DJ duo Chaos in the CBD are not only making their parents proud, but the whole of Aotearoa.
The Kiwi brothers, who hail from Devonport on Auckland's North Shore, have made their way onto the front cover of the world-renowned Mixmag's May issue.
Louis and Ben Helliker-Hales chat about their lives in New Zealand to then moving overseas and becoming a staple in the London music scene.
From being in a band together in their teens to talking about how the music their parents listened to shaped their tastes, the boys also reminisced on their early days in the Auckland music scene.
“It was such an exciting time, but in terms of what we like now, we missed the golden era where Chicago and Detroit house legends would pass through,” Louis told Mixmag.
They also shout out the local and legendary InkBar on K Road and how it was seen as “Disneyland for adults”.
Fast forward to the lads setting off to London, where they played countless gigs and produced some absolute masterpieces. Now, the pair have come out with a new project titled ‘A Deeper Life’. The 14 track album is described as “the brothers returning to their roots”.
‘A Deeper Life’ is an elegy to their time growing up in New Zealand, inspired by the utopian surroundings of their youth: lush rainforests, glistening waterfalls, golden beaches,
the guys told Mixmag.
Collaborating with other New Zealand artists such as Isaac Aesili and Nathan Haines, the body of work gives a true picture of Aotearoa’s talented and thriving electronic music scene.
We’re very proud to be Kiwis, but sometimes there's this disconnect when it's a whole 24-hour flight away,
they said.
This album tells our story, that feeling we grew up with, and I think it translates in the music. We listened to the project back home on a road trip, and it was like, ‘Wow’. It all made sense.
With their own label ‘In Dust We Trust’, the Chaos in the CBD brothers are on a mission to release other budding Kiwi artists' music.
We’re lucky enough to be in a position now where we can platform other people,
they said.
So bloody proud of these talented guys and how far they’ve come, and all being celebrated during NZ Music Month - what a time!
