Pig&Dan chat Cafe del Mar release...

For two decades, Pig&Dan have been synonymous with dynamic, boundary-pushing techno—an uncompromising force in the underground scene. But with Journey Within, the duo have turned inward, crafting a deeply meditative, emotionally charged full-length for Café del Mar—marking not only their most introspective work to date, but also the first artist-led album in the iconic label’s history. Long-time admirers of downtempo and trip hop, Pig&Dan have finally come full circle, channelling the spirit of the early Café del Mar compilations while infusing their own history and vulnerability into each track. It's not just a sonic departure; it’s a homecoming of sorts—one rooted in Ibiza sunsets, raw emotion, and the enduring power of musical connection. We caught up with recently to learn more…

What drew you to the idea of creating a full-length album for Café del Mar, especially as their first ever artist-led release? 

Due to our past in this realm of downtempo, dub and Triphop we had always dreamed of potentially being included in the legendary compilations which actually came to life recently. This led to us feeling that perhaps the time was right to approach the team with an entire album project we had been working on and felt might fit with the labels direction. 

How did the collaboration with Café del Mar come about, and what was the creative process like working with such an iconic label? 

I was introduced to and presented the project to Ken who is the resident at Cafe Del Mar. When Ken heard the album he seemed to agree that this could work as an artist album project and passed it on accordingly to the team. After receiving the approval the journey really started to evolve on every level. The incredible honour of working with the team has been such a fantastic crescendo on many levels. Getting the chance to work again with one of the best in artwork and logo design “David Robles” from https://www.drbb.es/ was the icing on the cake. He incorporated the theme of the inspirations of the record with our head and visualised it with such incredible and unique style.

Were the compilations big for you guys back in the day?

For us there's been nothing more important or influential for the whole downtempo global scene than Cafe Del Mar. The impact it had on pushing the envelope between genres and how it all fitted together on an album is very much unparalleled to this day. For us to present an artist album on what has been such an important part of this scene for four and a half decades. It's genuinely an understatement to say this is one of the biggest honours for us as artists.

This album marks a notable shift from your usual high-energy techno sound—did it feel like a departure to you? How natural was that transition? 

Absolutely not, we are devoted to creation and those who know our past in music know that we never hold ourselves back because of genre. We are known as ANTIGENRELISTS !! 

We explore our boundaries and push them to try to take ourselves into musical other paths. Electronic music will always be a deep part of us, however downtempo, dub & Trip Hop has been deeply rooted within our chemistry, I (Dan) released my first tracks in this genre before Pig and I had become a duo under the alias INTENSE which was a Drum & Bass trio who also made Trip Hop tracks that were released on the iconic EARTH compilations around 30 years back. 

How did it feel to explore a more introspective, downtempo side of your musical identity through this project? 

It's a place we love to visit sonically so we can roll around in that music mud.. We love depth in music, no matter what the genre is it's got to get under our skin or its just not going to cut it for us to release it. We always hope this translates to those who listen to. We thrive off creating vibes, high energy or super chilled plus everything in the middle, but it's got to hit the spot or else it's in the bin…

Were there any specific artists or records you leaned on for inspiration while crafting Journey Within? 

To be totally honest, life is inspiration, it's what affects that mood when being creative. Obviously we love hearing music from other artists and I adore Deeb for example but we genuinely try to make our sound unique and therefore like to try to create selfishly if that makes sense without sounding like a doink 

Did you set out with a conceptual framework in mind for the album, or did the narrative unfold as you produced it? 

We never set any boundaries when being creative. We really go with the flow. It's almost like we don't make the music it makes itself, I know that's a weird thing to say but it's like we channel the creation and it just grows. The tracks were not created in order, we just made loads of music, we are pretty prolific nutcases, and are so lucky to be one of the very few to survive from making it. Then we pieced it together in an order we felt created the journey. These days not a lot of people play whole albums but we truly hope that's not the case with this LP !!

How do you think this release sits within your wider discography—does it represent a new chapter, or more of a reflective pause? 

I think it very much represents a new chapter especially when working so closely with the label who is one of the pioneers of this entire musical movement. It might relate to other records we've released previously in some ways but this is its own thing, its own vibe. In particular a song like “Fly through the Sky” this is far more Psychedelic trip with myself singing on it. Its a little reminiscent of the late 60s sound with influences of Indian music and percussion.

