An audience with the mysterious duo
Dance music loves a “mystery project”. The history of the culture is littered with examples of singles and albums released under alternate aliases, convoluted attempts to disguise the identities of well-known (and more occasionally, lesser known) producers, mischievous shenanigans (see the example of techno outfit Two Shell, who reportedly frequently sent others to perform in their place) and the use of masks to throw punters and promoters off the scent.
Telefax Productions, reportedly a “sci-fi mad” duo based in London whose solo and collaborative careers stretch back to the mid 1980s, fall into the latter category. Propelled into the spotlight via a red-hot revivalist hip-house jam that has been bubbling away since the summer of 2024, the sweat-soaked excitement of ‘Break This House Down’, the pair don vintage military gas masks and fatigues for their photo and video shoots. Furthermore, their slim biography reveals very few details of their previous musical lives – other than that they have been working together on and off since the tail end of the 1980s.
Naturally, we were intrigued, so reached out to the duo via the label that delivered their riotous debut single, Luke Solomon’s Classic Music Company imprint. Surprisingly, they not only agreed to conduct a rare interview – via a dusty old fax machine, of course, with label staff acting as intermediaries – but also offered up a scintillating, all-action ‘retrospective mix’ (the first of two they have recorded) for our ongoing series.
As you’d expect for a pair whose members include, in the words of their bio, a dedicated crate-digger, it’s a wild, entertaining ride through American and British house and techno of old that variously touches on TB-303-heavy ‘acid’ jackers, blistering hip-house, early Yorkshire bleep, Chicago classics, dusty Detroit gems and the kind of hard-to-pigeonhole dancefloor classics that emerged from Britain in the late 1980s and early 90s. You’ll find some familiar favourites, but far more deep cuts and lesser-celebrated treats.
You can find the mix and tracklist below. First, there’s the small matter of the interview…
You’re both experienced producers with solo and collective histories going back to the 1980s. How did you first meet and start working together?
We suggest that there was something akin to synchronicity at work involving what might be understood as a form of extra-sensorial telepathic communication that brought us together in London’s Forbidden Planet store back in the late 1980s. During our meeting, we discovered that both of us were regular listeners to the legendary Jacking Zone show hosted by DJ Jazzy M on pirate station LWR (London Weekend Radio). One of us put together a demo track that was played on the show. This was heard by the other, who got in contact with a view to inviting the former to contribute to a forthcoming acid house album compilation. This was the beginning of a relationship spanning over three and a half decades involving various electronic music productions under a variety of aliases.
How did the TELEFAX Productions project come about?
It marks another stage of collaboration between us, which is focused on producing music of a more accessible nature and featuring new and established artists. The name of the collaboration derives from an obscure sci-fi B-movie, much loved by Andy Warhol, and emerged out of our shared obsession with science fiction films and television series.
What’s the thinking behind your choice to remain anonymous, and thus not utilise the ‘name recognition’ of your previous works?
Quite simply, the music should speak for itself. As one of us has repeatedly told the other, “you are only as good as your last release.”
With your long history, you’re clearly experienced producers. Do you think that is a help or hinderance in this age of social media, artists as ‘brands’ and so on?
With the onset of social media, the possibility for algorithmically driven promotion has made it more difficult to attain visibility. While recognising that the change in the landscape necessitates some degree of engagement with social media, we remain focused on the music, convinced that by drawing on our individual and shared experiences as producers, we can cut through the noise. Time and the music will tell.
Tell us a bit about the making of ‘Break This House Down’ with rapper DeeVoeNay. How did you meet and decide to work with him?
One of us encountered him serendipitously during a crate-digging expedition in South London. He demonstrated the ability to freestyle in a way that resonated with a project that was in the process of gestation. It was a natural, almost inevitable, next step to invite him into the studio.
‘Break This House Down’ is a very authentic chunk of late ‘80s hip-house. Was this a style you were into at the time? It fell out of fashion for a long time but there were some cracking hip-house jams back then…
While we were both exposed to that genre, our respective interest in it differed quite considerably. Perhaps what we shared was an admiration for the following artists among others: Doug Lazy, KC Flightt, Mike Dunn, Da Posse, Steve Silk Hurley and The Jungle Brothers. We would like to draw readers’ attention to a TELEFAX Productions hip-house mix for Luke Solomon’s Business as Usual radio show [
After being something of an underground anthem in its original form, ‘Break This House Down’ has finally made it to vinyl with a slew of additional versions. These include a ‘live band’ take that sounds like it was inspired by the Britfunk sound of the early 80s? How did that version come about and what was the process of reimagining the track like?
One of us has a particular interest in 1980s Britfunk and thought it would be great to do a version inspired by Atmosfear, Light of the World and Freez. So, we got DeeVoeNay’s band HR Nightmare into the studio and recoded a live version.
You’ve also done your own ‘acid version’, which doffs a cap to Chicago house of the late 80s and early 90s. Do you have a lot of experience making that kind of purist, TB-303 heavy acid house?
We have both been involved in producing UK house music since the late 1980s, variously inspired by the sounds of Chicago, Detroit and New York. That includes acid, but we’ve done so much more than that.
As we understand it, TELEFAX Productions wants to provide a platform for new and established artists, creating music with them in different styles. What’s the thinking behind this approach, and what sorts of artists are you looking for? Who would be your dream collaborator?
As stated previously, it is at least partly about experimenting with a more accessible sound, yet one that retains diversity in mode of expression. We are looking for whoever seems right for the project underway at the time, regardless of whether they are established, upcoming or unknown. We have a number of projects in the pipeline for which we are searching for artists to collaborate with. As for dream collaborators, the list is much too long.
What can we expect from TELEFAX Productions in future? Have you been working on follow-ups to ‘Break This House Down’?
Further experimentation in producing more accessible electronic music in a range of genres is underway and that includes a follow-up to ‘Break This House Down’. We are also working on a remix for a very much respected soul diva and have just finished mixing down this electro/Detroit techno single for a new techno collective based in Berlin.
Oh, and one final question: former KLF man and noted pyramid builder Jimmy Cauty has provided the artwork for the vinyl release of ‘Break This House Down’, including an insert. That’s a bit of a coup since he doesn’t do that many record covers these days, so how did that come about?
Classic came up with the idea of commissioning Jimmy Cauty to create the artwork for the single.
Matt Anniss
Photo: Andy Martinez
Buy ‘Break This House Down’ on vinyl here
Part two of Telefax Productions’ ‘retrospective mix’ series will be available via their Soundcloud channel soon. For more information head to www.telefaxproductions.com
Track listing
Black Ice Productions presents Union Camp – West Digital Plate 808
Anthony Thomas – Swing Down
Bam Bam – Give It To Me
Adrenalin MOD – TRACK THIS
Da Posse – Don’t Try To Fight It
Rhythim is Rhythim – The Dance (Living Room Mix)
Ice Cream Tee – Let’s Work (Extended Vocal Mix)
Forgemasters – Track With No Name (Original Mix)
Mr Lee – I Can’t Forget
Force Motive – You Will Be Dealt With
M. Doc – It’s Percussion (House Mix)
The Endless Pokers – !The Poke!
The Renegades – Tag
The Party Boy – The Twilight Zone (Bam Bam’s Corrosion Mix)
Plus + One feat Sirron – It’s Happenin’
Risque III – Essence Of A Dream
Symbols & Instruments – Mood
N.A.D – Distant Drums
