Forerunners in the world of mashups and “bastard pop,” the award-winning 2ManyDJs are Belgian brothers David and Stephen Dewaele, also known as the nucleus of electronic group Soulwax. Making a splash in 2002 with their first and only official compilation As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2, they took a mad scientist approach to mixing, combining musical polar opposites in exciting, unexpected ways. The compilation was a surprise critical success — named one of the best albums of the year by multiple outlets — and connected with a fan base who included the likes of David Bowie and Kylie Minogue. As the mashup trend bloated into novelty in the mainstream, the brothers returned their focus to Soulwax and their radio show, even as the album’s cult status continued to grow. In 2022, the Dewaeles celebrated the 20th anniversary of the album with a reissue and anniversary concert.
In 2000, after five years with Soulwax, the brothers took to Belgian radio with the show Hang the DJ. The show was an hour of impossible combinations like classic rockabilly tracks mixed with disco and hip-hop and new wave combinations clashing one song later. MP3s of the show began showing up on the Soulwax website, and soon their bizarre and humorous mixes were showing up as unauthorized white label 12″s. “Push It Like a Dog” — a mix of Salt-N-Pepa‘s “Push It” with the Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog” — was one of the more successful boots, and in 2001 it became the leadoff track on the underground release As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 1. With all samples cleared by the Play It Again Sam label, As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2 became the first official and legal release from the duo in 2002. Its influence was massive and soon online message boards were filled with discussions about whether there actually was a Pt. 1, while numerous bedroom and laptop DJs joined the ever-expanding mashup movement.
Over the next few years, follow-up volumes appeared on the underground market and the brothers became prolific remixers working with Tiga, Gorillaz, LCD Soundsystem, and Daft Punk. A 2006 tour was filmed by Saam Farahmand for a planned Radio Soulwax documentary, and the following year Pts. 10 and 11 of their famous series were released along with the album 50 Million Soulwax Fans Can’t Be Wrong.
In 2022, the duo released As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2 to streaming services for the first time. Having returned to the scene, they filled their live schedule with dates around the world, including sets at Coachella in 2023 and 2025. In April 2025, they released the three-song soundtrack to the film Banger.