FOVOS have come a long way from making music together as high-school friends in New Zealand.
Made up of Mario and Lorenzo, the duo have been carving out their own lane in hard techno and hard dance, bringing ’90s rave energy into modern club rooms around the world. From massive overseas tours to their first Beatport No. 1 with ‘Work Edit’, FOVOS are proving that harder sounds can travel far beyond their local scene.
Ahead of their return to MARQUEE Singapore on 17 July, FOVOS talk to Bandwagon about the moment their project started feeling bigger, the rise of techno in New Zealand, Asia’s growing appetite for hard dance, and the new music they are bringing to the club.
View this post on Instagram
You started as high-school friends making music together, and now you are taking hard techno from New Zealand to clubs around the world. When did FOVOS start feeling bigger than just a project between two friends?
The first time we toured Canada was probably the moment it clicked. We'd gone from playing a couple of club shows a year in New Zealand to doing a run of shows overseas because a few promoters took a chance on us. We honestly couldn't believe people on the other side of the world even knew who we were. That was the first time it felt like FOVOS had become something much bigger than the two of us.
For those unfamiliar, what is the New Zealand scene like?
For the style of music we make, it's definitely growing. New Zealand's dance scene has always been heavily rooted in drum & bass, which is amazing, but we're starting to see more people embracing harder techno and hard dance as well. Hopefully, if we keep doing our thing, we can help make techno just as much a part of the scene back home.
A lot of your sound pulls from ’90s rave energy, but it is built for today’s hard techno and hard dance crowds. What is it about that era of rave culture that still feels fresh to you?
What fascinates us about that era is how genuine it was. It didn't feel like people were chasing trends, they believed in the music they were making and committed to it completely. That's something we always try to hold onto. You can update the sound for today's dancefloors, but if you keep that spirit and authenticity, the music still has a soul.
Harder dance sounds have been cutting through in a big way across Asia. From your side, what have you noticed about the energy of crowds in this region?
We've definitely noticed it too, and it's exciting to see the scene growing so quickly across Asia. The crowds always bring an incredible amount of energy. It's also really interesting seeing which tracks connect differently here compared to other parts of the world, and that's something we definitely think about when we're making music.
LSD EP feels like it captured a heavier, more peak-time side of FOVOS. Was that a deliberate direction for the release, and what did you want fans to hear in that shift?
We wanted people to realise there's a lot of range within FOVOS. Some days we want to play the hardest records possible, and other days we'll take people on a different journey depending on the room and the crowd. That's actually how our DJ sets work as well, we play back-to-back the whole time. Lorenzo plays a track, then Mario plays one, and most of the time neither of us knows what the other is going to play next. That unpredictability naturally carries over into our music.
‘Baddie’ with AIROD connected your sound with another artist who also understands high-pressure rave energy. What did that collaboration bring out of you?
Working with AIROD was a real honour. He's someone we've looked up to for a long time, so being able to create something together was a huge moment for us. More than anything, it taught us to trust ourselves. When you're working with artists at that level, it's easy to second-guess every decision, but the process reminded us that we're all just trying to make the best record possible.
‘Work Edit’ reworks a recognisable dancefloor anthem for a modern techno context. How do you approach editing or reimagining a track that already carries its own history?
That's always a balancing act. Reworking a dance classic gives you the opportunity to introduce a track that so many people already love to a completely different audience and a different type of dancefloor. At the same time, you know not everyone is going to agree with touching a classic. You can't please everyone, so our focus was simply on respecting the original while giving it a fresh perspective that felt true to us.
‘Work Edit’ was your first Beatport No. 1. What did that milestone mean to you?
It meant a lot, but probably not just because of the chart position. The biggest thing for us was knowing that DJs all over the world were actually choosing to play it in their sets. That's the biggest compliment you can get as producers.
You played MARQUEE Singapore in August last year. What are your thoughts on the club?
Honestly, we've never played anywhere quite like it. About three songs into the set, I remember tapping Mario on the shoulder and saying, "Mate... is that a Ferris wheel at the back of the club?" It's such a unique venue, but what really stood out was how much energy the crowd brought from the very first track.
You will be returning to MARQUEE soon. What kind of FOVOS experience are you planning to bring to Singapore this time?
We're coming back with plenty of new music, a few surprises, and the same energy people expect from a FOVOS set. We never really plan every moment of our sets because we like to read the room and react to the crowd, so no two shows are ever exactly the same. Singapore always brings amazing energy, so we're looking forward to feeding off that and hopefully giving everyone a night they won't forget.
View this post on Instagram
Puchase tickets for FOVOS' MARQUEE Singapore showcase on 17 July here.
Like what you read? Show our writer some love!
-