It’s a rare thing when you come across one person, let alone a duo, who have the ability to transcend all aspects of the dance music business as much as Inland Knights have and as successfully. Their collective experiences are something that most people would be quite envious of and as a result, it has only added to their renowned reputation as not only superb DJs and producers but also outstanding remixers and label owners. Laurence Ritchie and Andy Riley began their auspicious careers as promoters of some of UK’s most memorable early 90’s free parties.

They transferred this early energy and music direction to producing music under the name of Inland Knights. Since then, nothing has stopped them and their success can be found in not only the music they create and the glowing reviews they receive from their DJ gigs but it is also found in the abundant reputation their Drop Music label has garnered during this time.

They have played at such diverse events as Dance Valley in Holland and clubs such as London’s Fabric as well as having their own production work appear on such prestigious series as Global Underground and Nite Life. Their schedule is truly worldly and hectic. As such, the genre of ‘deep house’ has become aligned with this sensational duo. Being one of the busiest names in dance music today, Inland Knights took some time out to speak to RA. Much respect!

Much like the RAVE Act in the US, the UK’s Criminal Justice Act inflicted a lot of regulations that made it difficult nee almost impossible to put on free parties, however large or small. Do you think the spirit that was behind those parties and also what grew from them, was suppressed forever? …Or has it just been reborn and reinterpreted with the likes of more legally acceptable, large-scale festivals such as Homelands or Creamfields?
Without sounding too cynical…with the likes of Creamfields and Homelands, I think the spirit has long been suppressed by the $!…. but anyway…. parties continued and continue to happen in our country despite being outlawed by the Government. In fact one of our most prolific periods for doing parties was directly after the criminal justice act became law!….what the criminal justice act did was to fuck up the festival scene in England…so parties with multiple sound systems and huge numbers of people became a thing of the past. But small-scale free parties are still possible in the UK….if your careful! the free party spirit is still alive and kicking….just.

There’s been much talk about the demise of ‘clubland’ and that dance music’s popularity is on a downturn. Given your experiences as promoters and the fact that you’ve been involved in the industry for a number of years, do you think is true? Or is just a case of dance music and everything associated with it going back to a more underground level?
I think it’s definitely returning to a more underground level…and I think the reason for this is (in the uk)people might be getting a bit sick of the ‘superclub’culture e.g. same’big name’dj,extortionate(is that how you spell it?)door price etc..I don’t think it’s a downturn.. I think it’s the opposite

Inland Knights

Both of you have worked together for a number of years. Almost longer than most marriages. How do you keep the partnership fresh and alive in the creativity stakes?
I don’t know…by loving house and by being good mates.

Your production and touring schedules are quite hectic. Where do you find your energy?
I could tell you but I would be incriminating myself

Inland Knights are known not only for their production work but just as equally for their DJing skills. Lately, a lot of producers have taken up DJing as a means of getting their music heard even more than just releasing them on vinyl. Some successfully, some not so. Do you feel that the art of DJing is a skill that all producers should have? Should some producers just stick to making music and
Remixing?
Hey if producers get the chance to play because releasing records has raised their profile within the industry then more power to ‘em.If they’re shit then they won’t get booked again simple as that.For us producing was just the natural step to take after playing out for a few years…maybe dj’ing is the natural step for a lot of producers .

Your remix work has been demanded by many artists including the likes of Faithless. If given the opportunity, would you ever remix the likes of tracks by Britney Spears or even Michael Jackson?
Probably

A number of high profile DJs and producers have in the past lent their names to the compilation and/or composition of movie soundtracks. Would the Inland Knights every do something like that? If so, what kind of movie would it be?
Having anything on a movie would be cool as fuck….what kind of movie?…maybe like a Guy Ritchie film….something where the soundtrack features heavily in the film…..and during a getaway or something.

You guys have DJed in a large number of countries and a varied range of venues. What, so far, has been your most memorable gig and why? What’s been the most bizarre?
I’ve said this before but New Zealand(sorry)has been really good whenever we’ve gone over….particularly calibre (Auckland)..one of the most bizarre would have to be Pretoria(south Africa)….any new track we played would just be met with total indifference if people didn’t know it. ….The floor would clear…but if people knew the track….they went absolutely crazy singing along and going mad on the dance floor…then if we played another track people didn’t know…total indifference again….I know it can happen sometimes but this was extreme.

In the next few weeks, we’ll be hearing the DJing skills of Inland Knights. What can we expect in terms of music direct? More of the same class A deep house?
I guess so…with a few exclusives chucked in.

Finally, what does the future hold for Inland Knights? And Drop Music? Especially in terms of future releases.
We have a new ep coming out on Amenti records…a Colin Dale remix coming out on Sensei records…we are about to start work on a remix for Tango recordings…other than that its business as usual with Drop.

Those in Australia will be the next to catch the Knights in action:

Friday 5th March - Candy's Apartment, Sydney

Saturday 6th March - Q Bar, Melbourne