one small seed in conjunction with Olmeca Editión Black Tequila present a new edition to one small seed magazine: The Electronic Dialogues; offering our readers an intimate showcase of the diversity in our local and international electronic music scene. In Issue 24 – our latest issue in stores now! – we brings you Blush n Bass and Felix Laband, and to follow is the full interview with the Blush n Bass duo: Taryn Pickett and Candice Heynes.
Candice Heyns and Taryn Pickett sit outside the Waiting Room on Cape Town’s Long Street, armed with glasses of wine and trading stories of the night before. They make up the duo Blush n Bass, well known for its hard-hitting and somewhat rare mix of indie and electro that features some of the latest sounds from the UK electro scene.
The duo first teamed up after Candice skipped off on a romantic weekend away instead of planning a set for her gig at Sapphire – so she nervously asked Taryn to play a few tracks with her. ‘The rest is history,’ she explains. ‘People just seemed to like it and from that day we started getting booked.’
The duo first teamed up after Candice skipped off on a romantic weekend away instead of planning a set for her gig at Sapphire – so she nervously asked Taryn to play a few tracks with her. ‘The rest is history,’ she explains. ‘People just seemed to like it and from that day we started getting booked.’
Two girls playing hard electro music stand out in a music scene where most female DJs favour more progressive house and techno. Opening for the Capetonian electronic Producer/DJ HAEZER in 2010 saw their sound evolve and move away from pretty vocals and softer electro tracks to a harder in-your-face style. Their addiction to downloaded music and Taryn’s yearly sojourns in London lets them ‘stay ahead of the scene – setting the pace instead of following it.’ And the best part of playing in a pair? ‘Drinking tequilas together instead of standing there by ourselves.’ Candice laughs.
Not what you’d expect from two women that look like they’ve just walked off a photo shoot. They are quick to dispel any perception that sexuality adds to their appeal. Candice explains: ‘We definitely try and downplay the whole sexy thing. We see ourselves as the same as any guy DJ. If they see a difference, we just don’t really respond or react to it. For example, we dressed up as nuns for Halloween instead of people who were probably dressed up as nurses.’
‘And not sexy nuns,’ Taryn adds.
Rocking the Daisies set 2011 by Blush N Bass
The two feed off each other’s and the crowd’s energy, preferring spontaneous sets over planned ones. ‘It’s so much more fun,’ Taryn explains. Their repertoire also includes individual tracks mixed under their separate names, Candice Heyns and Miss Pickett, with Taryn favouring tech house, deep house and industrial sound and Candice, who grew up on electro, mixing with a constant four-by-four beat and beautiful vocals.
As if headlining festivals in South Africa and north of the Limpopo weren’t enough, they host a monthly Blush n Bass show on 2oceansVibe radio, with Candice, who first caught the radio bug after a 5fm Radio interview, playing a weekly show solo for the rest of the month. The music is an eclectic mix, from lounge music to trip–hop, indie and electro.
While they plan on keeping Blush n Bass going, they’re also looking to expand internationally and do more mash–ups and remixes of tracks. They’d also like to start producing their own music. Candice confirms the plan: ‘To get our music out there. We don’t just want to play other people’s music all the time.’
‘Click HERE for a preview of the latest issue of one small seed, Issue 24 “Listen to my Colour and Look at my Sound”
