- where / Auckland
- what / Producer, DJ
- likes / House
To start off I asked Pip about what got her started on the whole DJ and dance music side of things?
"Well I've always been into music, my mother is a music teacher and I was brought up playing piano, singing etc. I was very much into alternative rock in my teen years, used to play CD's at The Hole In The Wall (anyone remember that place!) Anyway I moved into a flat with 2 good friends of mine (who incidentally I flat with now in Auckland!) in Aro Valley. We were all about 19 or 20 years old at the time, They took me out to dance parties at ESC, the occasional massive rave put on by Mr. Leon Baldock, and a few early drum n' bass parties.
I just got interested from there, It wasn't really until I heard Wellington deep house Dj's Andee and Schmoo play in the back room at a very intense New Year's party at La Luna '96/'97 that I seriously considered DJing myself... I basically fell in love with House".
Now I remember she won the b.net and remix's awards a few years back so I wanted to know "what it was like to win these and what happened after winning them?"
"Totally cool of course. It was the b.net award that amazed me the most, it being a nation wide rather than Auckland centric thing (Re:mix at the time was still very much Auckland based) and to this day I am very proud of it. Things were really flowing for me at that time but of course it must have helped in some way. 2000 was a pretty cool year looking back, I put out the 2nd ever Re:mix CD and flew to Dublin for the Red Bull Music Academy for a few weeks and then when I got back, I won the b.net award!
Now when we first spoke Pip told me about her course she was studying, I asked if She had finished or did She have more to go?
"I'm finished now *sigh of relief* But yea, I was at MAINZ in 2003 studying towards a diploma in Audio Engineering.
Ok so now that its finished does this mean any releases for 'DJ Philippa' in 2004?
"Well now that's complete, yea I am focusing on my own production work, and of course there are a few other plans waiting in the pipelines. I really see this time in the story of New Zealand music as a vibrant and exciting time - I'm just happy to be a part of it.
Music styles, "what genres do ya like? And what could we hear you play if we are out about the town..."
"House be my main love... I'm certainly influenced hugely by House from Chicago and Detroit, tho' I love American House in general and a lot of French stuff. I'm digging a lot of NZ productions as well; NZ House is really coming of age. Now when I Dj I pretty much play right across the board of House styles it will depend on how I'm feeling that night, the type of situation I find myself in (whether I'm playing a bar or club and what time of night it is!) and of course what people are feeling like in general.
You gotta tune into how people are feeling in order to connect and then take 'em somewhere, If I'm playing a club/party then of course I'm gonna deliver a club/party set (i.e. It'll be rockin!), but if I'm playing on the radio and it's four in the afternoon it's gonna be deep! Aside from House I listen to a lot of Hip Hop during the week.
So where might we catch you playing?
I play pretty much all Auckland House clubs on a regular rotating basis - (like I play every club every few weeks). So that would be Ink and blend on K Road, The Bowler (which is currently turning back into a club rather than a venue - which means wicked House Dj's like Soane, Dick Johnson, Roger Perry, Bevan Keys and myself in residence every weekend), Morrison, Centro, Coast and Spy Bar (after hours sets).
As well as all that I have been playing out of town a lot recently - Christchurch (Carbon), Debajo in Queenstown (which totally rocked!), Apartment One (Wanaka) and The Egmont Room (New Plymouth).
I'm also lucky enough to get booked in Wellington, Dunedin, and Hamilton fairly regularly. Up and coming wise, Hrm *thinks* Splore! Yes I'm very much looking forward to that (5th/6th of March).
I always like to ask this one, Are you a Dj that dances?
Dude! I am so a Dj that dances, the dance floor is how I got into dance music in the first place. If I'm having a good night Djng you'll catch me dancing in the booth. I love dancing. It's gotta be one of this world's simplest and best pleasures... good for the soul.
(Must have been cranking at the GeorgeFM beach gig eh? haha)
Now Mix CD's you did one for InMusic tell us about it..
Well we really wanted to get it out before the end of the year last year, as it was I ended up doing the tour with no CD to speak of - doh. I was then held up in Wellington not able to fly out because of the rolling fog (it was a mission!), but we finally got it mixed and off to the printing company only to find out they had closed for weeks over the Christmas break!!
It was cool, 2002 was a fairly intense year and that CD is definitely a collection of thoughts and feelings from that year. It was a great experience to work with Simon and Helen @ InMusic - lovely peeps and a very cool local company.
And Finally perhaps a "what's in your record box at the mo" and when can we hear you on the Airwaves...
"I'm digging a lot of material from Lance De Sardi who played at Centro a while back funnily enough, I missed it tho as I was playing in New Plymouth. Ah right a quick top 6 or so for ya off the top of my head:
Lance de Sardi "My Man Rex" (Greenkeepers music)
Inland Knights "Both Ends" (Drop Music)
Soul Central "Strings of Life" - Danny Krivit re-edit (Whistle Bump)
Filthy Hot Jazz - Jurassic 5 bootleg (Leg)
Jason Hodges "Fuck Hodges" remixes (oomph)
Joshua (?) - "In The Night" (unreleased)
Oh and radio the one and only George Fm, Friday afternoon drive time baby! That's 4 till 6 pm.
Dj Philippa - get out there and catch her sometime
Carl
