Cape DJs to spin decks in Holland
GOING DUTCH: Surreal Sessions duo Jodie Williams and Liam Bowers
Local DJs are taking South African music to the world.
Cape Town DJ duo Surreal Sessions, made up of Jodie Williams, 24, and Liam Bowers, 24, will be heading to Amsterdam next month for the international music festival Boiler Room.
The festival started in the underground music scene of London in 2010 and has since held events in 100 cities worldwide.
Surreal Sessions first had a taste of the Boiler Room experience when it came to Cape Town in 2019, but this will be their first time playing abroad.
Speaking to the Weekend Argus, Williams said this opportunity was made possible through a genre collaboration with Boiler Room.
“It’s called Third Space, it is when producers and artists from different parts of the world see how they can connect,” he explained.
“We chose to mix gqom with dance hall and used certain elements to create a new sound for this festival.
“Stages are chosen for the new sounds through the genre collaboration, and the result is a cinematic and dramatic experience.”
Bowers said they’ve been trying to catch a gig abroad for some time: “It feels amazing to be acknowledged for your craft and achieve your goals.”
The pair met when they attended Bellville Technical High and studied sound engineering at Cape Audio College.
Williams added: “This is our tenth year as DJs. We’ve achieved everything we set out to do thus far, but it’s crazy to think this started in a bedroom in Kuils River 10 years ago.”
To represent South Africa on the world stage was an honour, Williams said: “We just want to share with the world what we’re doing here.
“There’s always representation from Johannesburg but it’s not as prevalent for Cape Town DJs.”