"Get Down, Spread It Around:" The Sunday Get Down Weekly 45's Mix Series with 8/10-year-old DJ's Arlo & Otis (The Witzard Interview)

"Hey, do you wanna get down today?
Well, c'mon, Otis & Arlo are beginning to play

They've been around for a while and their show is the bomb
Because the boys only spin those top-notch songs

They play Funky stuff and the classic Soul
Mixed with Hip-Hop and some good Disco

A little bit of Boogie and Brazilian vibes
So you gotta check 'em out, when the show goes live

They started out in Brighton, then, they moved it to France
Arlo loves to do the record digging - Otis can dance

And when their dad, Badj, educated them on the groove
Their mommy, Mu, went: "oooo, merci beaucoup!"

So, have a blast; let's groove and react
You got to move real fast, like Wrigley The Rat

The boys play a new tune every few minutes
You love when they spin it...

On The Sunday Get Down (Repeat)
You got to get down!"

'Foreword' Expertly Rapped By: Andy Cooper
"Sunday Get Down Theme" Beat By: Djar One
Turntable Wizardry/DJ Cuts By: IncreDeepe

I. How did Arlo (8) & Otis (10) first meet and decide to start doing The Sunday Get Down together?

Otis & Arlo: We're brothers and since we were a few years old, [our] dad used to take us record shopping with him and we could look through the box of 45's that was on the floor. We could pick some out and listen to them and then, our dad would buy a few that we liked for us.

Arlo: On my 6th birthday, I got a turntable, so every Sunday morning, I decided to record me playing my favourite records to share with friends and family. Then, my dad got me another turntable and his old mixer, so that I could start to mix the records together. One day, Mukatsuku Records saw one of the videos and Shared it and then, it went crazy and thousands of people watched and Shared it. So, we decided to set up our own Facebook page for it.

II. What are a few of your current favorite records and 45's, Arlo & Otis?

Tom Browne - "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)" (Artisa Records)
Marvin Gaye - "Sexual Healing" (Columbia Records)
Gwen McCrae - "All This Love That I'm Giving" (Cat Records)


III. Where's the best place to dig for records in your town?

Arlo & Otis: When we lived in Brighton, we used to go to Rarekind Records all the time; that was definitely our favourite. Now, we live in the middle of France and there isn't really any record shops nearby. We found a cool one in Limoges called Undersounds, but it's quite far away.

IV. How exactly did Djar One & Andy Cooper get involved to pen the "Sunday Get Down Theme," Badj? * (Badj Whipple is Arlo & Otis' dad!)

Badj: The boys played a 45 that Andy Cooper made with The Allergies called "Rock Rock." Andy saw the show and got in touch with us because he had just written a track with Djar One titled "The Get Down." He said he loved what the boys were doing and that he wanted to do a version that they could use as an intro to the show. I emailed him a few details about who we were and things and three hours later, he emailed me back the track with lyrics all about the boys and the show and everything. What a total legend!


V. What do you boys plan to play on upcoming episodes of The Sunday Get Down?

Arlo & Otis: Not really sure. We have ordered some records from Discogs and are waiting for them to arrive to go in the show.

VI. How do you normally go about deciding which tracks to play within your mixes, selecting track transitions, song order, etc?

Arlo: I know all of our records already. I normally, choose the first song in advance, then, I just carry on picking out records that I think will go well.


VII. Have you received any type of feedback or words of praise from any famous DJ's or musicians yet?

Arlo & Otis: Having Andy Cooper do the theme song was really cool! The singer from Dee-Lite [Lady Miss Killer] said, we "have great taste in music."

VIII. What types of records and music were you playing around the house, when Arlo & Otis were little, Badj? Man, I want my kids to be mini-DJ's one day, too!

Badj: I always have music playing in the house; a lot of Funk, Soul, Afrobeat, Cumbia, and loads of Reggae. I love discovering new music and I think, that has rubbed off on Otis & Arlo. But they have, also, really developed their own tastes in music. Also, they are now constantly on a mission to find good tracks that I don't already know, which is amazing and great for me.


IX. Who are some of your personal favorite DJ's, producers, and turntables?

Arlo & Otis: We love the Breakin' Bread show on mixcloud and the Soul Cool Records shows. [We] also, like the DJ Nu-Mark (Jurassic 5) mixes he does on Facebook and also, our dad has a live mix by DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, which is really cool.

X. Where can new-found fans listen to or subscribe to The Sunday Get Down? When do new episodes normally drop?

- The Sunday Get Down on mixcloud.
- The Sunday Get Down on Facebook.

* EDITOR'S NOTE: Just as of this past Sunday morning, July 1st, The Sunday Get Down is now available on YouTube, as well!


BONUS: In closing, I asked Badj, if Otis & Arlo might be interested in putting together an exclusive Spotify playlist/mix for The Witzard...

Badj: As they can't spend all their time digging [for] records, Otis & Arlo spend a lot of time on Spotify discovering new music. Here is a small selection of what they have been digging lately: