The Glimmers

The Glimmers

The Glimmers are a Belgian DJ and production duo from Ghent, made up of Mo Becha and Benoelie. Active since 1987, they work across dance and electronica, and their early approach is shaped by a refusal to separate music into fixed styles.

Early years in Ghent

In the late 1980s, Mo Becha and Benoelie DJ for Ghent’s youth every weekend. They play a wide range of music and take influence from the experimental sounds associated with the city’s Boccaccio club, where pitched-down and extended 12-inch records contribute to the deeper, repetitive style later known as Belgian New Beat. They also travel to Ibiza, where seeing Alfredo play early electronic music alongside pop and funk at Amnesia has a strong effect on them.

The pair begin a 300-capacity residency at the Fifty Five, where they play long Saturday sessions from 10pm until 8am. At a time when house dominates clubs, they are seen as outsiders in the Belgian scene because they mix in other material, including The Residents, The Cramps and disco alongside house and techno.

Compilation work and wider recognition

Their open-ended approach helps develop a loyal following and feeds into a growing nightlife scene in Ghent, where parties take place in unusual locations such as an old glass factory, an old underwear factory, a contemporary arts museum and one of the city’s oldest concert halls. R & S Records releases the Free The Funk Compilation 1 in 1995, an unmixed collection of instrumental, mid-tempo electronic funk. Mo Becha and Benoelie later programme the first Eskimo compilation, The Past Presents The Future, The Future Presents The Past, in 2000, followed by further compilations and Sidetracks.

In January 2003, Johnno Burgess invites them to play a DJ set at Bugged Out! at The End in London. After that, they are known internationally as the Glimmer Twins. In 2004 they shorten the name to The Glimmers and release Remixed, Re-Edited and F*cked Up on Eskimo Recordings. A DJ Kicks mix for !K7 Records follows in 2005, and they also contribute a mix for the FabricLive series at Fabric in London.

Remixes and label connections

The Glimmers also remix recordings by Bloc Party, The Killers, New Order, Roxy Music, Isolée, Phoenix, Pop Del Arte, Snow Patrol, Calvin Harris, Shirley Bassey and The Chemical Brothers. Their work is linked with labels and imprints including R & S Records, Eskimo Recordings, !K7 Records, Fabric and the website www.glimmertwins.com.