Chances are high that you have heard songs by The Knocks but have not known it. Since 2007, Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner and James “JPatt” Patterson have been producing beats and remixes for the likes of Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Marina & the Diamonds, Rihanna, and Flo-Rida. The New York based electronic music duo The Knocks get their name from their early days of making music in their home studio. Their neighbors would continually knock on their door to tell them their music was too loud. Fast forward to the present, and The Knocks have now opened their own professional studio, Heavy Roc Music, which they use to produce tracks for Alex Winston, Samuel, St. Lucia, as well as their own music. And their own music is doing very well right now with their new single, “Dancing With The DJ,” gaining popularity on music charts all over the internet. Having shared the stage with the likes of M.I.A., Sleigh Bells, Ellie Goulding, Calvin Harris, Big Boi, and Scissor Sisters, The Knocks have a sound and style that appeals to a wide variety of musical genres. I recently had the chance to catch up with James and chat about what it was like touring with Ellie and what we can expect to see next from The Knocks.
 
The Knocks just got done touring with Ellie Goulding. How was that experience for you guys?
It was awesome! Every show was sold out, and the crowds were amazing. Touring with Ellie was good for us, because her fan base is kinda where we’re aiming too, so it was great to get that kind of response at literally every show.

What was your favorite city to perform in?
New York was ultra cracking because it’s our home turf. I’d say the second best U.S city was probably Seattle. The stage monitors were these gigantic amplifier that basically blew everyone away…including us!

Some artists say that the grind of touring can drain your creativity. Were you able to come up with any ideas/songs while on tour?
I have to disagree with those artists. We like to draw off of experiences when we’re creating, and this tour was one of the best experiences of our lives, so naturally it helped in the creativity department.

You’ve lent beats to Ellie Goulding, Rihanna, and Flo-Rida. Who do you see yourselves working with next?
We just finished Alex Winston’s album and now we gotta work on our own stuff for a while.

(Check out our post on Alex Winston’s new video for “Sister Wife,” produced by The Knocks.)

NME Magazine named you one of the top 20 producers in 2010. What can we expect to see next in 2011?
An album!

Will there be any collaborations with other artists you are excited about?
We haven’t settled on anyone specific yet, but we’re definitely into the idea of collaborating with someone so hopefully it works out.

If I stole your iPod (I wouldn’t) what kind of music would I find you listening to?
It’s hard to say. Our ipods are pretty eclectic, out of necessity, so you might hear a Foster the People track followed by a Britney Spears single.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Between the two of us we play video games/basketball/smoke tons of trees/girlfriend stuff.

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer a few of my questions! Can’t wait to hear more bangers from you guys soon.

[wpaudio url=”http://thesightsandsounds.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Dancing-With-The-Dj.mp3″ text=”The Knocks – Dancing With The DJ” dl=”0″]
 
[wpaudio url=”http://thesightsandsounds.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/17-01-Pumped-Up-Kicks-The-Knocks-Remix.mp3″ text=”Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks (The Knocks Remix)” dl=”0″]
 
If you would like to hear more from The Knocks, make sure you check them out on Heavy Roc Music where you can find some of their remixes and edits for download. Also, be sure to follow them on Twitter, @itstheknocks.

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