We did an interview with Romania’s biggest online music magazine.

1. Hello guys, what are you doing? How did this year start for you?

This year had a good start for us, we did some very good gigs already. We had a lot of downloads and positive comments on our Missy Elliot “Get Ur Freak On” bootleg and our remix for Nouveau Yorican “Chiuso”.
Right now we’re working on a House Masters compilation for Defected to celebrate 10 years of Chocolate Puma and us producing together for 20 years this year.
We are also working a new CP Single and some collabs with Firebeatz, Gregor Salto and Bingo Players and remixes for Kraak & Smaak and others. We’ll also be relaunching our label Pssst Music. So quite busy!

2. Maybe some people didn’t hear your music and they don’t know anything about you. Who are the members of Chocolate Puma’s Project and what is his distinctive style? How would you convince them that you really deserve to be heard?

Chocolate Puma are Zki & Dobre and we make music people can dance to.
Each weekend we do a gig somewhere on the planet where we only play our own tracks. You might know us from songs like Always And Forever, Disco Electrique, I Wanna Be U and The Good Men – Give It Up.

3. Why have you chosen this name for your project – Chocolate Puma? What is the significance?

It came out of nowhere, like it was sent to our brains from a brown planet. But we think it fits the music quite well!

4. You are for a very long time in music industry, but you still hold the leading positions, you don’t give signs of being tired. How have you survived over time, how have you reinvented yourself?

It’s just the love for the music that keeps us going. Music, that’s what we do and we’ll always be doing. At the same time it’s very important for us to keep being connected to the dancefloor and new studio techniques, while the young producers out there keep us sharp and inspired!

5. Have you a favorite quote? Something that inspires you?

No, we get inspired by non-verbal stuff.

6. How would you describe your sets? What are the styles you mix more often?

Our sets are for 90% filled with our own productions, remixes, edits and are basically very energetic! We like a lot of different styles of music, so we could throw in anything we like.

7. What tunes are on your playlist at the moment?

Chocolate Puma & FireBeatz – Go Bang!
CP “Tonco Tone”
Nouveau Yorican “Chiuso” (Chocolate Puma Remix)
Drop The Lime “Hot As Hell” (Canblaster Remix)
Firebeatz “Hidden Sound”
Afrojack “Polka Dots (Chocolate Puma edit)

8. Which is your favorite club where you like to mix?

That’s a very difficult question, as the are a lot of good clubs all over the world, but to keep it close to our home: Paradiso and Panama in Amsterdam.

9. If you were to pick some DJ’s who’d had brilliant performances in 2010, which one would you choose?

Definitely Bart B More, but Laidback Luke had a great year also!

10. At what studio projects are you working now?

We’re working on a new Chocolate Puma single, a new Bingo Players vs Chocolate Puma single, and we have new projects with Firebeatz and Gregor Salto coming up.

11. Recommend us some „must listen” tracks

See question 7 ;-)

12. Favourite piece of equipment/gadget.

Anything with an i.

13. Chocolate or ice-cream?

Chocolate Caramel B&J

14. Twitter or Facebook?

Twitter, but Facebook comes close at the second place.

15. Can you caracterize by a single word:

Miami
…..messed up this year.
ADE
….the best for business.
Ibiza
….. here we come!

16. A message for the readers of Music-News Romania.

Watch out for a big year for Chocolate Puma, keep on dancing and protect your ears!

Thank you!

Some of you might have heard it already in one of this month’s episodes of Defected In The House Radio, but for those who haven’t or want to hear it again, here’s our latest DJ Mix. It features some tracks of producers we dig at this moment, like Canblaster, Nicky Romero and John Roman.
You also could spot a new production we did together with dutch producers Firebeatz. It has funny voices and stuff.

Chocolate Puma DJ Mix Spring 2011 by Chocolate Puma

Defected had a chat with Nouveau Yorican’s Laidback Luke & Gina Turner. They said nice things.

Chopping the living hell out of the uniquely catchy hook that paved the way for the original to become one of the biggest underground tracks of the winter, Chocolate Puma have created a pounding, glitchy remix that simply demands to be danced to.
Defected newcomer Gianni Morino then steps up with two remixes of broken beats, hooks and horns that turn the original on its head to awesomely danceable effect.

“To me this remix package is the legendary meets the new!” says one half of Nouveau Yorican Ladback Luke of the new mixes. “And I’m in the middle of the circle. Chocolate Puma are my mentors, and the funny thing is Gianni is a student of mine. Both have delivered amazing remixes and I’m proud and happy we could make this work. Much respect to my grandmasters Zki & Dobre and keep an eye on Gianni Marino as I tip him as
an Afrojack 2.0”

Hailing from Amsterdam, 21 year old Gianni Marino is one of the up and coming yun ones churning out baltimore house inspired bangers. As a true fan of martial art movies the idea of mashing styles and techniques into one to enter into battle comes natural to him, and so mixmashing musical styles has become his signature sound. He joins fellow Dutch producers Chocolate Puma – who will require no introduction to house music fans – to complete the remix package in fine style.

“The Chiuso package is absolutely stellar!” enthuses Luke’s studio partner Gina Turner. ” To me, the Chocolate Puma remix is big room stadium tech house at its finest…and the Gianni Marino is the new school take on the dutch house underground sound! Loving both as I feel they are chamealeon remixes and could work in many different types of sets.”

Defected and Chocolate Puma fans alike will remember that the duo’s last record ‘Tonco Tone’ was one of the biggest underground tracks of 2010, hanging around the Beatport Top 10 for several weeks. Sleep on this remix at your peril…

Chuiso (Part 2) is out 9th March - click to listen & pre-order