Following up on his salacious ‘Sex I’m An Addict’ release on Soul Clap Records, Montreal-based artist The Fitness makes a highly anticipated return to Wolf+Lamb Records for the ‘Freak Out’ EP featuring once more a collaboration with Pony alongside two solo cuts. In addition to showcasing a full premiere of lush Summer cut ‘Techno & You’ today, we caught up with the enigma that is The Fitness.
WWD: Your first single “Sex I’m An Addict” just dropped on Soul Clap Records. Now you’re releasing the Freak Out EP on Wolf+Lamb Records. How did you get involved with Crew Love?
It’s actually a really good story, some wizard magic was definitely in the air. A friend of mine had done a little design work for one of the Crew Love guys and said we should go hangout with them because they were in town to play Piknic. I was at at a day party at Never Apart and they have a great little pool and the vibe is nice so i decided to go before hand. Mid afternoon the friend said he was held up in another city and wouldnt make it back in time for Piknic so i decided to stay put. After finishing the last of his drink and a flawless twirl Cary Tauben said he was going to say hello to Eli & Charlie because they were friends. I hitched a ride with him and in the car he mentioned we would pick up Pony on the way. So we got there and said hi to everyone, had a great time together and ended on such a great note it was alot of fun. We decided to drink at their favourite spot in Montreal, Bethlehem Xxx. At the end of the night we played Eli from Soul Clap the first version of Sex Im An Addict through headphones and he loved it. A few days later they played it in Miami at The Electric Pickle and the day after we signed it. Thats where it all started.
WWD: There’s been a lot of talented names that have come up through Wolf+Lamb – Nicolas Jaar, Seth Troxler, No Regular Play – do you feel any pressure representing a label with such a rich history?
I think their range in taste makes us feel comfortable doing our own thing. We feel really confident in what we’re doing and so to have Crew Love backing us the way they do is amazing. We have a sound you can’t really categorize anyway so we need a support system that has range and the fact that they’re supporting us alot and giving us the space to do our thing makes us feel comfortable. I’ll be honest, knowing Crew Love and the sound they typically have at their parties i was a bit nervous before our first live at The Marcy Hotel in Brooklyn. But it went oooofffffff and everyone was responding to our music and energy.
WWD: The Fitness is a new project for you. Can you tell us a bit about what you were doing before, why you launched The Fitness and what it stands for? What’s helped influence and shape your sound?
I made my name as a local dj in Montreal as Ponsolo. That’s very much been me exploring underground house & techno and has let me explore so many different genres with finally landing where i am right now – playing small clubs on the regular with appearances at the bigger festivals like Piknic, Igloofest, Ile Soniq and this year AIM. The music im making Pony is really what inspired the new music and because it’s so hard to categorize it doesn’t really fit with what I’m doing with my solo stuff. New energy, new sound, new project. The biggest influence has been Pony otherwise i’d most likely be working on stuff to put in my dj sets. But it’s been so organic and fun with him my production has taken off in a different direction. I think the fact that i come from the school of hip hop as a teenager, fell in love with house & techno when i moved to Montreal and then working with Pony have been the main ingredients.
WWD: This EP is quite a departure from your previous tracks. You’ve gone more melodic, you’re singing. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
I love to sing. I wouldn’t say I’ve got a crazy set of pipes but I have great ideas and through time and effort have be able to translate those good ideas into some of my productions. These two tracks are the cream of the crop of when those good ideas (with a little help from modern technology 😉 really made magic. Working with other producers like Kagano helps alot because sometimes doign a track front to back you can get tired…creatively. Having someone with other influences and taste with maybe more skill alleviates some of that pressure and i’m able to explore the singing side of things.
WWD: You and Pony first collaborated on “Sex I’m An Addict” and again on “Freak Out” on this EP. How did you guys meet and start working together? Can we expect more from the two of you in the future?
After parties. I was a up and coming dj and Pony and I have lots of mutual friends and he was beginning to MC at parties. Both always got along – nothing but good vibes. When i had my residency at Stereobar he came and asked for id’s on a bunch of tracks and they were all originals. He had worked with other producers before and i already knew he was crazy talented, and i had only worked with one mc before. But something about our taste and vibe brought out the best in eachother. Lots to come in the future i’ve lost count after 5 with the releases we have lined up in the months to come.
WWD: What’s coming up for you this year?
Excited about a little Europe tour with Crew Love. Barcelona for Off-Sonar June 15th, XOYO in London on the 17th and then Summer Solstice in Iceland on the 18th. The next phase is going to be gigging as much as possible. Try to balance the output of music with making our live show rock solid!
The Fitness – ‘Freak Out’ Ep featuring Pony is set for release on May 19th, 2017. pre-order here.
Follow: The Fitness // Wolf + Lamb Records