The Idjut Boys are Dan Tyler and Conrad McDonnell and their music is certainly not idjut, it's a sophisticated blend of all the things that inspire them: disco, dub, funk and jazz. They record under a plethora of names and naturally they like their tunes to have silly titles like 'Frogs Arrrse' or 'Tea Tray Formerly Known As Coffee Table' to add a dash of humour to their output. They're in demand as remixers, topping up the beats from everyone from Lighthouse Family to Sound 5. They also love to DJ and prefer to play all night if possible and have played everywhere from San Francisco to Tokyo.
CV
BORN: Dan: July 31, 1969, Cambridge. Conrad: November 11, 1965, Sunderland
LIFE BEFORE DJING: Dan: "I worked for a film company." Conrad: "Cactus rancher in Arizona."
FIRST DJ GIG: "After hours in the living room after Harvey's club Moist in front of about 25 people and using two belt driven turntables."
MOST MEMORABLE GIG: Best – "The End in San Francisco about five or six years ago. Great club full of colourful people in a beautiful city". Worst – "Playing in Italy, in Bologne we think, for about 45 minutes and getting unplugged after a couple of numbers. It was a club that seemed to fly people in and then boot them off fast."
FAVOURITE CLUBS: The Top, San Francisco; Loop, Tokyo
DJ TRADEMARK: "We're enthusiastic about it and we'd rather do long sets than short sets as there's two of us. We enjoy being able to DJ all night in a club, it gives you more scope to play different music – and we do play different music without being head arse about it – we want people to dance. We want people to do whatever you do in a club on a Saturday night!"
LIFE OUTSIDE DJING: "We've got lots of tunes coming out under different names including 'Il Sole' by Q-Base on Discfunction and 'Body Karate' by Deep Fuzz and a mix album for Nuphonic called 'Saturday Night Live.' When we're not making music or DJing I sleep and play and watch football – West Ham – and Conrad makes origami.
ALL TIME TOP TEN
1. Santana – 'Aqua Marine' (CBS, 1979) "Had a long day? Try this. Nice 'on'"
2. DC La Rue – 'Do You Want The Real Thing' (Casablanca) "Long and fat sleazy disco."
3. Undisputed Truth – 'U + Me = Love' (Whitfield) "Er yes! Many rudeness' have been perpetrated by this man, stormin' Norman Whitfield. Check out the damage sustained by Rare Earth, Rose Roy and The Temptations amongst others."
4. Various – 'Disco Madness (Salsoul) "A collection of versions of tracks by artists such as Loleatta Holloway, Double Exposure and the Salsoul Orchestra, mixed by some dude called Walter Gibbons?!? Rough aaaarrrrst!"
5. Modern Romance – 'Can You Move (Dub Discomix) (WEA) "Stylish Northern lads get put through the dub mangle. Shockingly good".
7. Don Carlos – 'Alone' (Calypso) "Nice 'on', Don!"
8. Shawn Philipps - ' Spaced' (CBS) 'Cosmonaut Shaun hooks up with some of the head hunters. 'I Just Called To Say Goodbye' is a bit of a result."
9. Wuf Ticket – 'The Key' (Prelude) "Dub electro disco mixed by Francois Kevorkian. One of many displays of rudeness from this man."
10. Foreigner – 'I Want To Know What Love Is' "We can't remember the label. Top US power vocal action."
CURRENT TOP TEN
1. Akwaaba – 'Do It Tomorrow' (Discfunction LP)
2. Yashie Ide – 'A Certain Piece' (MAW mix) (promo)
3. Q-Base – 'Il Sole' (mixes) (Discfunction)
4. Deep Fuzz – 'Body Karate (Noid)
5. Keith Mansfield – 'Crash Course' (Strutt)
6. Mark & Matt – 'Illegal Entry' (promo)
7. Moodyman – 'Ya Blessin' Me (KDJ)
8. Blu Marten – 'Special Thermometer (Cookin)
9. Sir Eddie & The Realistics – 'Tenement Funkster Medley' (Nuphonic)
10. Incognito – '???' (Jazzanova remix) (Talkin' Loud)