I'd been looking forward to doing this interview for quite some time, not only has it been a while since we've hosted an interview on In The Deep End but it's also a pleasure to interview two artists you respect a lot. Mario & Vidis have a long sleeve of vinyl releases as well as a digital album release already under their belt. As you will find out in this interview, this Lithuanian duo don't plan on stopping any time soon. Their trademark combination of deep house and emotive vocal use is set to take the world by storm. Join us below.

1. I guess the obvious first question is, how did the collaboration first happen and where were you when you decided it was time to start working on music together?

Vidis: I'm a long term music fan and enthusiast, as well as a DJ, radio host, and event promoter. And Mario has been producing music professionally for the last 12 or so years. We knew about each other. But at some point, with a help and recommendations of mutual friends, we got acquainted. I needed someone with more studio skill and experience than me and Mario needed someone with deep knowledge of dance music and a vision. In some way it's quite a typical DJ-producer partnership. And also we became a real friends in the meantime.

2. Also, for each of you, what/ when was the first moment when you decided to start producing music?

Vidis: Some years ago I started having dreams where I was DJing and playing music I've never heard before - I thought it should mean something.

Mario Basanov: When I was 8, father brought home a synthesizer for the first time. I was so impressed and inspired by the possibility to play absolutely different instruments like strings or drums by using piano keyboard that it never went away since. And this feeling is just getting stronger every day.

3. Do you find that a lot of your younger experiences have had a heavy influence on your taste in music? It seems that a lot of producers have some tasteful parents to thank in one way or another, is this the case with you two?

Vidis: My uncle is a famous modern Lithuanian composer. But that's the only music heritage that comes from my family. Everything else I gained myself collecting, enjoying, playing, and producing music.

Mario Basanov: My father is a violinist, and my elder brother is a violinist and a famous Lithuanian singer too. So I've been surrounded by music from the very early age. My father is also a fan of an authentic soul music - so he kept me and my brother on a healthy diet of Motown releases and such artists as Marvin Gaye, Billy Ocean, Commodores, Chicago, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and the likes. And the first ever synthesizer story was already told. I also finished high school of music profile and studied bassoon afterwards.

4. Do you have a circle of friends in Lithuania that broaden your taste and pass around ideas or is it really just the two of you that are into this style?

Vidis: Sure. There is always a bunch of music enthusiasts around giving tips and recommendations on this and that. Also we are the beings of internet age. So Pitchfork or Fact Mag is as close to us as to someone in Chicago or London.

5. When it comes to the recording process, how does the work flow happen between the two of you? Are there areas that one of you is an expert in or do you both work on each part of the record together?

Mario Basanov: We do all the creative work together with me at the controls. I often do the mixing and mastering alone. But that's just because I leave Vidis some extra time for finding, contacting, convincing featured vocalists, dealing with labels, arranging artworks, photo shoots, special events of ours, video productions, radio shows, and all that.

6. Your first track together, Test is quite different to the sound you are pushing yet still very successful in the underground dance scene, championed by big names across the globe. Were you expecting such a great response when you started the project, and how did it actually come about that Gilles Peterson got his hands on your track?

Vidis: You always expect to or at least wish for your sound to be appreciated and admired by as many people as possible. But you can never program the success. It often depends on little funny coincidences. For example Gilles Peterson got to know about us just because I did an interview with him for a local youth mag and send him a CD with our remix for Atjazz and Robert Owens' Love Someone together with a few copies of an issue. That's why he grabbed Test and put it on his Defected Presents: In The House compilation right away.

And also regarding our sound. So far only our fans in Lithuania had a chance to experience the full range of our creative work, because our debut double album was released only in this territory. And we haven't had a chance to travel all over the world and present our sound properly yet. In our album the listener can find relatively everything we like - from Disco flavors, to something you could call New Jazz, to things which could easily be qualified as House and Techno, or even Ambient.

