Liquideep tell us a Fairytale

“Love is universal, love is positive and our stories stem from it,” says lead singer, Ziyon.

House duo, Liquideep are lounging on plump velvet couches, inside one of Loop Street’s luxurious Pepperclub Hotel suites. The handsome, fairytale princes have released two albums and their soulful lyrics have been play listed on every major radio station in South Africa. They’ve even received a South African Music Award nomination. Yet, I find that they’re completely down to earth.

Jonathan ‘Ziyon’ Christian and Thabo ‘Ryzor’ Shokgolo are humbled by their performance with legend, Angie Stone, and by the female fan that jumped off a balcony trying to reach them. It turns out they know a thing or two about deep house music and a lot about love.

How did you both meet?

Ryzor: In 2006, Ziyon accompanied a friend of my partner’s on a visit to my house. After the ladies brought us together, we began to hang out and listen to music.

Ziyon: I was born in America, where house music is big only in certain areas. It was Ryzor who introduced me to the culture of house music: how people respond to it, how they dance to it and their knowledge of the genre in general.

Tell us a secret.

Ryzor: Ziyon always puts others first.

Ziyon: Ryzor isn’t as shy as people might think.

Why do you write lyrics about love?

Ziyon: Love is universal, love is positive and our stories stem from it. While growing up, love was always something I gravitated towards and it’s a pool that I often pull from.

Was the success of Fairytale something you anticipated?

Ziyon: Fairytale wasn’t our initial favourite. It was successful because it stuck out from an album that was otherwise underground. This song opened our minds to the resonance the genre has with our audience.

Was Fairytale written about anyone in particular?

Ziyon: The song is a letter, in audio, that I never got the chance to send someone.

Which fairytale were you referring to?

Ziyon: I wrote a fairytale that was personal to me. I got my happy ending eventually, because life goes on.

Video: Fairytale

 

What is the difference between your first and second album, in terms of musical direction?

Ziyon: Our first album is close to our heart, but our second album is more mature; it identifies who we are and what our sound is.

What was it like performing with Angie Stone at the Coca Cola Dome, in Johannesburg?

Ryzor: Most of the audience had come to watch Angie Stone, so we weren’t sure how they would react to Liquideep. We brought something different to that concert and it was nice to see people jamming to our music.

Is there a jazz song you would like to remix?

Ziyon: Songs from Kind of Blue, by Miles Davis.

How does it feel to be described as sexy?

Ziyon: It’s humbling because we’re regular guys who don’t see things that way. We’d like to thank the people who said that.

What is the strangest thing a fan has done to get your attention?

Ziyon: During a show, a female fan couldn’t get onto the stage because of security. Instead, she jumped down from the balcony. It was a miracle she didn’t hurt herself.

Video: Angel



Is there anybody you are following on Twitter who makes you laugh out loud?

Ziyon: I follow funny man, Will Ferrell.

Where would you go for...breakfast with Black Coffee?

Ziyon: The Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront is nice.

...lunch with Coldplay?

Ziyon: Wolves [Johannesburg] make the best red velvet cake in town.

...partying with Teargas?

Ziyon: We’d probably hit up nightclubs The Bank and Hush [Johannesburg], and party until Sunday.

What’s on your iPod at the moment?

Ziyon: Adele’s new album, 21.

Ryzor: Danish band, A Room with a View.

By Lisa Nevitt

Liquideep are currently working on new material. We’ve also chatted to the likes of  Freshly Ground and Jack Parow in our interviews section.

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