Interviews

We are thrilled to have Daniel Leseman and Hans Peeman of Fouk join us to unpack their beautiful new Sundays EP. Out now on Boogie Angst, this release sees the duo stepping away from pure club tracks to collaborate with brilliant artists like The Phenomenal Handclap Band, 79.5, and Archil & Leon. By blending Fouk's signature grooves with warm, song-led arrangements, they have crafted a timeless collection that perfectly bridges late-night dancefloors with home listening sessions. Dive into our interview below to hear about their creative process, working remotely with international talent, and how the tracks finally came together.

Thank you for stopping by for a chimney-side chat. How are you both doing?

We're doing well, thank you! Thanks for having us!

Do you think you could introduce your Sundays EP a little?

Sundays EP is the result of us spreading our wings a bit more into proper songwriting and working together with amazing artists. We're super excited about how these turned out.

Did you have a vision initially for what you wanted to create with this new release?

We intended to write songs without a club setting in mind. This EP is the result of that. When we finished writing the instrumentals, we felt they needed proper vocals. We had that in mind from the start. So we got in touch with The Phenomenal Handclap Band for "Tune It Out,” 79.5 for “Reverie,” and Archil & Leon for “Sundays.” And so the collaborations began—they elevated the songs to another level, we think.

Do you feel you accomplished your intentions?

Yes, definitely! It surpassed our expectations. You never know exactly where collaborations may take a project, but the end results are amazing, if we say so ourselves. We're very proud of these three songs!

Boogie Angst belongs to Kraak & Smaak, right? Are you friends from Amsterdam already?

Yes, it does. We got in touch years ago and met each other at festivals we played. We've also remixed their work a couple of times. They are great people! I (Hans) remember listening to their albums when I was a lot younger during my studies and was a big fan at the time. So it's very cool to get to work with them now.

How long did the whole EP take to come together? What was the first track to materialise out of the three?

Overall, from writing the instrumentals to the finished songs, it took a few years. We didn’t know what to do with the instrumental demos at first since they were different from our more house-focused output. We were in touch with Wim from K&S/BA about releasing some original music with them. They liked the tracks, and we first had to perfect our instrumental demos. Then we discussed possible vocalists and really got the ball rolling with The Phenomenal Handclap Band, 79.5, and Archil & Leon. Unfortunately, there was no budget to fly over and get into the studio together—as is often the case—but luckily it worked really well remotely.

We worked on finishing the three songs simultaneously. The first track that was finished was “Reverie,” if we remember correctly.

The three tracks are quite varied, but they share a warm and embracing vibe. How did you go about capturing that feeling? How would you describe the common thread that unites them?

To be honest, we just started writing without a plan. We wanted to keep the groove and feel that we’re known for and simply create what we felt in the moment. What unites them is that we have a certain “Fouk” sound, and that still shines through in all three.

These tracks are somewhat different from your regular dancefloor excursions. Has this side of you always been there, or are you exploring new sonic directions?

This side has always been with us, but it grew more and more over time. We’ve made quite a lot of remixes, and they sometimes inspired us to write more pop-leaning material we didn’t know what to do with yet. That evolved into the sound you hear on the Sundays EP.

Do you tend to take much time—after you’ve made a track—to leave it alone and evaluate it for a while?

Yes, partly because it’s difficult to let go of a creation. They never feel completely finished. Also, at first we didn’t know which direction we wanted to take these songs, so that made us shelve the instrumentals for a while.

Is the feedback of others important to you?

We sometimes wish we could say we didn’t give a damn, but of course it’s important! Yes, we create music for ourselves, but it’s very much a form of communication with the outside world. It’s part of our souls—we think a lot of artists feel the same way. And if you manage to touch people with your creative work, that means a lot. It gives us extra purpose and meaning to continue doing what we do.

Was it obvious to you the direction you wanted to go to select your collaborators?

Yes it was. We got in touch with them because we really loved their music and thought they’d be a great fit for what we’d written. Still, you never know what will come out of it, but we were sure it would be great. Once you send your music to someone to collaborate on, you have to keep an open mind. It’s so cool to be surprised and see which direction they take it. Yes, it can sometimes be difficult to kill your creative darlings, but for these tracks everything went quite harmoniously.

“Tune It Out” is a massive weapon—understated but powerful. How has it gone down in your sets?

Thank you so much, that’s fantastic to hear! We haven’t managed to play it yet, unfortunately, because we’ve played a bit less lately and those were more prime-time sets. At those times, the tempo of “Tune It Out” (116 bpm) didn’t really fit.

Was it obvious to you when the tracks were finished, or could you easily tweak forever?

In the end, yes, but they never feel totally finished. We tweaked these songs so much that it was good to finally let go. But we recently made an extended version of “Tune It Out,” and it was really cool to revisit the song after finishing it last year.

What has been a highlight of the last year for Fouk?

That would be the release of our Get It Done EP on Freerange! We’ve been fans of Jimpster’s sound and his label for years, so having our music released there was a big moment. We’re really happy with the response.

And what has been the biggest challenge, would you say?

Juggling our personal lives with the life of an artist. Also, we haven’t been playing as much as we would have liked lately, and that has been challenging.

What is the most philosophical advice you’ve been given from a colleague or peer?

This is a fantastic question, but we’re afraid we can’t think of a worthwhile answer. Sorry!

It’s always exciting anticipating what you guys might come up with. What do you have waiting in the wings?

We have two tracks coming up on special celebratory compilations for two respected labels. We posted a few in-the-studio videos on our socials last year when we made the tracks, and they got a huge response.

We’ve also been working on two new vocal house tracks, and we’re working on two new EPs and some remixes. So we have a lot on our plate at the moment!

How do you feel about this EP finally seeing the light of day?

Ecstatic, proud, and a tiny bit nervous—but only a tiny bit, haha!

Check out the latest release from Fouk.