Interviews

This month’s guest is the terrific producer/dj, New Zealand native, and long-term Berlin resident Philippa. Like many I became aware of her through wonderful tracks like “There’s a Ghost in my Synthesizer” and “Rainy Nights.” Philippa’s story though is of someone who has been at her craft for some time, working in record shops, DJing, and establishing herself touring throughout New Zealand, and then making the jump to Berlin, starting over and devoting herself to production and composing. In a DJ culture increasingly focused on the caprice of sensations du jour and social media curios, it is refreshing to see someone who has studied and worked to build their body of work. Look for more music coming out this year from Ms. McIntyre and below enjoy her memories of some early record hunting adventures.
- Dennis Kane

Philippa @BPM records c 2000

The first time I remember being in a record store, I was buying a David Bowie cassette tape, while hanging out with my much older sister in Wellington, New Zealand. I was probably about 11 years old and extremely self conscious - I remember freaking out going up to the counter to buy the tape.

As awkward as that experience was, I developed a liking for record stores, and spent quite a bit of time at the very cool Everyman Records in Nelson as a teenager, even hanging out with the record store guys as they did their local late night radio shows,(mostly full of intellectual rock from the likes of Henry Rollins). I was hugely drawn to the political / social viewpoints and emotionally expressive aesthetics of alternative rock and indie, and in my teen years fell in love with bands like The Cure, The Pixies and the Stone Roses. This was before any kind of black / African American music properly entered the scene - which when it did was via deep house, and it completely took over. Through house I discovered hip hop (specifically the Soulquarian crew) and then jazz and soul, which is what I almost exclusively listen to these days. I digress.

10 years after that formative David Bowie cassette tape experience, I was working in a record store - BPM Records, in Auckland. I absolutely loved BPM - it was one of the coolest record stores in Auckland, and I made some great mates through that place, not to mention getting first dibs on all the hot new house and techno records sent over from Watts in the US, and whoever our UK distributor was at the time (I forget now).

Great BPM Records tracks from the era - trying to think of tracks we all loved. Greg Churchill, Geoff Wright (Presha), Nick D, Simon Grigg (owner) and myself - though I’m sure Greg and Nick would wade in with their own taste and other incredible recommendations:

• Paperclip People “Throw”
• Black Science Orchestra “New Jersey Deep”
• E Dancer “Heavenly”
• Pepe Bradock “Deep Burn”
• Blaze “How Deep is Your Love”
• Daft Punk “Revolution 909”
• Harry the Bastard’s “Club H” compilation (every track on it was a class)