When a record as big as last year's Chiuso lands in your studio, you know you've got a job on your hands. Not only have you got some seriously high expecatations to live up to, but you've also got to make it your own, both distinct from yet equally good as the original. Thankfully, when you've as much experience as Chocolate Puma, the task isn't quite as daunting as it would be for your average Joe.

We caught up with Chocolate Puma's Gascon via email for a quick chat about the process...

The original record has a pretty unique hook…how did you approach the remix in order to make it your own?

Yeah, the hook of Chiuso is very distinctive, but we needed something extra to match the hectic beats we made. So we chopped it up to give it a bit more energy, and added horns for that extra latino flavor. Also when we sent the remix to Simon Dunmore there was no reaction. So we were quite bummed as we assumed he thought the remix sucked. Turned out we never got his email in which he said he loved it because of a mailserver error, haha.

You’ve been making records together for close to twenty years now…what’s changed in that time?

When we first started there was so much to explore because house music was this new kind of music. We never used much gear, but back in the days our 'studio' was really, really minimal. We made some of our biggest records with just a crappy sampler and a synth, which prooves you don't need much other than creativity, although with the new software and plug-ins we can achieve a much better sound quality. We've also been around long enough to see several generation of clubbers appear on our dancefloors and getting replaced by youngsters, which we hope keeps us fresh!

Do you think it’s easier now to create something that people will dance to that it was back then?

We think you have always had to create something that will surprise people, or make their socks blow off, but we don't know if it's easier today. When we first started every sound we made was new anyway, so maybe now you have to push it bit harder to stand out as the new generation has been growing up on house music. On the other hand we're more experienced now, which makes some things easier.

What, for you, is the ultimate test of whether a record will be successful or not. Is it something you realize in the studio or does it comes afterwards?

You never know, but the reaction you get when you drop a demo in the club for the first time is the most honest. It can happen that when you're in the studio you think it's a hit, but it clears the floor. Or, like we had with Tonco Tone, you think it's so so, but people go crazy about it!

Laidback Luke has tipped the other remixer on the package – Gianni Marino –  as ‘Afrojack 2.0’…is there anyone else up and coming that you can see going on to do great things?

Firebeatz are two Dutch producers who we've been tipping for a while now. Also French producer Canblaster is doing some really fresh things at the moment.

You have a House Masters compilation dropping in a month or so…how does it feel to be awarded that title?

It's an honor of course! We never did a proper compilation of our work, so now that Chocolate Puma is 10 years old, and we celebrate our 20th anniversary of producing records it's great that Defected gives us a chance to do this comp. It's time to connect the dots. Right now we're locked away in the studio doing special edits and remixes of our classic tracks, which we'll definitely be playing on the House Masters release party on May the 20th in Amsterdam.

Anything else you’d like to tell us about?

After 20 years of being in this business, we're having more fun than ever.

Chiuso Part 2 is out now on Defected