A couple of weeks ago we had the chance to catch up with the Dubstep group Midnight Conspiracy. Recently signed with Ultra Records, the Chicago duo is on the road with their homemade 16ft lazer eye. Thanks to Richmonds Electronica Weekly, we rocked on the radio and talked to a few up and coming producer supporting Midnight Conspiracy before their gig tonight. Check out the text and have a listen to the live interview. Make sure to stop by their site and grab some free tracks!

How are you guys doing tonight, we are very excited to have you. Would you like to introduce yourselves?

We’re Midnight Conspiracy out of Chicago, made up of Louis and Mikul. What do you want to know?

How did you guys get started producing? How did you get to this point? and Whats started you out in the scene?

Mikul: I used to own an art gallery in Chicago, and I threw underground parties in the basement. Once I met Louis we continued to throw underground parties with some people. We go our big break by doing a New Years Eve Party and the after-party was with Justice. After that we started doing club events. Finally we met the third member of our group Graham. We were doing a party together a the club Angels and Kings, and the three of us formed Midnight Conspiracy about two years ago.

Cool, Do you guys normally perform as a trio or a duo?

Louis: It’s usually a duo. When we started out it was a trio because basically we had a weekly party that we would hang together. Now since things are getting more legit, we divide and conquer.

What have been some of your favorite moments since you have been apart of this industry?

Mikul: Getting to travel and meet new people all over the country has been awesome.

Louis: Probably one of my lesser favorite moments is now we have this big eye to lug around. When we started out we just did DJ sets, and we toured around the U.S., we just partied it out. Then we said ‘Hey, lets build this giant 16ft lazer eye with tons of L.E.D.s on it’. We started out this year, and afterwards we kind of looked at each other and wondered what we were doing.

Mikul: Yea it’s around a two hour set up and two hour tear down process.

So it a bit inconvenent?

Louis: Its awesome. Its awesome to play with and a great experience for everyone involved. But just the work put into it is a lot. Now we really appreciate bands and what they have to put up with.

Who’s idea was the eye? Did you come up with this yourselves?

Mikul: Well coming from an art background we wanted to incorporate all of that. We like visuals for our sets.

Louis: We also had less ambitious plans. We started with a 4 ft version that eventually grew. We just decided to go all out and build this 16ft eye.

How big is Justice as an influence to you guys?

Mikul: Visually they are a huge inspiration, their music these days is not so much in the direction we are going.

Louis: When they first came out with Justice and Digitalism and all of that is what got me into electronic music again. It got me into the whole scene of mixing indie rock. Prior to that I listened to a lot of Felix Da Housecat and even before that it was trance. Their was a period of time for me that electronic music went back into the underground and Justice brought it back. They reinspired me.

Being from Chicago, the birthplace of house, have you noticed do people kind of hate on Dubstep? Have you gotten any backlash from people in the area?

Mikul: I think the bigger Djs are really supportive. Felix has always been really supportive and Dj Funk and people like that. They really have an open mind to it. There is definetslly a section of Chicago that wont come to a dubstep show because house is what they are into. I don’t think they really hate on it.

Louis: But if you look at guys like Felix and DJ Funk, they always evolve their art over time. A lot of the old school house guys probably don’t like the heavy bass. Felix though has moved through the times from Vinyl to Serato, and now Traktor. He has evolved through technology, just keeping up with everything. He told us himself ‘You gotta keep up with the times, not get left behind.’

I’m sure you have heard this recent buzz behind Djing vs. Performing vs. Producing, what do you think about that? How do you perform and try to be different from the rest of the people out there?

Louis: We definetaly notice that EDM shows today are more of a performance. In the past a Djs job was to get a dancefloor going. In the states now, everyone is standing forward watching the dj and what they are performing. I feel like a lot of European acts coming to the U.S. and think its kind of strange the way people are at EDM shows. Its not a dancefloor its almost like a rock show. I think these acts really need to up their production game, in terms of light production not music production.

Mikul: Also your not playing a 4 hour set anymore where you have to build the crowd into your music. Yours playing a hour or hour and a half set. So your kinda going harder with your production during that time.

I think thats a distinction that people fail to make. People hate on producers for crushing their own tracks into their set, but what they aren’t really accounting for is the crowd waiting to hear that artists songs. I think a lot of people need to recognize that.

Louis: I think the festivals popping up all over the country has changed EDM. Now people have to festie mentality even when they arent at a festival. We played in DC at U Street Music Hall and we noticed a difference from this time vs. the last time we played. Previously there was much more of a dancefloor. This time we showed up and everyone was just standing there waiting and ready to go crazy.

You guys had to opportunity to play at Ultra Music Festival right? How was that? Thats a massive situation.

Louis: Miami is awesome. it was good! It was interesting becasue the act after us didnt show up so we played an extra long set.

Thank You guys for coming in. Is there anything else you want to add?

Mikul: Check us out online, there are a bunch of free downloads on our facebook page (facebook.com/midnightconspiracy) or go watch out eye live lazer video.

Exclusive Interviews w/ Midnight Conspiracy, Karasho, Monument by Electronica Weekly