Today we have been blessed with greatness. Toronto DJ and production duo THUGLI just dropped off a Guest Mix and it’s a masterclass in DJing. For those unfamiliar, THUGLI is a collaborative project between world-class turntablists Pat Drastik and Tom Wrecks. The duo was instrumental in the rise of the electronic trap movement and have done official remixes for Diplo x GTA, Keys N Krates, Allison Wonderland and more. After taking nearly two years off, THUGLI returned strong this year with a vibey original in ‘Stuck In Nirvana,’ a bangin’ remix for ESKEI83, and rap collab with JD Era. They’ve flexed their production skills, but now they’re back with an hour long exclusive mix for FUXWITHIT to remind y’all why they are two of the nicest DJs in the world. The mix spans genres and vibes, taking listeners on a journey while showcasing a level of technical proficiency rarely seen in 2019. We also caught up with duo to learn more about their time off, their comeback, plans for the future, how the Toronto electronic music scene has evolved over the years and much more. Dive in below.
Tell us a little bit about the mix. What was you goal/vision when putting this together?
This is our first mix we’ve done in a while and we’re definitely hyped on it. If you’ve heard any of our previous mixes, we’re very meticulous as far as arrangement and this one is no exception. It’s a reflection of our tastes at the moment, things you’d hear in our current sets, lots of word play/cutting/scratching/turntablist work and of course, some of our new joints and exclusives from our friends.
Earlier this month you said you can’t wait to get back on the road. Where are you headed?
We’re in the midst of organizing that at the moment. It’s been a bit since we’ve done a proper North America run so following the release of some new music, we’re going to get back out there.
The music has taken so many different directions and it’s cool to see it expand, but the community feels more spread out and less tight knit as it once was.
The Toronto electronic music scene has changed a lot over the years. I feel like when you guys were blowing up it was at its apex but since The Hoxton closed it hasn’t felt the same. You’ve been in it for a minute, how do you think things are looking right now?
It’s definitely a different atmosphere compared to those early days. The music has taken so many different directions and it’s cool to see it expand, but the community feels more spread out and less tight knit as it once was. Think that just comes with time though. When things first got rolling there was only a handful of people in the game. It’s extremely oversaturated now. Not in Toronto per se, but in the world of electronic music in general.
As Toronto mainstays I know you must’ve been hyped to see the Raptors take the championship. Did you do anything special to celebrate? How did you feel after the win?
Still can’t believe it really. Such an incredible moment for the city and the country. We didn’t do anything too special as far as celebrating. Downtown TO was insanity so we stayed in but we took in a bit of the parade a couple of days later.
There were a few reasons we took 2017/2018 off but it was mainly to focus on spending time with our family. It was needed.
You took 2018 off. Can you speak to what prompted the break from releases?
There were a few reasons we took 2017/2018 off but it was mainly to focus on spending time with our family. It was needed. It also gave us time to reflect on where we wanted to take Thugli musically and to start making things we wanted to make rather than just cater to what we thought people wanted. It sort of brought us back to those early days of Thugli where we didn’t focus on trends and just made what we felt like making. It’s yielded some of our best work to date.
Has it been hard to come back?
It hasn’t been easy but nothing in life should be. The music industry moves fast and taking two years off means essentially starting over, but again, it was needed. It’s also such a different time with such an abundance of people making music. It’s a bit harder for artists to get noticed nowadays but we thankfully still have a loyal fan base and lots of support from our peers. We’re also just really excited about all of our new releases coming out in the next little bit. We’re confident in the music we’ve been making and that’s what matters most to us.
We were pretty quick to be labelled as a “trap” act early on, but really our love for music is extremely diverse. It’s important for us to show that as producers and not be bound by one genre.
Your releases this year have been pretty diverse from Future R&B, to a classic Thugli Trap remix and a rap banger. Where’s your sound headed from here?
Like we mentioned before, we’ve just been making music we feel like making. Whether that’s rap, house, trap, or whatever reflects our mood/feeling at the moment. We have such eclectic tastes and we’re at a point where we want to explore them as much as possible and not be held in the clutches of one style. We were pretty quick to be labelled as a “trap” act early on, but really our love for music is extremely diverse. It’s important for us to show that as producers and not be bound by one genre.
What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the year?
We’re just really hyped to get out all this music we’ve been sitting on the last few months and get back out on the road doing shows. We really do love what we’re doing and we just want to keep doing it as long as possible.
Tracklist:
1. Joker ft. Buggsy – Music x Russ Splash – Gun Lean (Vandalized Edit) (THUGLI INTRO)
2. OT Genasis – Cut It (Instrumental)
3. 2 Chainz – Watch Out (Accapella)
4. Cardi B – Bodak Yellow (Accapella)
5. LSDXOXO – Death Rattle
6. Outlander – The Vamp
7. Mr. Carmack – Roller
8. Bite Me – Lunar
9. THUGLI – Smooth Shit (Interlude)
10. Conducta – Vitamin C
11. Jengi, Canblaster, JAËL & Wantigga – Flute (THUGLI ‘Switch My Style’ Edit)
12. Kendrick Lamar ft Travis Scott – Big Shot (InLapse Remix)
13. Ron Burgandy – You Play Flute? (THUGLI Interlude)
14. JAËL – Indian Flute
15. Future – SHIT (Acapella)
16. Vanna – To The M.A
17. Missy Elliot – She’s A Bitch (Accapella)
18. Montèr – Bossa Picante
19. Sergio Mendes – Magalenha (JAËL Remix)
20. Montèr & Loumana – Ta Favoravel
21. Q Da Fool & Kenny Beats – Drop
22. 2 Chainz ft. Travis Scott – Whip
23. Unknown T – Homerton B
24. Promnite – Gallow
25. ASAP Ferg – East Coast (Accapella)
26. Jengi – Jeepie
27. Drake – No Guidance (THUGLI Remix)
28. Royal T – Clouds
29. J.Robb – Missurlovee
30. Lone – Crush Mood
31. KLap & Enzo – Toda
32. AbJo – Rosé
33. Sinjin Hawke – They Can’t Love You
34. ASAP Ferg ft. Big Sean – Bezerk (Nick Bike & Freeza Chin Club Mix)
35. THUGLI ft. JD Era – I Got It
36. Pat Lok ft. Alo – Move Slow (Ganz Remix)
37. Sokos – If You Need Me
38. Jackal – In Love With Nobody
39. Ganz – Luv U Twice
40. Ezzyland – Speedrun
41. Eskei83 – Make The Record Skip (THUGLI Remix)
42. Tre Mission – SE15
43. Wize – Be Happy
44. Jeftuz – Be There
45. THUGLI ft. Bea Moon & Twigg – Stuck In Nirvana
46. Incubus – Outro