Test may seem 'different' for people all over the world only at this point in time because some of the releases are still on the way and the stuff which has been released internationally so far is much more mellow. The other aspect of this is Mario's solo production which is always very melodic and adds extra puzzle to this Who Is Who and What Is What situation.

Actually that's one of the reasons we switched from Mario Basanov & Vidis to just Mario & Vidis recently leaving Mario Basanov for his solo works - to distinguish the sound and philosophy behind these two projects. Generally speaking Mario & Vidis is a an eclectic House project and Mario Basanov is all about shiny top quality New Disco.

We have a few releases planned for 2011 on Best Works, Crosstownrebels, Room With A View, and Philomena. All of this will be really deep and even darkish sometimes. Our track Kashyyyk which Damian Lazarus licensed as an exclusive for his upcoming Get Lost compilation could be easily labeled as Detroit House I dare say. So very soon everyone will have a chance to experience different sides of us. Come to the dark side - we have cookies!

Mario Basanov & Vidis - Kashyyyk by zdarius

7. For me it seems that your last really deep track was with Kathy Diamond, is there a change of direction happening for this project right now?

Vidis: 'Deep' is always a tricky thing to discuss. Some guys in Germany producing repetitive and boring music say they do a thing called Deep House revival, some guys doing slightly cheesy stuff in USA call it Deep & Disco, some guys all over the world still playing worn out and obvious Soulful House fueled by diva vocals say this is the only 'real' Deep thing, and so on. I'd say everything we do is Deep just got different aspects to it. And we've just discussed all of the stylistic shades of Mario & Vidis.

8. Arguably, your most popular tracks have featured tasteful vocals in one form or another. Was it part of your original plan to make crossover dance tracks that are still accessible by radio?

Mario Basanov: It wasn't a part of the initial plan really. We met and started cooperating with an agenda to create some instrumental and adventurous House music. But after the phenomenal and unexpected success of our first vocal track I'll Be Gone which even crossed over to pop territory we decided we should do both. Because somehow it works really well with us - the vocal thing. And then yes, it's obvious - you will never achieve that much interest and admiration with instrumental tracks, as with songs. Human voice and extra meaning which lyrics add to it can do magic.

9. On the subject of vocalists, some of your earlier records together featured fellow Lithuanian patriot Jazzu, how did you come across her vocal talents?

Mario Basanov: Juste Arlauskaite aka Jazzu is an old friend of ours. She's got a beautiful voice and exceptional songwriting skills. Also she sings in English without accent. Which is often a problem here in Lithuania. And she is also a fresh talent, exciting creative type, not a worn out name and face here. So in a way it was obvious. When we needed a proper vocalist and songwriter - we approached her.

10. Also what led to you collaborating with UK diva Kathy Diamond and more recently Ernesto?

Vidis: These two have different stories. The Feeling the song Kathy did with Toby Tobias was an opening track on my first official mix album. The album was a sponsored thing - a massive 60 000 copies free give away project here in Lithuania. I'll Be Gone was also there. Many people had this compilation and really loved the track. So it was a natural step to invite Kathy to perform here. We did a party with her and it was a very successful night - we had a packed club and a lot of fun. So it was an obvious move forward - to offer Kathy a cooperation. She agreed and in a matter of few months we had a track with her.

Ernesto is a different story. We just felt at some point that we had enough of divas and wanted a song with a male vocalist. So started browsing our heads and musical memories for suggestions. Ernesto as an option came up naturally. We are big fans of his early works. His songs Juice, Falling Into and Close To You are among all time favorites of ours. So we just googled his contacts and emailed a letter full of respect and appreciation. And it all ended with two tracks on our album. And actually we're planning something more. Kids you should use internet the right way!

11. Mario, we recently heard you sing on your solo track Lonely Days, can we expect to hear any of your vocals on the Mario & Vidis album?

