The Beautiful Now (Florian Reichle & Toni Schiavano) are one of those musical odd couples. It seems like they know each other forever, and have been playing together and making music for twice as long. Their studio is a bunker located somewhere in the cement belly of Zürich and it’s filled with empty pizza boxes, ashtrays full of spliffs and ton of gadgets, beat machines and handcrafted instruments that they collected somewhere along the way. 
Their debut EP is entitled Moes, which they claim stands for moments. As you probably noticed already, they have a thing about this mighty now business, and that’s a good thing! Because you can’t make great music without actually being present! Their four song EP is a butter-soul-tastic-boom-bap-alicious slice of that premium ish. It features Brandy Butler, Jneiro Jarel, BIGYUKI, Yamin Semali and Stimulus. It’s only available as a digital download atm, but it’ll be cut to proper thick ass vinyl real soon! Also word has it that there’s a collaboration coming up with our dear friends at WEMOTO. Holler! 
Here is a sample of what Big Tone and Flavour Flo think about this, that and the other. 

 

East or West Coast?

 

Toni: East. Closer to Europe lol. And we both deeply love NYC. I think there’s a larger and more diverse culture behind it all. But L.A. keeps pushing like crazy. I mean REALLY! incredible stuff is created there. 

Afrobeat or Gnawa? 

Flo: Gnawa. It feels more spiritual and poly-rhythmical. Both styles induce trance. Fela was an important and enlightened guy, but gnawa music really takes us in a totally different universe, because it is pure and ritualistic compared to afrobeat, which is influenced heavily by North-American music.

Run or DMC?

Flo: DMC. I finally need to get a real pair of Gazelles. Period!

Co Flo or Run The Jewels? 

Toni: Nowadays point of view: Run the Jewels, way more fun. Kind of the V.S.O.P. of the same Cognac brand.

Old or new school?

Flo: The Now School is tomorrow’s New School!

Vinyl or books?  

Toni: Vinyl. Both are fucked up to move, but losing one LP hurts way more than loosing a whole box of books.

Spotify or Bandcamp?

Flo: Coca Cola or organic homemade lemonade? A rich life calls for devils and angels.

Studio or stage? 

Toni: Stage! The moment, the sweat, the ecstasy, the crowd!  We always try to make the studio our stage though. 

Now or never?

Both: You know!