Basement Jaxx are a British electronic music duo who have had a long and exciting career in the music industry. The two men behind songs like ‘Where’s Your Head At?’, ‘Romeo’, ‘Raindrops’ and so many more, they’ve been in the game for over a decade, and have wowed crowds all over the world with their thrilling live shows and jam-packed DJ sets.

The band have rarely let up on the pace ever since they first came to prominence via their infamous Brixton DJ nights in the nineties. In the supposed down time between these latest records they worked on a soundtrack for Brit flick Attack the Block, the Basement Jaxx vs. Metropole Orkest orchestral record as well as their new full length material.

“We’re saying yes to more interesting gigs, because you see bands who get fed up and tired of doing the same gigs, and it’s like ‘you don’t have to do it, so shut up – you’re lucky to be doing this, and we don’t want to see you moan.”

Why did you call yourselves Basement Jaxx?

When we started, our first name was ‘Underground Oasis’ that was the name we were thinking of naming ourselves. But there was a friend of mine who was involved in the music scene and he said that there was this rock band called ‘Oasis’ and he reckoned they might get big so it might be a bit dodgy, people might get confused. He was right! So that’s how we became Basement Jaxx.

You have had a long career with many hits under your belt, how do you choose what goes into your DJ sets?

Well, it’s an element of pleasing yourself and an element of giving people what they want and to take them on a journey. Being artistic about it without being cheesy; making it work without going to the lowest common denominator. Hopefully giving people something moving in the mental, spiritual and artistic sense.

When you write music, do you often just hear something in your head so that a helmet like that would be perfect for you, or do you more often sit down and tinker with melodies until you have something?

Both, really. Sometimes you’re just playing around, something comes along and you just persist with it. Other times you have a very clear idea of what you think it should be, and it might be a bass line or a melody or a beat or rhythm, and you start with that.

How did you get involved in the London Without Limits project?

I’m always up for anything charity-related and the idea of working with a contemporary choir really appealed. I thought it’d be great while it also tied in very nicely with the Power to the People project we’re doing. This involves people from across the world performing different versions of our Power to the People song in different styles and languages, demonstrating that music can break down boundaries and connect people from all creeds and cultures. The song is on our new album but we’ve let it have its own life outside the record. It’s about people having a voice.

What do you think about London as clubbing centre?

I don’t think that exists now. Vegas and Ibiza have concentrated centres. The access to information means you can get as good a night as anywhere in the UK as London. Before London had the keys to the information and musical access. Now everything is more widespread.

Over the years, what is the biggest thing you`ve learnt?

All the ideas of celebrity and fame that people learn are definitely shallow and empty. I never really intended to get to know that world but I’ve gotten to see it. When I was a student, all my cynicism about celebrity culture was all absolutely bang on and I’m right back to where I was as a student – it’s all a load of nonsense. Please, all you students: don’t waste your time on it. Go and make your own things and to a certain extent just ignore the media. It leads to dissatisfaction, envy, just loads of things that don’t make you happier and life can be amazing.

Enjoyment is a big part of creating music, do you feel satisfaction with how far you’ve taken your music career?

I feel blessed and lucky to do something I enjoy, and the fact that the music is still being played on the radio means that people still want to hear it. If that stays for another 50 years, remains to be seen. I think everything is about the journey and experiencing life. There’s a great song by Kamasi Washington called ‘Rhythm Changes,’ that’s just saying that our genius and our success is only temporary and will fade away anyway, so don’t get too hung up on them, and all we have is the moment we are in. One day, you might climb Mt Everest. The next, something tragic happens. I dunno, we are all just experiencing this rich tapestry of being alive. People are wrapped up in celebrity culture and fame at the moment, like that’s a way out to bring happiness. I’ve gotten to see that first hand and feel the same way before I started Basement Jaxx; the things that are important have nothing to do with your success. Yeah it’s nice to get a Christmas bonus or whatever, and that’s good, but that’s all surface stuff.

When you are working in the studio, do each of you gravitate toward your own roles, or do you both work on everything?

With Simon, he gets two bars to sound like a track. For me, I’ll do the whole thing, and I’ll play it to Simon, and he’s like, “I can’t hear a thing of what’s going on.” I can hear a whole song that’s all in there, but it sounds like a mess. So it’s kind of like the elements are more important to me than the way it sounds. Obviously it has to sound good, but that’s the way my mind works.

Do you think money or class has anything to do with music?

A lot of the middle classes embrace (popular) music and it’s kind of become their thing. Pop music used to come a lot from the working class. I think that’s just the way society works. I think anyone can make music. You don’t need music. We had no money when we started out. Creativity is not about having cash.

What are your top tips for new producers?

Generally in a world where there is so much corporate entertainment, give us something more honest and artistic. It’s about ignoring what other people are doing, do your own thing and stop worrying and tweeting about what you haven’t done yet.