A reformation is a rebirth or renewal of life. That may mean a lot of different things to different people, but to Super8 & Tab, reformation isn’t just a word from the dictionary. It is a concept that has driven a two-part album centered around creating something new, revitalizing their original sound, and growing as artists.
Super 8 & Tab recently released the second installment of their album series, Reformation. An undertaking of this magnitude can be difficult, but considered by many to be their magnum opus. The pinnacle of their musical career, due in large part to how well-crafted the album, is in both sound and style. Anyone who has listened to Super 8 & Tab knows that they are meticulous in the creation of their uplifting trance sound.
With that dedication in mind, we at DMNW had the chance to discuss the album with Miika and Janne covering topics from their inspiration, to their creative process in the making of such a beautiful album. What’s exciting about all this though is the fact that the duo is bringing their newly-crafted sounds to The Underground in Seattle, on June 22nd. You can find out more about there event here.
What drove the decision to break Reformation into two parts?
Super 8 & Tab: We have put a lot of heart and time into every track on the album and now in this “Spotify-age,” releasing all 13 tracks at once, most of them would not get the spotlight they deserve. People have really appreciated that idea and feedback has been amazing so far!
What is your favorite track from the album?
S8&T: Really hard to choose one but ‘True Love’ and ‘Burn’ have been massive singalong moments during our shows.
Will you be playing tracks from Reformation during your Seattle show?
S8&T: Absolutely! But we also have a few exclusive tracks fresh from the studio to play for you and maybe we’ll sneak in few old tracks too.
What does Reformation as an album and as a title represent in terms of vision behind the creation of it?
S8&T: We wanted to change things a bit after our Unified album. We moved to a new label, changed the way we work in the studio, found new ways to produce music, tweaked our sound and we have new exciting people in our team. We wanted to reform.
How is Reformation different from some of your other work, what makes this album special and unique?
S8&T: Musically Reformation is probably more club-orientated than the Unified or Empire albums. It’s kind of going back to our roots experimenting with dirty basslines and raw sounds but still keeping the recognizable Super 8 & Tab melodies. We also worked with new artists and did a few collaborations that made some exciting twists to the album. This is also our first album with Armada Music.
How long have you been working on the album?
S8&T: All together something like 18 to 24 months or so. This came a bit faster than previous albums!
Before forming Super 8 & Tab, you both were solo acts, but a collaboration together really changed that. How has collaborating all these years shaped your musical style, and what is it like working together on an album like this?
S8&T: From our very first time in the studio we noticed we shared the same passion and musical taste so its been easy to work and travel the world together. We have always tried to get influences and inspirations from all kinds of dance music and that’s what we tried with Reformation. We are really happy with the result.
If you could play a b2b set with anyone regardless of genre, using Reformation as a jumping off point, who would you want to play with and why?
S8&T: We have known Cosmic Gate for a long time and we did collaborations for both of our albums so we think that it would be a lot fun to play with them on stage too! After all they are some of the nicest guys on the scene!
One thing is clear: Super 8 & Tab is well on their way to “Reforming” the entire trance genre, with an album that paves the way for current and future artists alike. When someone is inspired, they inspire others. Reformation provides more than ample inspiration for others to follow their dreams, while showing them that it is possible to create something truly dynamic. This is the type of album that makes an impact, standing out in the maelstrom of monotony. In a world where people fall in line, there are others breaking molds; people who dare to be unique. And we all benefit from that dedication with such amazing music.
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