Beyond the Booth is a feature dedicated to the hidden side of artists that exists outside electronic music— a side rarely discussed with those outside their immediate circle. We venture “beyond the booth,” so to speak, and dive into their deepest passions that tie into their unique personalities. After some self-introspection, each participant then returns to the booth, providing an exclusive mix for the Finest of EDM audience.

L D R U and Yahtzel have an infectious chemistry that has carried them far in their careers. As Carmada, the two have taken the bass world by storm, landing themselves coveted spots on OWSLA, Mad Decent, and the like. They possess a knack for musicmaking and performance that leaves audiences hungering for their presence worldwide — not only in a club setting, but also on stage at reputable festival institutions.

Sometimes, however, absence makes the heart grow fonder — and the music tastier. L D R U and Yahtzel have been focused inward the past couple years, focusing mainly on honing their solo artistry. The break has been beneficial, based off their latest original work, “Ready For It.” Bright, poppy, and tasteful, the Tribes-assisted production signals a new chapter for Carmada.

Who are Carmada outside the music? It turns out, quite the active outdoorsmen. They’re known to be avid campers, even finding time while on tour to sleep under the stars and wake up surrounded by nature. Fans are also invited in on the fun; recently, Camp Carmada unfolded as an almost renegade event, which saw the duo holding an open-invitation camping trip filled with music and “stories around the campfire” with those willing to brave the elements.

Naturally, we had to go deep into camping and all things outdoors with Carmada, getting them to divulge some of their most intriguing tales from times they’ve spent “in the bush,” their favorite camping items, and more.

If you were forced to take only one of these items with you on a camping trip, would you choose: sunscreen, or bug repellent?
Bug spray for sure. Have you ever tried to sleep with 30 mosquitos buzzing around your head? That’s a norm for a balmy Aussie night.

What are the niftiest outdoor tricks/hacks you guys know?
Well, I don’t know if it’s necessarily a trick or hack, but Yahtzel is really good at whipping up a campfire. We went 4wd in a shitty car through the rocky mountains recently, we got a little too confident, went off road and inevitably got the car bogged in about 4ft of snow. There was about 30 minutes of sunlight left and a lot of digging through snow ahead of us. Before any of us even wrapped our head around the situation, Yahtzel had the perfect campfire going. We ended up getting the car-free 2hrs later.

What is the most daring camping endeavor you’ve been on?
The most daring thing I’ve (Yahtzel) ever done camping, was seeing how long I could last in the bush by myself. I stayed out there for six nights; If I didn’t run out of food and water, I would have stayed longer.

Tell us about your funniest memory while camping.
I think the funniest thing I’ve seen camping was my friends first bush poo. I don’t think he realised you need to pull your pants all the way down, because generally when you go number 2, you also go number 1. So poor old Barney had to spend the rest of the night covered in pee.

Between using an actual toilet the first time and taking your first hot shower, which feels the best after a camping trip, in your opinion?
Shower for sure. You don’t have to worry about aiming when peeing outdoors.

Do you have any camping gear brands you prefer in particular? Why?
The Jolly Swagman, if you don’t know what a Swag is here’s a Facebook page we created just for them.

How would you describe your camping preferences? Do you prefer beach camping, backpacking in the forest, taking roadtrips and stopping at parks along the way, etc?
We’re pretty lucky living in Australia in terms of camping options. No matter where you live, you can drive 1-2 hours and be surrounded by bush. I generally take the car and drive ten mins from my family home in Ulladulla and camp in the bush by the beach. For L D R U’s Australian regional tour he hired a massive campervan and drove up and down the east coast of Australia. He would play a show, then his TM would drive to the closest beach, and they would wake up to the sound of the ocean. That’s a cool way to tour.

Have any of you encountered a terrifying wild creature while camping? What did you do to get out of the situation?
Americans always say everything in Australia can kill you and yeah we have snakes and spiders etc. but we don’t have FUCKING Bears, Mountain Lions and Mousse have you seen the size of those things. There bigger than a pickup truck! Back to the question, nothing to our of the ordinary. But my Manager and I did a little bit of bat country skiing in Whistler recently and we stumbled across a heap of fresh bear prints and the next 30 minutes of skiing were petrifying.

Tell us more about Camp Carmada. What sorts of things did you get up to?
Camp Carmada was amazing; we had an open invitation to our fans to come camping with. We played a guerilla bush set to 50 people and sat around the campfire telling stories. I don’t think you could ever recreate that magic.

Finally, the best question: after having such a powerful reunion, what do you two have in the works for the rest of 2018?
We’ve been quiet the last couple of years, working on our solo projects (Yahtzel, L D R U). 2018 is all about Carmada coming back into the spotlight. I think conceptualising/filming the film clip for our recent single “Ready For It” was our favourite. We had stunt actors, car chances, fight scenes and a whole of action. It was great being apart of the process from start to finish and seeing your vision translate to screen. We have a big show at Splendour In The Grass this year, debuting out new show Carmada by LDRU & Yahtzel. I think that is going to be the best show we’ve ever played, can’t wait!

 

Feature image credit: Stacey Queffert