How We Play: Catz ‘N Dogz Approach Production as a Duo

Polish production duo Catz ‘N Dogz have cemented their reputation as a seismic force in house music. Now active in the scene for over fifteen years, the pair have amassed cover features with Mixmag and DJ Mag Spain, as well as spots in the RA Top 100 DJ poll, DJ Mag’s ‘Top 10 Albums’, and ‘Best Track’ at the WMC Awards.

Long-term friends Grzegorz Demianczuk and Wojciech Taranczuk, aka Catz ‘N Dogz, now hold residencies in Poland’s top clubs, such as Smolna Warsaw, and are widely regarded as the nation’s number one dance music export. Their releases have graced labels like Defected, Dirtybird, and Cocoon, alongside their very own Pets Recordings.

To keep their music interesting, the duo takes a varied approach to production. “Sometimes we do evening sessions when we play with our samples and instruments, and something comes from it,” they explain in an interview with Deep House Amsterdam. “But usually, we go to the studio, and beforehand we discuss what we would like to do or what direction to go.”

Looping phrases and sequences is central to helping the pair develop their material further. “When we have the track looped, we look for inspiration and look at what we can do and where to go with it.” Despite this, they keep an open mind and never know how a track will take shape. “Same with our DJ sets too.”

Working tirelessly in the studio with another person can create challenges. “Most of the time we spend in the studio together… being a DJ/producer duo has a lot of positives and negatives. Sometimes we want to kill each other, haha.” But overall, the duo owes a significant part of their success to their compatibility. “We are a great team… Voitek is very good on the production side. I’m more of a tech geek.”