May 26, 2008

Gilles Peterson: Musical Tastemaker Extraordinaire

By Cheryl Leong

DJ, record label in-charge, festival host, radio station creator - can this man do any more? Known for being the force behind introducing and bringing together diverse and unique musical styles and vibes for a whole new experience altogether, Gilles Peterson is certainly a shining beacon in the progressive music industry. From the young chap who used to run his own pirate radio station right out of his back garden, to the influential tastemaker that he is now, he's certainly come a long way, and we bet he'll be here to stay for more than a while too.

MTV Asia enjoys a little tête-à-tête with the genial man himself, and talks about Singapore's musical potential, DJ myths and river-fishing.

Read about Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Festival - Singapore Edition (May 16-18, 2008).

MTV Asia: Why did you pick Singapore as one of your stopovers?
GP (Gilles Peterson): I've been coming to Singapore for about ten years now. I've always played at Zouk and it's been brilliant for me. I've always appreciated what Zouk does for the music, bringing in new people and keeping the heritage, so it's just become an essential stop-off point.

MTV Asia: You do see potential for our music scene then?
GP: Definitely. There's a love for music, art, fashion. They understand youth culture here, and although it's a small place, it's still a very important stopover where people do show love and care for more than just the mainstream.

MTV Asia: So what else is in the works for you after WWF?
GP: I've got a few albums coming out. I run a record label called Brownswood Records, got new mix albums coming out soon. Gilles Peterson in Japan is coming out too . I'm always doing a lot of things. I've got my festival in the South of France happening in July as well. And just loads of playing. Russia, Croatia, NY…

MTV Asia: Plenty on your plate! So it's tough being a celeb huh.
GP: Yeah I'm alright. This is my third night running, so I'm beginning to feel a bit tired but I'm actually still quite cool. I appreciate it.

MTV Asia: Today's your lucky day then! What would you say to trading places with me for a day?
GP: Oh, I'd take it!

MTV Asia: If you get to be me and interview somebody, who would it be?
GP: You know one guy who's here at the moment, that I'd really be rather interested in interviewing, would be DJ Diplo. I love what he's doing with beats and music at the moment, and so I'd just go down the hill and speak to him downstairs.

MTV Asia: Would you like to work with him as well?
GP: Oh yeah. He's definitely one of the top guys; top new producers around at the moment in his game.

MTV Asia: What was one of your most memorable moments performing?
GP: Wow, there's been so many. Let's see, I do a festival in Switzerland once every year. Jazz Festival, and that's been fantastic. It's where my family comes from, and it's like going back to my roots. Jazz as a musical influence as well.

MTV Asia: You used to run a pirate radio station out of your back garden when you were a teen. Did DJ-ing naturally seem like a calling?
GP: I think so! You know what, it's really weird. I never thought I'd do what I'm doing. It was only after my late 20s, I thought, Damn this is my career. But before, it was just fun, and I always thought I was going to have to go do a normal job sometime.

MTV Asia: What would you have picked to be your normal job then?
GP: Well I'd actually love to be a sports journalist.

MTV Asia: For the last few stragglers out there who still don't know who you are, what would you say to them?
GP: I'd just say, If you want to get a little bit deeper with your music, come and find Gilles Peterson!

MTV Asia: How does it feel like to play in front of a live audience now? Is it still as electrifying as the first time?
GP: Yeah! That's the reason I love it. You can't beat live. It's the here and now. You can do radio for years, and it becomes more tiresome even though you're reaching more people. You just don't quite know who you're reaching, whereas in a club, you can see the people, and you can feel their reactions. Sometimes it's good, and sometimes it's bad, and it keeps you more balanced. On the radio, you can only imagine what people are thinking. But live, it's happening right in front of you!

MTV Asia: Dispel a common DJ myth. Like, Do DJs get all the ladies? Or is DJ-ing nothing more than a few twiddling of the knobs?
GP: Well the second one is correct! [Laughs] The ladies one is a funny one, because when you DJ well and you DJ for long, you can't get the ladies because they've already gone home by the time you're done!

MTV Asia: Are there any requests you've gotten that you'd rather die than have to play it again?
GP: Oh I get plenty! I don't play all of them, and I have to learn to ignore them otherwise they mess my head up!

MTV Asia: Tell us a little known fact about yourself.
GP: I am a very very good fisherman.

MTV Asia: So that's what you do when you don't do music?
GP: Yeah. I fish for trout at my house in Normandy in France. River-fishing!