What emotions or imagery were you hoping to evoke through these soundscapes? 

Well that's always down to the listener, we've proved that everyone interprets every song differently. That can be the lyrics and or the music and who it affects that person at that time is completely different. We always hope it brings forward emotions because we both feel that's what music is about. We hope that translates to those who get deep into it. We hope its not background music, but an album to sit down and listen to.

The Café del Mar legacy is rooted in capturing the mood of Ibiza sunsets—how did that inform your creative direction? 

That's one way of seeing it and I think that's how it all started, however Cafe Del Mar for me pushed that boundary far beyond and showed that you could mix styles together with elegance. Transitions through music that's not linear and far more unique. We focussed on that and tried to recreate that feeling of this album having a lot of differences between the tracks but somehow it gels accordingly. 

Can you remember your first visit to Ibiza and, specifically, your first time experiencing Café del Mar? 

Oh yes, 1987 I was in Ibiza and every year since (it was a very different place) the music was an amazing mix of influences from Grace Jones, to Acid house. Cafe Del Mar was very much that place to go and end the day and slip into the night. Ibiza was a different world then, people were focussed on Unity and that's something I see has changed drastically. It was about not showing what you had and mixing all types of people, Hippies, flamboyant homosexualty, rich and poor, all sharing the love of music and togetherness. Not VIP states, in fact the complete opposite.

Did those early memories influence the album in any way? 

Of course, the magic of Ibiza and Cafe Del Mar and what it represents to us and our long history of our experiences there is incredibly deeply rooted within “Journey Within”. It kind of says it in the title : )

How did you approach blending your underground techno sensibilities with the relaxed, immersive ethos of Café del Mar? 

We don't feel this album is really influenced by our electronic side, it's far more organic and built on instruments that are outside of the electronic sound. Of course some things rub off and we are big fans of crossing over elements but on the whole we feel it's far more concentrated on the elements of real life players and grooves which we feel fits much more into the ethos of the label and its past in this realm. We are working on an electronic downtempo project currently titled ELECTROSCAPES.

Was there a particular moment in the studio when you felt, “this is it, this captures the essence of what we’re trying to do”? 

The essence yes, however we are actually never really satisfied with what we do, and that's what keeps us on our creative toes… I do listen back to the album , in its entirety with a more open mind and think, ok its not bad. Creators are often pretty insecure and often lack self esteem. 

Tracks like ‘Can’t Do It On My Own’ feel deeply personal—what’s the story behind that song? 

Well we have (like all people) been through a lot. Life's dynamic and sometimes to get through things you need somebody who is there for you. I think it's safe to say Igor and I have always picked each other up when going through bad times, addiction, or writer's block for example. We've had each other's backs and without each other or the people around us that we love and have gained support from we wouldn't have made it to where we are today. It takes much more than just a person to make it, it takes a lot of patience and understanding from everyone around you. Your social and love life is greatly affected by the impact your ambitions have on others. I for sure couldn't be here without the undivided support from my wife or Igor.

How important was it for you to retain a sense of emotional rawness across the record? 

Raw is our middle name, we strive to add edge and grit to everything we do even if it's lush..

How do you think listeners used to your club sets will react to this more meditative side of your artistry? 

We would hope it compliments their experience of hearing what we do, I mean the day after a night out with us dropping techno madness needs music that can be apt for the situation. Or pre going out having that tranquillity can enhance the euphoria thats to come later on. We hope that people feel the whole story, and see we are not just hear to make music thats along one line and they join us on that mad trip through genre and sonic diversity 

In terms of production, were there any techniques or instruments you experimented with that you hadn’t used before?

 I think singing was the most unique part, Igor has always added vocals to our tracks however on this album it was more myself (Dan) who stepped out of my comfort zone this time around. That was pretty much a first 

What has the feedback been like so far from fans and fellow artists? 

I have to say overwhelmingly positive. I say that with a blush because its always hard to accept others and appreciate what we do. For example out of nowhere Sasha Carassi wrote on Whatsapp that he loved the project and it was quality!! 

Now that Journey Within is out in the world, do you see yourselves returning to this style in future projects? Of course we are already working on the follow up !!

Keep up with Pig&Dan on Soundcloud and Instagram.

Buy/listen to the release here.

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