friends. WE met a very talented producer studying at OA with us, his name is Carl Weston. During our time learning and eventually working for OA WE had found a great deal of respect and interest working together on music and certain production techniques in the studio. WE at the time realized WE could collaborate with Carl. Once WE caught wind of the school closing WE heard destiny calling and decided to team up with Carl Weston for a trio live performance dj/producer act called Weston & Engine. Earth Engine meet Carl Weston and Weston & Engine was born. Since then Carl has pursued a career in teaching and WE continued to develop our brand and sound under the Weston & Engine Alias

You get your inspiration from quite a few genres; how did you guys settle
the sound you currently have? Deep Progressive Techno?

WE wouldn’t necessarily say WE have settled. WE love to play many different styles of house music, minimal and techno and it definitely speaks when WE look at all the different shows WE have been invited to. In the same breath over the last couple of years many associate us with an ethereal deep progressive techno sound, more commonly heard at many eclectic electronic dance music establishments and events WE play at.

Truth Night Club was actually our true calling to the Deep Progressive Techno sound WE have been appreciated for. At the time more artists were moving away from deep tech to a techno sound and since WE are passionate about genres like Jazz and Blues the more melody driven sounds and rhythms spoke to us more. For us even playing the darkest music, there has to be warmth, feeling and genuinely appreciated musicality identified through the melodies and baselines WE love to share. It’s very important for us to also be very versatile, so WE also play everything from Deep House, Tech House, Techno, Minimal, Dub, Electronica and the odd break beat track to introduce our sets every now and then

You played a lot of venues around SA and have supported many local and international artists. What festivals and artists do you hope to play at/perform with in the future?

There are too many to mention to be very honest. There are world-class festivals and establishments WE wish to play abroad. Europe has so much to offer even with so much talent there WE would definitely love to play Awakenings, ADE, Ibiza SuperClubs, Glastonbury, Boiler Room etc. In South Africa WE still have a few local boxes to tick… Rocking The Daisies, Future Frequency Festival, Kinky Disco, CTEMF and ULTRA Fest

Artists: WOW there’s a long list of artists and many have been ticked thanks to our amazing residency at Truth. Other artists… Too many to mention to be totally honest, I think WE would need a few pages for this interview

Any tips and tricks you can give to aspiring producers/DJs?

Stay Humble! Work Hard! Don’t Be afraid to learn.

Don’t be in a rush to get to the end of the race just enjoy the journey.

Make friends, smile, look after your body and always remember your family and friends and try to maintain a balanced lifestyle, it’s very easy to get lost in the scene trying to impress the people and artists around you.

JUST BE REAL and never compromise if you have high standards, reach for the stars and understand the different layers of atmosphere you need to go through on the way up

You’re playing Mieliepop, what are you most looking forward to about the festival?

Mieliepop is a special show for us, not only are the organizers extremely genuine and friendly, they also know how to make you feel like you’re apart of the family. The venue is absolutely beautiful and the facilities are really well taken care of. The staff are always willing to go the extra mile and the people are exciting and always eager to go on a musical journey. They are super responsive and never afraid of listening to something out the ordinary. They love to be guided and educated through new musical journeys. WE are really proud to be playing for the second consecutive year on the COOL IN THE POOL STAGE. This year it’s that extra bit more special as WE get to represent El Momento, a brand founded by Pablo that WE are proud to call ourselves official residents. This years Mieliepop WE are looking to better our experience last year and create lasting memories for everyone on the dancefloor