Mario Basanov: Haha… This is already an anecdote. My father is still trying to convince me to become a singer. But I feel more convenient in the producer's chair. Even though I can sing and I do sometimes. We already having a bet on when is someone going to approach me not for production or remix duties but as featured vocalist. There should be some more singing in the future I'm sure.

12. After your track I'll be gone went number one in your national radio charts and was a massive hit on Baltic MTV, as well as the recent success of the weird clip for Changed. How crucial to the success of your track do you think it is to have a cool music video?

Vidis: Of course original video adds to the excitement and interest in a song. It can even create a hype. Which happened with I'll Be Gone. But it wasn't a part of some detailed master plan or our claim to fame. Videos for I'll Be Gone and Who's Shot The Silence?! turned to be so successful that now we feel some kind of pressure and urge to deliver a new video work from time to time and to set a new benchmark for ourselves. The same with the people doing the videos for us - we don't even have to tell them, they know they have to outdo themselves, if they're doing it for Mario & Vidis.

13. After checking a few articles across the internet, rumor has it that Future Classic will be releasing your debut album in Australia. Are you planning to release a few singles such as Changed from the album first before releasing the whole album?

Mario Basanov: We offered Future Classic to re-release our album for the rest of the world. But they wanted just a title track this time. Maybe they'll be willing to get their hands on our second album? We really like working with Future Classic guys - they're very professional and organized which is not always the case in dance music business. So hopefully this is just a beginning of the beautiful friendship.

14. The latest record features some awesome remixes courtesy of some producers at the forefront of this "new" house movement. As DJ's have you noticed a big change in dance floors over the past few years, perhaps even more so the last year? Where do you think club music is headed?

Vidis: Obviously the biggest trend recently is that there are no more trends, or that the walls dividing scenes, styles, and genres are falling down, border lines are being erased further and further. There is a resurgence of slow and mellow dance music still going on but I don't know if it could be described as 'new' or genuinely 'different' or as coherent 'scene'. More and more DJs are just playing across the board. And this is the future I think - Soulful Techno played alongside Disco Trance and spiced up by Deep Dubstep. What exactly is the style of Soul Clap? Electro, disco or house? I suppose it's just a good groove combining all the best elements from last 30 or even more years in dance music produced with a help of modern technology and a funky attitude.

There are some other tendencies. The scene is getting older therefore the establishment is growing stronger. And it's very obvious in 'classic' genres such as House and Techno. I hope it all doesn't end like Jazz.

On the other hand there has never been that much fresh new talent around which is very inspiring. But it naturally causes another problem - there is so much new music that too little people even in this so called 'specialist scene' take enough time and effort listening to all of this and filtering it instead of just reading names on the record covers. Not all of your Moody, Theo, Harvey tracks and edits are the work of genius. And I'm not talking about less talented but well established ones.

Also 90's was an era of super DJs which had it's pros and cons and now it's an era of producers with it's good and bad. These days producer is considered somehow more important and easier marketable than DJ because of tracks working as 'business cards'. But I'd say there are quite a few talented producers but not all of them are performers. All of my favorite party players are for the first and the most DJs. Because these are two different crafts requiring totally different set of knowledge, skill, and attitude - spending most of your time trying to produce new sounds and put them together as opposed digging for ready made sounds in form of tracks trying to put them together, also facing the crowd, and being an entertainer.

But never mind the bollocks. People won't stop dancing and having fun whoever is playing it via iPod Nano or 3 turntables and a Bozak. And that's the most important.

15. Watching from the sidelines and DJing myself, I sometimes pick myself up for buying a few too many edits. It seems as though they are massively in fashion right now and selling quite a few records, what are your thoughts on this whole movement?

Mario Basanov: Definitely there are far too many edits made and released these days. And far too many uninspiring and dull ones. Generally speaking it's not a bad thing - technology got accessible and many people got an opportunity to play around with their favorite tracks. Why not spice up your set with your own edit or two? But hey - why should it get released every time? One more problem is that the chaps are re-editing the same tracks. It just should be more creative and less recyclable quick buck affair.

