SIMON SAYS

BATE is back and this time, the DJ duo are caught in a Webbe.

- Sanjeeva Suresh

What do you get when you combine electronic house music with soulful British rhythm and blues? A musical cross-genre collaboration that is two parts heavy bass, one part seductive vocals, and an all-round party head-bopper. BATE (an anagram for Brains And The Eye) is a two-man ensemble comprised of Ethan Curzon and Yeoh Wai Hong, while Simon Webb is the charming singer-slash-rapper from ’90s boyband Blue. Their latest 007-inspired single entitled “Casino Royale” featuring Simon Webbe is a long time coming, as the DJ duo have gone from high school acquaintances to festival headliners. Having garnered upwards of 15 million streams to date and performed at some of the biggest festivals and parties (Future Music Festival Asia and Thirst, to name a few), their opportunity to work with Webbe came by an equal measure of hard work and luck. “Blue was down for a tour and we managed to let Simon Webbe have a listen to our new track, Casino Royale. He loved it and wanted to be a part of it,” comments Curzon. Their management team Lion Music Group certainly had a hand to play in the partnership. For Webbe, the song marks a new era in his career and an evolution to his sound. “It’s a new beginning for me and we also want to make sure it’s something that fans can connect to because I’ve grown up with them,” he tells BAZAAR Man exclusively. The joint effort may be signed and sealed but as it gets delivered, we meet up with the trio behind the infectious track.

How do you prefer the track to impact listeners? Ethan Curzon and Wai Hong: Our sound is a mix of progressive house and EDM. We want people to be happy and inspired during our shows and to have a really good time while taking home an emotional message from the music we play. We always try to take our audience on a journey with our upbeat music.