John Digweed Interview

A legend within the Electronic scene, John Digweed started DJing at the tender age of 15. From there, Digweed’s career has seen him take his unquestionable talent to the biggest and best clubs, festivals and events all over the world, and more recently he has taken up a residency at new night ‘Insane’ at Pacha, Ibiza. Unlike a lot of DJs coming in and out of vogue, John Digweed has remained on top of his game for the past decade, as well as being one half of the production duo Bedrock.

We caught up with John to see how he does it, and to find out what he has in store for us in 2013.

Hi John, How are you?
Good thanks had a great weekend with the Pacha pre-party in Ibiza and a Pacha festival in Holland.

Sounds great. Where in the world are you now?
Back home, I have a few days off now before everything goes crazy for the whole of June.

You recently released John Digweed Live in Slovenia, what’s the reaction been like to it?
Feedback to the album has been great. It’s the third in the series, and I am really happy with the way the series is progressing with different moods for each album, with the latest record in Slovenia focusing on one of my more full on peak-time style sets.

What’s the crowd like in Slovenia? How do they compare to the rest of your global fans?
Really good. It is the second time I have played there and they really know their music. The weather had been really bad all day with a storm warning, so people had to make a real effort to get to the party, so when they got there they really went for it.

Sounds so cool! You grew up in Hastings, where did you get your musical influence from?
I was lucky that I had friends that were local DJs who constantly searched out for the latest imports and releases. This really stuck in my mind, that to stand out you needed to be playing the best tracks way before anyone else had them, which meant researching all the Dance magazines and hanging out in all the record shops to make sure you had all the latest tracks.

Tell us about ‘Bedrock’, what made you start your own label?
I wanted to have more control about how my music was released, and to also give me a chance to showcase new talent on the label.

You’ve had your label ‘Bedrock’ for 14 years now. How do you think the industry has changed since you were first starting out? How have you adapted to change?
Well it was all vinyl when we started and now it’s all digital, with only a few limited edition vinyl releases. It took a while for us to get our heads around the changeover period but we are still here and going strong.

Do you think new artists now have it easier coming into the industry today? With all the different online platforms available to promote their work?
I think the internet can really help a new artist explode over night without having to trudge around small clubs building your name over a long period of time. All the social media platforms can really help push people careers, in the same token the internet can also highlight when an artist plays a bad set so it can work both ways for you.

You recently became a Friday resident DJ at Insane, Pacha, Ibiza, how do you juggle your residency with the shows you do all over the globe?
I have committed to 12 parties at Pacha this summer so it was important to schedule my other gigs around the residency so it all made sense. I have a few weekends off that allow me to do some massive festivals in the states. I did a pre party last Friday for all the locals and workers which was amazing, so I am very excited about the parties ahead.

Who would you say are the best artists you’ve collaborated with during your career?
Remixing New Order and Underworld are definite highlights during my career.

What festivals would you recommend for 2013?
EDC in Vegas, Electric Zoo in NYC, SW4 London, Global Gathering UK, Tomorrowland in Belgium, Sziget Festival in Hungary, Sunwaves Romania.

That’s quite a list! We’ll do our best! You recently said Ultra Music Festival was one of the most impressive festivals you have been to in terms of scale and production. How does it compare to other festivals you’ve done?
The scale of the events in the States are getting bigger and bigger, with more and more production being invested to create events that blow your mind. For me it’s still about the crowd, as they are the ones that make the party. All the parties I have mentioned above are all great events with proper, up for it clubbers.

What’s your favourite event to play, one that cannot compare to anywhere else?
That’s a hard one to answer as I am very lucky to play amazing parties week in week out. I would say that Argentina is always an amazing place to play with the maddest crowds you will ever play before.

You’ve got fans all over the globe and you always seem to be playing in a different continent every week. How do you juggle everything?
This is what I do so the fact that some weeks I fly further for a gig makes no difference to me as I am so used to it now. Plus I am living my dream.

You’re heading to Australia in June, what do you think about the Aussie crowds?
I have been coming to Australia for many years and I always get shown a lot of love from the dance floor. It’s always a memorable experience for me to play Down Under.

Where’s your favourite place to go to in Australia?
The Great Barrier Reef is such an amazing place to visit and so beautiful, it just takes your breath away. I don’t have time on this trip for a visit, which is a shame.

You were the first British DJ to get a residency in what was the world’s most well-known club in NYC, Twilo. That’s pretty impressive. So, tell us what’s been a career highlight for you?
Twilo was a massive highlight and so was winning the Number 1 DJ award, but to be honest the highlight for me is being able to play at some of the best parties around the world, week after week, as this is what I love the most.

What can we expect from you for the rest of 2013?
Look out for some interesting projects that I have been working on with Nick Muir. More details on this will be released very soon.

By Lucie Potter

John Digweed at Chinese Laundry’s Garden Party

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