Pete Tong Interview

Dance music icon and radio DJ to millions of listeners around the world, Pete Tong talks to us about his summer in Ibiza, his new life in LA and the release of ‘All Gone Pete Tong & Hot Since 82 Ibiza 2015’.
Hi Pete, how are you? Where are you talking to me from?
Not bad. I’m in Ibiza: it’s bloody hot.
How’s your summer been so far? I gather you’ve been fairly busy.
Well my Ibiza summer’s different to the way it was a few years ago; I only just got here, but back in the old days I would have been camped out here since the end of May. But now I live in LA, it’s changed quite a lot. I was predominantly doing US shows and festivals. That’s great because I live there now and I want to be part of that and have a presence there. We’ve been kind of foraging away over the years, building up the Pete Tong brand and we’re actually starting to get a bit of credibility and presence at some key festivals and spots.
Cool, that sounds really good. How is expat life treating you in LA?
It’s good, I’ve got no complaints. I went there in a really comfortable situation so LA’s a very comfortable place to live apart from the time difference and managing all my connections back in the UK. Other than that, it’s all good. Don’t feel sorry for me.
Obviously you’ve been going to Ibiza for ages. How has it evolved since you first started playing out there?
It’s a big business now, compared to back in the day. It’s good that the underground’s still thriving here and it’s still the place to play for a lot of people. A lot has changed in terms of the way it operates during the day now and the EDM sound’s moved more towards the daytime. And the nighttime’s still ‘90s. The underground tends to rule at night. It’s definitely more expensive than it used to be, and the island’s pushing more the middle to upper class tourism. That’s a concern, actually, how it’s going affect the vibe in clubs in the long-term, if the new audience at the younger end of it is forced out.
So moving onto your new release, All Gone with Hot Since 82, how did that collaboration come about?
Frankly, I’ve been asking to do it for quite a while. Our moons didn’t align and his schedule didn’t fit when I wanted to do it: I’ve kind of been on his case since I really started championing what he was doing, since he reinvented himself as Hot Since 82. Fortunately, it was possible this time around. 2015 is a great time to have him on it: he’s flying really high. He’s a big fan of Ibiza, he’s playing here a lot this summer, he’s probably doing some of the most prestigious gigs he’s ever done in his career so far, so it’s a great time to team up.

Great. What was your selection process when you were putting it all together?
In one way, it’s almost like going to the theatre and getting the program. I always feel like this is a bit of an hors d’oeuvre, or a taster of what’s going on in Ibiza. It’s a memento, but it’s also a preview. I try to be really honest with it: it’s very much the way I play and what I’m into. I really do listen to the music a lot and live with the mixes for a long time before they get released. I like to create a mix like this and find a place where you can play it as well. So a lot goes into it, really.
You’re busy with the radio shows and all the things you do. How much time do you actually get in the studio and to do your own stuff?
Not enough. But I’ve worked out a system where I can be quite productive quite quickly. I bounce off different people. I’ve got a few teams around the world, and people I trust to get back to me when I try ideas and map them out. But finding the days in the week to actually sit in the studio is really difficult. I had a studio in London for years, and kitted it up amazingly, but I ended up being an absentee in my own space because I was always so busy with other things. When I’m in there I love it, I enjoy it. I probably get more creative ideas going when I’m travelling on planes. But it’s not the same: a baseline you write on a plane compared to in the studio. It might take you four hours on a plane when you could write it so much quicker in a studio because you just know what’s right and wrong. I do get a lot of ideas started on planes and I try to reinterpret them in studios. Having said that, I am right this minute building a studio in my house in LA, so I haven’t given up. I’m in the studio everyday anyway because of radio, and I hope to be able to sit there afterwards and compose a new piece, but the radio tends to knock you off course.
You’re always championing underground music. Is there anyone we should be paying attention to right now?
I’m really excited about Ecriss. We’ve got our eye on the underground but I aspire to be bigger and break out of that. I really like what the Hungry Music crew are doing in France, I think they’ve carved themselves out quite an original space. We start the album with a track from Joachim Pastor, who’s one of the three main acts from Hungry Music. On the album, the penultimate track comes from Worakls, who’s another guy I’m really excited about. They are underground, but they’ve got a really good sense of melody, more like those Lithuanian producers like Tim Walls and Gardens of God; probably a little sweeter than that but still really cool. I think that Hot Creations goes from strength to strength in terms of the way Jamie’s repositioning the label. Patrick Topping’s really killing it, Wives I really like, and Richy Ahmed. Sidney Charles is definitely having a summer, in the music he’s releasing. I think he’s definitely getting himself a name; I’m seeing him on more and more bills.
‘All Gone Pete Tong & Hot Since 82 Ibiza 2015’ is out now.
By Hannah Shakir