MySpace a place for friends

Described as ‘Halloween on wax’ Voodeux is the human manifestation of creepy house and techno. James Watts (AKA KiloWatts) and Tanner Ross’s collaborative black magic goes back six years when they met online at a website devoted to music synths and production and have been collaborating ever since.

Despite the 300 miles that separate the two producers, modern technology keeps the pair in perfect lockstep. “We pass back and forth project files,” says Ross. “He adds to my idea and I add to his idea and the track is done” . This audio clairvoyance is the perfect example of the unconventional approach of Voodeux, and draws on genuine elements of mystery and intrigue evident in their production process. Like a ghost that only shows up once the photo develops there is a presence on their production that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Voodeux project’s public metamorphosis began with The Curse EP, which came out last year on Mothership. Off the back of the success of this EP, label honcho Claude VonStroke suggested an album along the same spooky theme. Referring to the name of the project Tanner explains: ‘At the time I was watching this crazy ass video of Screaming Jay Hawkins doing “I Put A Spell On You” and he was dressed up in this wild Voodoo type costume and I thought… “THATS IT! VOODOO”

Previously, Tanner Ross, a music synthesis major at esteemed music school Berklee in Boston, had met Justin Martin and Claude VonStroke at WMC 06 and gone on to remix monster classic ‘Who’s Afraid Of Detroit’ on dirtybird. ‘Claude VonStroke showed me the light!’ he jokes, but clearly a reciprocal admiration in each others work paved the way for further alliance. Tanner Ross is also known for his and KiloWatts remix of Lovely Day on OM Records and the hugely popular Lower Allston EP (under his Marcel Wave moniker) on Freerange. He is a self -confessed vintage horror film aficionado.

Jamie Watts (AKA KiloWatts) is an accomplished producer with a formidable discography spanning labels like Artificial Music Machine, Harmonious Discord, Thoughtless Music and his own outlet KilloWatts Music. He has produced five full albums to date, embodying several different projects and styles.

His work embraces the bulk of electronic genres, including breaks, IDM, techno, and downtempo. Full of visionary dimensions, he fuses together a dexterous knowledge of sound synthesis, deep emotional articulation, and solid melodic intuition. His fluency in piano is evident throughout his work, as is his penchant for jazzy riffs, intelligent structure, wistful melodies, and an often cheeky take on the current state and history of electronic music as a whole.

The result of this potent concoction of the pair’s influences and technical wizardry is a hypnotic spell over the senses shrouded in suspense and the unexpected. Resonate with a modern day soundtrack to a slasher movie, Voodeux are about to creep under your skin with a chilling tale of eerie house and minimal techno that will haunt you long after you’ve left the club.