16. Apart from your own wonderful tracks, do you have any records at the moment that you can't leave the house without? Also what producers/artists are you currently inspired/influenced by? It's hard to pick by listening as you have a diverse range of genres and a relatively unique style of production with your delayed bass lines and almost melancholy leads.

Vidis: Theo Parrish remix for Owiny Sigoma Band's Wires is a bomb. New Ame & Amampondo track is amazing too. Kenton Slash Demon's latest release is simply out there. Todd Terje has just delivered a weapon of dance floor destruction.

Always keeping an eye on new releases from Space Dimension Controller, Floating Points, Mark E, Move D, I:Cube, Pional, Reggie Dokes, Levon Vincent, Omar S, Maurice Fulton, Idjut Boys, and other originals young and old.

Still loving Radiohead latest album, also albums from Nicolas Jaar, Cut Copy, PJ Harvey, Bullion, Gatto Fritto, Moritz Von Oswald Trio, Ajukaja. Bu all of this name checking is always the hardest part really because there are far too many names to mention…

And speaking about listening pearls and inspirations you can check the mix we did for Swiss good taste magazine Finger Mag:

Mario & Vidis - Finger Mag Mix by Mario & Vidis

17. As producers it sounds as though you are quite strongly in to analog gear and the quality shines through each of your records more than the last. Do you think that the preservation of using analog equipment when making music is crucial for professionals to set themselves apart from those without such hardware?

Mario Basanov: Yes, our goal is top technical quality and as warm as possible sound, but the only hardware we use for each and every track these days for all of the tracks is Avalon 747 SP tube compressor and TC Electronic Finalizer 96K. So it's very much about how you tweak your software, plug ins, and even samples from sample packages anyone can buy. But even after that being said we're about to buy more hardware in the future. The wish list is ready and getting longer every day. People just shouldn't limit themselves to definitions and pre-assumptions of what is 'real' and 'true' and what is not. Moog synthesizer or original Roland 808 doesn't come packed together with creativity.

18. On the topic of analog, how do you feel about the Vinyl Vs. CDJ Vs. Laptop debate and what format do you prefer when you're playing?

Vidis: We prefer our music being released on vinyl. I still buy and play vinyl a lot adding some fresh or extra stuff from CDs. Mario plays CDs only. These are the facts. Everything else is just a discussion leading nowhere. Even in 2299, when everyone will be driving a spaceship and keeping their music in the invisible information 'cloud', there will be someone buying and enjoying old wine, old cars, and plastic records.

19. How will the Mario & Vidis show operate, without giving away too many clues, is it more likely to be a live show or a DJ set or perhaps a combination of the two?

Vidis: We do both - laptops live and DJ sets. But somehow recently we've got slightly tired of Ableton thing and are enjoying varied DJ sets much much more. But of course it's always not about technology but how creative you are with it. So we're thinking of the ways of reinventing our live sets. Also it's much more fun to do it when you have a full set up - singers and musicians on stage, which we've been doing as well, but only on special occasions or festival gigs when the budget allows us that extra fun.

20. Are there any plans for Mario & Vidis tours in the future? And do you plan to stop in Australia at all?

Vidis: Pacific tour is our secret dream - would love to play in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Bali, Japan… and some other countries and islands around one day. We live in such a cold and gloomy country.

Mario Basanov: We're playing in Lithuania regularly and touching down from time to time in Russia, Belarus, Poland, Latvia, Turkey, Ireland, UK. And sure - we would love to do a world tour one day, get tired and exhausted, push it up to a split-up limit, and fall in love with each other again… AND YES - WE WOULD LOVE TO VISIT THE LAND OF RABBITS AND KANGAROOS! How could we make it happen? Maybe someone should start We Want Mario & Vidis in Australia page on Facebook hah?

More music and info:
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