Contributing WriterBLND, aka Callum and Thomas, are known for revitalising the 2010s deep house sound while drawing inspiration from the likes of Jamie Jones, Lee Foss, and Hot Since 82. They’ve dropped their red-hot sounds on Manchester imprint Libero and had support from scene leaders, including Marco Carola. Sirolf meanwhile brings a distinctive spoken-word and melodic rap style shaped by roots in rap, r&b, jazz, and house on labels including Deeperfect, Whippin, and Cocoa. Together, they deliver a deep, groove-led, and emotionally charged sound built for the next generation.
1. Hi, guys. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. How has your 2026 started?
Hey, thanks for having us! It’s a pleasure to be speaking with you today. 2026 has started well for us; we’ve managed to get releases locked in for a good few months of the year already, including obviously the Style Is Rude EP on Dionysus, which we have been super excited to get out there! We’ve been busy from the off this year and hopefully keep it going as it’s started!
2. You’ve got a new release coming out with Dionysus. How did this come about? Can you tell us a bit about it?
We’ve been sitting on these tracks for a while now, waiting for the right place to release them, and after being in communication with Lucian from Dionysus, we knew after a couple of conversations that this was the right home for the EP. We love how Dionysus goes about things, and the ideas we put together for it all came together nicely.
3. Have you always been a duo or did you start as solo artists? How did you come together?
We actually started off solo, but weren’t involved in the production side of things until later. We were speaking over Soundcloud – sending one another mixes we had made in our bedrooms, and then we first met in 2017 at Gorilla Club in Manchester, where we were both selling tickets for a night called Before Dawn. We came together around 2018 and actually went on to play for the night we first met, so it came full circle. Our production journey began in lockdown, and we haven’t looked back since!
4. You’re both from Manchester, and Sirlof is from Amsterdam. Did you find this release fused something of both your countries’ sounds? Do you think collaboration with artists from different countries is important?
That’s right! We love collaborating with other artists, but when we met Flo (Sirolf), we all bounced off each other really well & have gone on to create several tracks together, you might be seeing more of them through 2026… We think it’s super cool to collaborate with artists from different parts of the world because we all have our influences from going to parties in our local areas, so to fuse these influences together can be really special, and it seems to work seamlessly with both of us.
5. What was the production process for this release like? How do you all like to collaborate?
We had the basic structure of Style Is Rude down really fast, actually, and sent a 1-minute clip to Flo over WhatsApp, who sent a video back of him freestyling over it. As soon as we heard it, we knew it was going to be special! That is where the track was born. We finished the beat and had Flo send over the proper vocals he had for it, and pieced it all together; it just felt right.
6. You say you’re inspired by artists like Jamie Jones, Lee Foss, and Hot Since 82. How has their style influenced your music? Who are you hoping to inspire with your music?
Absolutely. We first fell in love with the very early Hot Creations releases, and that period has genuinely shaped the way we produce music today. It’s really exciting to see that same raw, groovy style coming back so strongly in the scene right now. We also used to spend hours watching all the classic livestreams. Boiler Room, Mixmag, and so on, but if we had to pick the single most important one, it would easily be Hot Since 82’s legendary DJ Sounds Kitchen mix in Ibiza. Honestly, we both credit that exact set as the reason we decided to start DJing in the first place. Our bigger hope is that one day we can do the same for other people, to inspire anyone who loves house music, no matter who they are or where they’re from.
7. Have you got any shows booked for 2026 that you can tell us about? And where have been some of your favourite places to play?
Right now, we don’t have any shows booked. 2025 was very much a year of going inwards, really focusing on the brand, sharpening our sound, and preparing much. stronger music for when the timing feels right to get back out there. That break was actually very important for us as producers. We’re very much looking forward to 2026. For
8. Thanks for joining us today! What plans do you all have for 2026?
We’re very much looking forward to 2026. For us, it’s all about finally getting our sound properly out into the world. We’ve got a really nice run of releases lined up, and we’re extremely excited about them. The goal is to use that momentum to build more consistent bookings so we can actually go and play these new records in clubs
Follow:
BLND: Instagram – Soundcloud – Beatport
Sirolf: Instagram – Soundcloud – Beatport