‘It’s hard to find someone who thinks about music that doesn’t exist yet in the same way that you do,” says Andrew Ross, also known in DJ circles as Fistfight.

Ross is explaining how he and friend Scottt Seewhale came to be Nacho Lovers, a local duo on the receiving end of some serious hipster hype even before their first official production — a remix of “Y’all Know the Name” by Ottawa’s Jokers of the Scene — drops on Fool’s Gold Records.
“I had zero production experience before [Jokers] Linus and Chris asked me if I wanted to do a remix last August,” Ross admits. “I had lots of ideas, but I needed someone with a lot more technical knowledge to bounce ideas off of. It was the very first thing I ever tried, and a lot of it is due to Scottt.”

 “You did a good job though,” encourages Seewhale, who’s seated in his studio with Ross.
Former Hamiltonian Seewhale has been producing electronic music for the past decade, most notably recording the abstract, beat-heavy Animal Squad CD under the project name of Puppyhertz. Since its release in 2004, Seewhale has turned his attention to making music with the dancefloor in mind, crafting tracks more directly linked to his “obsessive” record buying and love of Chicago house.

It is this shared passion for late ’80s through mid-’90s dance music — particularly New York and Chicago house, acid and Detroit techno — that bonds 23-year-old Ross and 28-year-old Seewhale as musical collaborators. These influences are glaring in everything I’ve heard from Nacho Lovers to date, from their Jokers remix to a re-edit of Steve Angello and Laidback Luke’s epic “Be,” as well as sample-laden originals like “Acid Life” and “Party People.”

While none of these tracks are available beyond MySpace or occasional blog posts, they have ignited early interest in the duo. Nacho Lovers — though still very much finding their way to an original sound — may well prove to be a key bridge between generations of house heads and the younger, neon-clad set. One thing is for certain: while many of their peers are pumping out cookie-cutter nu-rave and blog-house tracks that rely on epic builds, screeching sirens and heaps of distortion, Ross and Seewhale are developing a stronger sense of songwriting and melody.
 “It’s obvious that there are a lot of people who are all about the real crunchy dance music right now, but they’ve probably listened to metal or rock up until getting into Ed Banger,” comments Ross. “They don’t really have a history with dance music, and while it’s a cliché, it’s also true that you really don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. I think that people are starting to get into older stuff though, maybe with the big rave synths and keys coming back. Hopefully that will help people look back and make the connections between tracks now and stuff like ‘Voodoo Ray.’”

 “Every person making blog house should listen to Adonis’ ‘No Way Back’ instead of [Justice’s] ‘D.A.N.C.E.’ ” quips Seewhale. “They would benefit from that.

 “Although,” he continues, “the traditional house cats are becoming more interested in what’s going on with current dance music and a lot of the people who maybe started listening to dance music through the Ed Banger stuff are becoming more interested in the roots and history. It’s taking time, but I see a convergence.”

Some of this is happening at events where Andrew “Fistfight” Ross DJs, including D-Money’s Fuck Faces parties and the Nonstop monthly that Fistfight hosts the last Friday of each month with Thunderheist’s Grahmzilla. Those with open ears, a love of bass and an interest in the future of T.O.’s underground would also be advised to take in Friday’s all-local edition of Curb Crawlers.
 “I think this is going to be a good year for Toronto,” enthuses Seewhale about production in the 416. “There are a lot of artists who’ve been putting in the work, and this is their time to shine. All of our friends and so many people surrounding us, like Thunder­heist, Bonjay and the More Proof guys, are making really good electronic and club music. There’s a real spirit here right now.”

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