Joining us at the KEF popup studio in the Nexus Lounge, Amsterdam edition, we spoke with Toby from YouNotUs about his latest project and the importance of good sound equipment in music production.
Founded in Berlin, the German DJ duo YouNotUs (Tobais Bogdon and Gregor Sahm) have been knocking out chart-topping singles since 2016. Perhaps best known for their Reamonn cover “Supergirl,” the pair has developed a broad international audience across Europe and even branched into America. The pair have proved particularly popular in Germany, Austria, France, Poland, and Switzerland, where they’ve repeatedly found their way into the charts.
Since then, they’ve also released a cover of Liquido’s “Narcotic” – a ’90s classic – as well as countless original tracks and a couple of EPs. They’ve done remixes, including one of James Blunt’s “Cold”.
For any professional musician, but particularly for a DJ, there’s no substitute for good music equipment. According to Toby, it’s all about getting to know your equipment and being familiar with the sound you’ll get.
"It's essential, especially in the studio. You have to work with high-quality speakers. You have to know the speaker and the sound… If I go to another room, I kind of feel blind."
Like many artists, his love of music goes back a long way. Reminiscing on his childhood, he recalled his parents’ shop, where they used to sell vinyls and CDs. After coming home from school, he says he’d be straight into the shop to spend the rest of the day listening to all the new CDs. Music was always near and dear to his heart, from Elton John to Michael Jackson.
Lately, YouNotUs have been dropping loads of new music. Their single “Coming Home Together” – a collaboration with Shift Key and Norma Jean Martine – has been well received by fans across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. They’ve also dropped a more uptempo track titled “Come To Me” with experimental indie band ÄTNA.
Moving on to our Take5 segment, where we like to get to know artists a little better, we asked where Tobias sees the music industry going ten years from now.
"Probably even more about numbers and all that streaming stuff… I think it's getting more and more technical."
When traveling, Tobias says he has one essential travel must-have: his phone, without which he says he’d feel lost. He also likes to bring along a travel pillow to help him catch some sleep on those long plane and train journeys.
If you’d like to learn more about YouNotUs artist Tobias Bogdon, his favorite Amsterdam dish, and his top tip for making the most of your studio space, check out the exclusive Nexus Radio interview.
