WhoMadeWho is a trio of Danish DJ’s, instrumentalists and producers who are known for their melodic releases on iconic labels such as Innervisions, Kompakt and Get Physical.

Not only have they performed at clubs and festivals all over the world, they have also recorded live streams for the likes of Cercle.

The guys have a new album forthcoming on Embassy One, and we took a moment to chat with them about the LP release plus some of their passions outside of music…

Hi guys, it’s great to be talking with you today. Do you all live in the same part of the world, and how hard has it been to get together during lockdown?

Hi there, we all live in Copenhagen and during the pandemic, we created a small circle only consisting of our closest families and the trio. Meaning that we would meet up in our studio on a daily basis. Without having to go on tour all the time, the situation opened up a load of new creative ideas we would never have had the time to explore under normal circumstances.

Talking of places where you live, I understand that Tomas Høffding has been working on renovating an old farmhouse. This sounds like a really cool project; I’d love to learn more about your design plans?

Ha ha design plans might be stretching it. This is an old wooden house in a very traditional Swedish countryside style. Anyone who has been to Sweden knows it. Its “falu” red wooden walls, white window and corners, and a lot of corny tapestries inside.

All the renovations I did, I did old style, and pretty much kept it old school. Both because it makes sense with a house like this to keep it clean. And also because my work life is so based on being trendy, modern, hip and stylish that I honestly take great joy in going up there, wearing ugly clothes building stuff that in no way resembles my everyday life. It’s a very nice change of scenery and mindset, and I can feel it the moment I turn off the engine in the driveway.

Then, on the other hand, it’s a place where you can do “ugly” and weird stuff without looking back. I created a music loft that’s really something else and weird, it’s kind of a hayloft/rehearsal room in one. Super cheap stuff so I don’t need to worry about robbery or general decay.

I’m told that Thomas Høffding has been doing a lot of the Carpentry work himself, has anyone else chipped in with an extra pair of hands, and where did you learn those practical skills?

I know I’m also a lead singer, but my persona is the one of a bass player. The bass player in the band is always the one who is fixing stuff and driving the car. I’m good with my hands. My father used to build a lot of stuff around the house, and so did his father. So it was always a natural thing for me to fix stuff myself, and build what needed building. It gives me a great feeling of satisfaction. Kind of the same as finishing an album. You start out with nothing, and when your work is done, there is an album full of music that wasn’t there before. Only building is absolutely not about you as a person. Being a songwriter is a lot about yourself, your emotions, your voice, your ego, even about the way you look. You are the object. When I’m up there, I’m just the tool, the house is the object. I believe this is super healthy for me.

Jeppe, I understand you are a passionate football fan, what are your thoughts on the Euros this summer… should it still be called Euro 2020, and how do you think the pandemic will affect the tournament?

I am very excited about Euro 2021. First and foremost because Denmark is hosting and participating obviously. The soccer stadiums are opening up for a lot of religions in Denmark. You can really feel how much people have been longing for these types of big events where we all get together. Now we just need the governments to accept that it is the same form of euphoria involved in cultural events with music and theatre etc.

Apart from your home country, which are the other teams you think have a chance? 

Belgium and Italy are looking very strong this year. Denmark started in a very pretty bad position, since our best player had a heart attack on the field and we lost 0-1 to Finland in a state of shock. But we are through to the final 8, and anything can happen. Denmark has a history of performing well in an underdog situation, so I do have high hopes for our team. We are the land of H.C. Andersen and fairytales do happen here.

Moving focus to your music, I understand you did a live performance for Cercle quite recently, what was it like playing for them on stream, and how did it compare to a normal gig?

It was an ‘out of this world’ experience to stand in front of the Abu Simbel Temple of the legendary Pharaoh, King Ramses II. A big honour to perform our music with no other audience than birds and ghosts. The mythological power of the place hit us when we stood there, and it felt like we were making contact / connecting to something bigger. Felt very humbling standing there delivering our musical message to the world.

Keeping on the topic of gigs, have you already started getting bookings for the end of 2021, and are you excited for clubs opening again?

The Abu Simbel stream opened up a lot of things for us. Bookings for instance. So… at the moment there is a lot of requests coming in on a daily basis. Since performing in front of real people is our main passion we are super excited about the world opening up again.

What are your thoughts on vaccine passports, do you think they are necessary for things to open safely?

I’m fine, getting my first shot of the vaccine in 2 weeks. I really respect the way the Americans have handled it. Seems like they made an efficient solution to moving on. Moving on is very important I believe. Too many people get over-anxious and depressed by the loneliness of this pandemic. You know that in prisons the worst thing you can do to a person is put them in isolation…well we did this to the whole world. I am a little nervous about the impact of it all.

I understand you have a forthcoming studio album in the pipeline, can you tell me more about that release?

During the pandemic, we made a collaboration album with a lot of favourite artists like Mano le Tough, Perel, Michael Meyer, Adana Twins, Rebolledo, Frank Wiedeman and many others. It was very inspirational and intuitive in a clubby way.  Our upcoming album is different. It’s our own brew and is less club-oriented. Playful and diverse music with a more coherent, personal, warm and loving sound.

Have you dropped any singles from the album, and what made those tracks stand out as solo releases?

The first single is called Mermaids. It has this old school WhoMadeWho sound, with a proper disco feeling. Celebrating the “Mermaids” who manage to take their destiny into their own hands and live freely. DJ Tennis has also done a sexy remix for Mermaid that was just released on Friday!! Then our next single is called Summer and is out on July 30.

I appreciate you guys taking the time to talk with me today, is there anything extra you want to add or a message to fans you want to share?

Can’t wait to see you out there!

You can order the DJ Tennis remix of WhoMadeWho’s single ‘Mermaids’ on Embassy One from HERE