Supertaste are an open hearted duo who keep themselves receptive to the world’s infinite source of inspiration. Being so open-minded towards their ever-changing environment has helped them evolve as artists, as they utilize a lot of their observations of the world as their own musical perspective. It’s oftentimes very easy to see life as a never-ending series of challenges, but Supertaste consciously leans into the challenge. They’ve recently been figuring out that the secret to life is about embracing these tough periods of time as an opportunity to grow beyond self-limitations. They do so in focusing on the simpler things that make the present moment seem timeless, which is thoughtfully reflected in their music. Coming from two vastly different musical backgrounds, Supertaste engineered a sound of their own that captures the balance between both of their signature sounds, which created an entirely different musical perspective. This extension of both of their artistries is embracing the open air as Supertaste kicks their career into hyperdrive this year.
SPIN caught up with the NY based duo on their creative dynamics, creating their most recent EP, Super Classic in the woods, pushing through the hardships, reaching success and more. Be sure to stream their EP here.
Who is Supertaste and what do you stand for?
In electronic music, we often see the theme of these mysterious, larger-than-life personalities hiding behind masks, huge production budgets, and an overly-curated image. We are the NY boys you can bring home to mom. We’re an indie dance duo with a knack for personal connection and we’re always striving to be genuine with ourselves, fans, friends, and musical peers.
Plus, we can cook a MEAN homemade tofu dish. See for yourself.
Tell us about your sound – where does your style originate from and what have been your biggest visual, social, and sonic influences?
We both come from very different musical backgrounds. Zach from a folk-focused world in the south and Lucas being a hardcore punk kid from Florida. We’ve always loved the magic of a good crossover. Peanut butter and chocolate? yes. Bacon in a pad thai? why the hell not. We wanted to combine our musical ideals to create something totally separate from what we’re used to. We’ve loved Parcels, Caribou, and Todd Terje for years and found that middle ground to draw a bit of inspiration from all three. Anyone making honest, genuine, earnest artistic work is an inspiration to us. Make something that is unapologetically you and we’re in. Social influences stem heavily from folks creating safe inclusive dance floors all over the world. We truly believe in the power that music, dancing, and creativity can bring to any community. Those are the dance floors we long for and can’t wait to work our way back to in the very near future.
Was there a definitive turning point to your success? When did you realize the magnitude of your impact within the industry/community?
I wouldn’t call us a “success” just yet haha. We’ve had some moments hanging around NY where we’re talking to someone at a bar or club and halfway through the conversation they realize we’re Supertaste and tell us how much they dig the music. I wish it wasn’t so surprising that we’re normal, real people but here we are in all our glory babay. We’re so incredibly appreciative of folks just enjoying what we do, even a smile, a little boogie, and a thumbs up is a win in our books.
Talk to us about a pivotal learning moment in your career.
The first time we tried producing together as a duo, we attempted to just mash together our individual solo-artist styles and expected greatness to ensue. Instead, we ended up with some shitty, half-baked music that didn’t seem to make sense. Once we realized that we can take pieces of our individual style and influences but focus it specifically on a new sound as a team, the pieces and music began to fall into place.
In what ways have you pushed yourself beyond existing self-imposed limitations?
It is incredibly easy to be a self-loathing artist. The life cycle of “YES this song is amazing” to “I don’t know, it could use some work” to “my lord I am terrible at this” is a wildly fast turn of events. Moving past the self-imposed disappointment to continue creating and honing the skills is a constant work in progress, but the only way we get better. We learn from the mistakes but keep the laser focus on the goals we set for ourselves (and are enjoying the total adventure in every step of the way).
You went into the woods to create your sophomore EP, Super Classic, and it’s been described as “Bon Iver, but make it disco.” – Please elaborate more on how you got to creating this type of sound and the mission you had set out to do while making this album.
We wanted to strip away the distractions and fast pace of New York life to create something that was purely and simply us. We spent weeks alone in a cabin in the mountains of Tennessee, remembering the feelings and emotions on a night out at home in NY, but letting us focus solely on the music and process. The mission was to create something ready for the dance floor, ready to bring some joy through movement, but through the simplicity of the location we were in.
What type of connections are you trying to create between your music and the listeners with this EP?
In general, 2020 pulled people in different directions and left a lot of folks feeling lonely and secluded. The Super Classic EP is our ode to finding happiness in the classics… the simple moments. A drive with your best friend down the highway, a kiss with a stranger outside a bar under the street light, a post-club dollar slice with grease dripping all over a paper plate. Finding earnest connection and community within the music we know and love.
As we’re integrating ourselves back into an open world, do you have any other exciting ventures besides music you have your sights set on?
Keep an eye out for various iterations of our upcoming party series “Not So Strictly Disco”! We’re hard at work on a fully fleshed-out live set as well with guitar/bass shredding, live vocals and a whole lot more.
Plus cooking lessons and some killer food reviews of course. Learn from the greats.
Is there anything on the horizon that you can share with us?
We have a variety of remixes, originals, DJ Sets, live sets, and videos on the way. Even when we’re being quiet, we’re never not working. We love making music together and creating this shared vision, so there is a lot more for y’all in the hopper.
What do you wish for the future of electronic music? In what ways would you like to see it evolve?
We want to see parties in more unconventional locations. The club and bar experience can become quickly played out and we adore the feeling of a beautiful view or an interesting new space to dance within. The table service/bar structure is of course fun at times in its own way, but let’s see some more art gallery parties, more house shows, more jams under bridges and in parks. We also have loved seeing the shift towards a more inclusive scene. When we were growing up, many electronic icons in pop culture were mostly white men, leaving many of the true dance legends in the shadows. Seeing a surge in some truly badass wxmen in the scene (shout out LP Giobbi, Honey Dijon, QRTR, Blessed Madonna, Kaleena Zanders we <3 u) has been incredibly inspiring and we can’t wait to see the long-term effects of a more representative collective genre.
Any last words for the SPIN-verse?
Want us to play your weird house party? In your backyard? For your grandma in hospice? At the local restaurant in the basement? SLIDE IN THE DMs. WE BRING THE FUNK WHEREVER WE GO. Sending BIG love to you all, wherever you are – can’t wait to see you on the dance floor.
Check out Supertaste’s SET below! Want more SETS? Head over to SPIN TV to keep up with all the latest and greatest DJ/producers breaking through the electronic sphere.
