Interview with a DJ: Perrie
In our next installment of “Interview with a DJ”, the Gazette talks to the lovely Perrie. Perrie shows us how a real life passion can be reborn and thrive in a virtual world like 3DX. Love for music, creativity and a pinch of showmanship and humour come together in a perfect cocktail.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into DJ’ing? Was it something you always wanted to do?
I’m Perrie probably known to everyone as the Geordie Converse Aficionado.
DJ-ing kind of runs in the family. My Grandad used to have his own radio show in the late 1960’s and my mum was a Soul/Funk/Disco DJ in the 90’s (she had to give it up because I selfishly wanted to be born).
So playing music for people I guess is in my DNA . I DJ’ed a bit in real life (mostly 80’s and Indie) when I was doing my degree at uni then my life took a bit of a wrong turn and I gave it up to finish my nursing degree. So when I landed in 3DX it was definitely something I wanted to do from the get go.
How long did it take you to learn to DJ, and what was that process like? Did you pick things up on your own or have guidance along the way?
DJ-ing Rock , 80’s etc where beat matching isn’t really needed was pretty easy. The main thing to consider is: “would I want to hear this song if I was out with my friends in a bar/club or whatever.” People have set aside all other distractions and have given you their time to listen to you, so give them what they want to hear (within reason lol).
I hadn’t really thought about being an EDM DJ until I joined 3DX. It took a while to get good at it (I am my own biggest critic lol) . It was my friend Lizz who encouraged me into doing it , made me a video about counting in fours and away we went . I spent a lot of time just listening to other DJ’s picking up tips, styles, tunes and worked it into my own sets. Either “yeah I can do that” or “emmm, nope I wont be doing that.”
As with anything in 3DX it can be a pretty unforgiving experience for creatives at times so it’s good to have people that can throw a bit of advice your way. To have a DJ friend who you can bounce ideas off of, so shout out to Lizz , Silvie Sun , Paulina , Special K , Tee and Jemma FX who’ve helped me over the years.
What software and equipment do you use for your sets? Are there any tools or plugins you’d recommend for aspiring DJs?
I run a Pioneer DDJ 400. I was allowed to borrow an FLX10 for a little while, which was like driving a Ferrari compared to my current controller. I use Rekordbox most of the time. I use Serato from time to time as well but I was having connection issues . Rekordbox is a cool place to start for beginners as it’s pretty user friendly and has more connectivity.
As for tools I’m not one for using FX stuff. It’s something I want to get to grips with but would need to sit down and take it all in.
For aspiring DJ’s I’d say the Mixed in Key range is pretty user friendly and gives you a good idea of what transitions well. Your ears will learn to pick that up going forward.
How would you describe your music style, and what influences your track selection? Any genres or artists that particularly inspire you?
I guess my favourite genre to mix is house, whether that be Tech House or Funky House. But I can’t resist a good Mash Up either. The first real DJ set I experienced was Soulwax aka 2ManyDJ’s at a festival. We just stumbled on it escaping the Red Hot Chilli Peppers on the main stage. I loved it and that sort of style stuck with me .
I love old soul and disco tunes as well as I was brought up on them. I also love hunting for new tracks. A new drop in the DJ pool is like Christmas. Tune hunting is as much fun as DJ-ing .
As for favourite artists or remixers I love Fisher, Matt Sassari , Fred Again and Meduza. I’m also a huge fan of Daft Punk. Outside of the EDM sphere I listen to The Arctic Monkeys , Wolf Alice , Marina and Blur a hell of a lot.
Performing in a virtual space like 3DX must be unique—what’s been your most memorable gig so far, and how do you keep your audience engaged?
It is unique and it can be quite demanding because the people who are listening to you have that extra defense of hiding behind a character or a screen so they can be harsher. But mostly it’s great fun. You get that buzz of playing for 200 odd people on your screen when in reality you’ve just played a set to a sleeping cat. It keeps you grounded lol.
Two moments stick in my mind if I can be greedy. Firstly, I played the 3DX birthday party last year. I was on first so I felt the pressure. I told my friends not to tell me how many there were in the room. They didn’t do that of course! When it got to 600 I stopped looking. But it was a real buzz to play for such a big crowd and get loads of great feedback.
Secondly, on the other side of the coin, I played a set ages ago at a festival thing in game after the previous DJ had cleared the room. I played to about 6 people . After the set had finished a guy DM’ed me and thanked me for my set as he was having a really bad time health wise and it took him away from that for an hour. The power of music!
As for keeping people engaged, I try to play for everyone so try and make my sets as accessible as possible. I’m not one for funny voices or in jokes to my friends, just keep the tunes flowing and if all else fails I’ll get my bum out! ( joking)
Outside of DJing, what does music mean to you on a personal level? Has it played a significant role in your life beyond performing?
- Sigrid “Dont Kill My Vibe.” It was the song that helped turn my life around . I’d probably need a record player if I was alone on an island.
- Arctic Monkeys “R U Mine.” Gotta have a bit of 2000’s Indie in there and this song gets me every time I hear it.
- Dee Lite “Groove is in the Heart.” Because it’s the best song ever . Still sounds fresh more than thirty years on and you can’t not dance to it.
With special thanks to Perrie.
