Catz 'N Dogz Details

Their real names may be Grzegorz and Wojciech, but therehave been plenty of others along the way: early DJ sets as Deeop and Ketiov,champions of the underground as 3 Channels, or simply ‘Greg and Voitek’ totheir nearest and dearest. But no doubt, you’ll know them best as CATZ N’ DOGZ.

The duo’s refreshing take ondancefloor music has, in the last 12 months, propelled them into the limelightlike never before. Perhaps it was getting the remix treatment from theincomparable Carl Craig and rising star Tanner Ross on their most recentMothership release. Or the A&R home runs they scored with Pets Recordings,debuting Eats Everything’s smash “Entrance Song” and curating remixes fromMaceo Plex, Axel Boman and KiNK. Or maybe it was their first appearance inResident Advisor’s hallowed Top 100 DJ Poll. In any and all cases, the truth isclear: Catz N’ Dogz are well n’ truly at the top of their game.

It began in 2003, when best friends Greg and Voitek hosted their first clubnight in their home town Szczecin, Poland. Back then they were known as 3Channels, and they developed organically from there, into their first clubresidency, and into a regular hosting slot with Szczecin’s ABC Radio. As 3Channels amassed a loyal legion of fans, they broadened their creative pursuitsagain, and production was their next natural outlet. Their techno-centrictracks swiftly caught the attention and then joined the rosters of some of themost respected underground dance labels in the world: Trapez, Crosstown Rebels,Pokerflat, Boxer, Leena, Trenton, as well as the boys’ own budding imprintChannels Rec. The instant that Claude VonStroke heard 3 Channels’ red-hot clubrecords, he snapped the twosome up for his Dirtybird label; there they remixedClaude’s infamous anthem “Who’s Afraid Of Detroit?” for a highly limited (andhighly sought-after) one‐sided vinyl release, followed by thedancefloor-destroyer Chicken Affair EP, which appealed to the broadest spectrumof underground house and techno DJs.

By 2008, the boys had completely evolved, reemerging with a looser,freewheeling house sound, a hybrid masterpiece of a debut album, Stars of Zoo,and a new name: Catz n’ Dogz. The pair integrated deep house signatures withoutlosing sight of their techno roots, all the while exploring lush, organicsoundscapes. Their combination of meticulous, cinematicatmospheres, minimaltechno arrangements and live instrumentation spawned a string of acclaimedreleases for Sentence Records, Get Physical and Dirtybird’s sister labelMothership.

Catz n’ Dogz’ sophomore album took an entire year to create, but it proved tobe more than worth the wait: Escape from Zoo found the guys boldly leaping overthe barriers in 2010, wildly roaming the terrain and straying further andfurther from convention. Escape from Zoo freely explored the intertwined vinesof street bass, disco, R&B, deep house, hip-hop, and it blossomed throughcollaborations with heavy hitters dOP, Claude VonStroke and Jazzanova’s PaulRandolph.

Even as the rapturous response to Escape from Zoo launched them headlong into aheavy period of touring, live shows and festivals at hotspots around the globe,the boy endeavoured to further develop the scope of the Catz n’ Dogz universe.They launched Pets Recordings with the distinct aim of bringing Poland’sproduction talent to an international audience, they kicked off the Petcastpodcast series, and took their label showcases on the road, establishingresidencies at Berlin’s connoisseur clubs Watergate and Farbfernseher,alongside regular appearances in Szczecin and various other Polish cities.

Whether you’re charmed by their bass-heavy, colourful and always groove-ladenDJ sets, drawn in by their arresting live show, weaving your your way throughtheir illustrious output as producers, or delving into the magical tunescurated from their close network of friends, Grzegorz and Wojchiech (or Greg n’Voitek) are simply two of the hottest house Catz (n’ Dogz) on the scene today.