FCK YES! AN INTERVIEW WITH DESIGNER DRUGS

I was able to catch some time with Michael Vincent Patrick, one half of the New York DJ/Production duo Designer Drugs.  Patrick along with his partner in grind, Theodore Paul Nelson, are busy as sin with touring and finishing up their second album. (FCK YES! is hyped as FCK for this album btw)  In the interview, we discussed the start of DD, their mindset going into a DJ set, their awesome Datamix series, and the future of DD.

FCK YES! - How did it all begin? What started Designer Drugs?

Designer Drugs - We met in High School through mutual friends and were going to raves. We had similar taste in music so we started DJing house parties and making music together.

FY! - What kind of music did you both listen to growing up?

DD - Wow it's really all across the board. When I was 6 or 7 I was really into Guns N' Roses and wanted to play guitar and start a band but I broke my arm riding my bike so I quit guitar lessons and sold my guitar. Then I got into hip hop like NWA and 2 Live Crew... Once I became a bit older I was into punk, then indie, then psychedelic garage, then shoe gaze, then I got into the rave scene. We have an appreciation for all different types of music and genres.

FY! - What kind of equipment do you work with?  

DD - 3 computers, logic pro and pro tools. 

FY! - What's a typical Designer Drugs day like?

DD - They are always different. Traveling leaves no room for any real consistency but I enjoy that. 

FY! - You guys have been around the world and back again.  Whats your favorite venue?

DD - That's really impossible to answer because lots of venues are unique in their own way and what makes me like them is that they are different. Too many variables to really say but I love Zouk in Singapore because of the artwork. They have Warhols and Keith Haring paintings.... The owner is also an art collector and share similar taste in art.
  

FY! - Do you go into an event with a game plan as far as mix progression?  Or is it all on the fly?

DD - We've done both, for a long time I just went on the fly but I noticed I would forget to play a lot of our originals and remixes and that's what the fans want to hear most. They dont' just want  to hear all the new shit I got this week they want to hear our songs so we usually get together before the show and come up with tracks we think will work best with that city or country or venue and then start off with that but mix it up a bit depending on the crowd reaction.  

FY! - How hard is it juggling Nelson's medical school and staying on top of the DJ/producer game? 

DD - He actually just graduated so he is going full time Record Producer / Dj. It was very difficult esp the last two years because he was busy with school and I was touring 3-6 days a week. So I did most the of the production and mixing in my free time and whenever he was free he helped me.

FY! - Sounds like you need a vacation.  Where is your ideal chill out spot?

DD - I like going to taiwan to vacation but I like switching it up. Paris, Hawaii, Bali, Tokyo, Korea, whatever. They all have really awesome chill spots you just need to know how to find them. The saunas in Korea are the shit and the massages in Singapore are the best in the world.  The hookers in Thailand are beautiful and paris has the most chill crepes but the wifi usually sucks. 

FY! - What made you start the DATAMIX series?  (Thank you for that by the way!)

DD - I've been Djing for 16 years so I started doing mixes when I was young with turntables and tape decks. (I still have them haha) and I've made tons of them. I didn't think people listened to mixes anymore but we made one or two and the response was great and that's what inspires us. If the fans are hype on it so are we.  Now that Theo is out of med school he is going to be helping a lot with the mixes too so they should be HYPE. New one coming soon, thanks for reminding me. ha

FY! - Whats next for Designer Drugs?  Any top secret stuff you can let us in on?

DD - We are just finishing our second album and that is going to have 4 singles and remixes and 4 music videos... We are working on figuring out who will be directing the music videos etc.... The new album is gonna be fuckin sick. We finished it after theo graduated and I took time off from touring so we actually sat down together and finished it. I think because of that it's our best work to date.  

Finish this sentence:  Dubstep is…. so 2000 and late haha 

FY! - Thanks so much for your time!  I can't FCK'ing wait to catch your set at Bella Terra!

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