Disco Fries Discuss Exhilarating Third Album ‘Another World’, Helping The Next Generation of Producers, & How Amazing French Fries Are In Exclusive Interview
The boys are back, baby! This time around, Nick Ditri and Danny Boselovic, who make up the DJ/producer duo Disco Fries, have unleashed their highly anticipated third album ‘Another World.’
We’ve been on the edge of our seat since hearing the lead single “Love You Loud” with dance music icon Ferry Corsten featuring Leon Stanford. We’ve eager to hear what NYC duo Disco Fries have in store and they did not disappoint.
Another World takes you on a musical journey from start-to-finish, as many truly consistent bodies of work do. Starting things off with a big vocal, the album’s title track, “Another World,” will reel listeners in from the very beginning. The LP continues with other vocal-heavy songs, dance-floor-ready tracks, progressive tunes, subdued & subtle cuts, and radio-friendly anthems, making it an album that showcases a motley mix of electronic music sub-genres and fits many moods. To commemorate the release of Another World, Disco Fries hosted an advance album listening party event at an on-the-water brewery venue in New Jersey, ahead of the album’s official release.
“We’re very much looking forward to embarking on the latest in the Disco Fries journey – the release of our new album ‘Another World.’ The album is chock full of massive collaborations and eclectic productions that the Fries have become known for. There’s an identifiable consistency across our sound, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all of the massive support we’ve already been receiving on the album’s tracks from some of the biggest DJs and dance stations in the world. Strap in, close your eyes, and pop some bubbly as you get sent off into ‘Another World’… thanks for flying!” – Disco Fries
We also had the chance to speak with them about the album and what’s ahead for this year. Check it out below!
How has your Berklee education impacted your careers? Do you still find yourself using techniques you’ve learned there?
Danny: We owe a lot to Berklee and can safely say we wouldn’t exist as a duo had we not met there. It laid a great foundation for songwriting, knowledge of music theory, and fundamentals of mixing and sound design. While it didn’t all apply directly to what we do today it certainly gave us a leg up on other producers coming onto the scene at the same time as us.
Nick: Berklee was huge for us to get started, understand the basics of mixing, composition, and putting sounds together. I will also say, any formal education in music doesn’t properly prepare you for what’s coming. In a creative business that changes so rapidly, how could it? There is so much we had to unlearn and relearn from working with most collaborators who might not have formal training and work by ear, to the business of music which is always a silly game. There are so many nuances to what we do that you can’t teach in a book and you have to learn by doing but without a doubt Berklee helped us have a bit of a head start.
Since the release of your last album, in what ways would you say you guys have matured sonically as well as personally?
Nick: I think we have evolved as artists so much since our last album, but at our core we’re still just two goons messing around with sounds until we land on something where we both say “YO THAT’S DOPE!”. We haven’t lost the fun, the spontaneity, or really just giving zero f*cks about making whatever we want. In the beginning of our career, it always felt like walking on egg shells when we’d bounce around genre’s, but as time has passed I think we’re now just to a point where we are even more comfortable being us. I think that not only comes with time in the business of music but also with getting older, maturing and being more sure of our decisions. We realize that not every song will be a SMASH and that’s ok. We can always make another one. That’s typically our number one piece of advice to up and coming artists. You are an artist… if a song doesn’t land, there’s always tomorrow, you have plenty more tunes in you.
What does your new album ‘Another World’ mean to you guys? Do you have a personal favorite track from the LP and why?
Nick: Another World means a tremendous amount to me. In a time where our industry is dictated by singles, putting out a complete body of work is almost seen as rebellious. It’s strange but it is what it is. We feel nostalgic about albums and putting together a body of work still feels like the right thing to do both as artists and for the fans. Another World tells the story of our last 12-18 months putting these songs together, the influences we had over that amount of time, the writers we worked with, and experiences we had all pour out in the songs. This is the first album we’ve done where my favorite song changes every week but I’d say at the moment “The Edge” with Sarah de Warren is really hitting nicely.
In what still remains a somewhat singles-driven industry, what made you decide to release a full-length LP?
Danny: Definitely agree that dance music is largely singles driven but personally I like the idea of working towards a larger body of work. It’s motivation for us to work through all of the ideas and drafts we have kicking around on our computers to finish up the best of them. It also serves as a snapshot of our sound and style at this moment in time.
Do you guys tend to work on music together in person more than virtually, or vice versa?
Danny: When we first started we worked on almost everything together. It was important to develop a sound together that blended our musical backgrounds. Over the years, I moved around a lot first in NJ, then NYC, and ultimately back to VA where I grew up and with each move we worked less in person as travel between studios became a hassle. Now we work almost exclusively remotely but since we spent so many years in the studio together we have a solid understanding of what the Disco Fries sound is and where we’d take tracks musically. Of course we still do virtual sessions, bounce ideas off of each other as we go, and take turns getting our hands on the mixes throughout but none of it really requires both of us in the studio simultaneously.
Over the years, what would you say have become some of your studio routines, rituals, or things that might help light the creative spark?
Danny: It used to be as simple as getting in the studio, listening to lots of music, and if I got stuck I’d jump on YouTube to watch tutorials and other stuff for inspiration. Now I don’t have the time to hang out for hours waiting for inspiration to strike so I’m a lot more focused in the studio. Getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating like a reasonable person surprisingly go a long way and have really helped me be more productive with the time I have in the studio.
Nick: I love being under the gun in the studio. Getting a last minute project, sync opportunity, or just an idea that we have to turn out with quick decisions, really gets me going. Sometimes it’s nice to place artificial deadlines on projects just to force ourselves to hone in and not f*ck around.
To date, what are some of your stand-out career moments or accomplishments that you still sometimes can’t believe happened to you?
Danny: Working with Tiësto on his 5th studio album, A Town Called Paradise, will forever be a highlight for me. He was one of the first names I knew in dance music and his 2007 album Elements of Life was hugely influential to Nick and I when we first started making music together.
Nick: I agree with Danny. That experience with Tiesto really set it off. What that did for us to grow as producers, artists, and in the business of music has been second to none. In addition to that, I’d have to say some of our first touring experiences in Asia and clubs in the States like Pacha (we miss you), Avalon, Encore, and so many others, really resonated with us and helped us develop as live artists. The newness of playing a show in a new market, at a highly influential venue still is special for us.
In addition to your Disco Fries artist project, you work with producers on your Finish My Track service. How did this come to fruition and why should a rising DJ/producer choose FMT?
Nick: We started Finish My Track a couple years ago along with the live stream to help both up and coming producers and established finish their records. I’d say the majority of artists get stuck in that last 20% of the song, making decisions to finalize a mix, figuring out what sounds need to be swapped out, and what ultimately works and doesn’t work. We’ve done this on hundreds of records over the last decade so we wanted to create a service that really knocks it out of the park for artists who might need the help. For the rising producers, we just created a premium member subscription where we’re helping give them the tools to finish and release records. We’re doing monthly sample pack downloads, stems, tutorials, group calls, and fee-free distribution so they don’t have to shell out money out of pocket just to put a record out.
How good of a matching is disco with fries? Do you suggest ketchup with them as well or is there another sauce?
Danny: I’ll never turn down fries if offered so they’re good for basically every occasion. We recently even had them handed out mid-set during our show at Djais in Belmar, NJ. When it comes to dipping, ketchup is the classic but I’m down with almost anything. Mayo, malt vinegar, cheese, gravy, there isn’t really any way to go wrong.
Nick: Give this man a soapbox, we need the masses to hear this information!
