1-800 GIRLS: The ‘Line Out’ Mix

5 Minute Read

Music

Straight from the booth at Phonox as part of our ‘line out’ series.

1-800 GIRLS has quickly paved a way for a brand of new school House music which has been heavily adopted and loved by a new generation of dancers who have found solace in high energy moments and deep grooves.

Over the years, as a producer, the consistency has always been there. Whether it’s from early self releases through to fresher material which has found a home on the likes of Lost Palms, Shall Not Fade and All My Thoughts.

As a DJ, the 1-800 GIRLS sound is fun and fluid – evolving through moments of euphoric energy which can then be tamed and paired back with deeper, emotive sounds which perhaps reflect his early inspirations when leaning into electronic music.

Things have moved fast for the 1-800 GIRLS project.

This mix was recorded at Phonox, straight from the booth at a recent night curated by 1TBSP.

Listen below:

Looking back, what do you think the original idea of 1-800 GIRLS was — and is it still the same project now?

‘looking back’ I see what you did there ;). Urm, I think it was always more of a feeling than any specific genre, it’s always been about moods for me rather than tailoring to the club or anything in particular. I think it’s always been about blending pop or new wave structures with dance music too!

Did growing up online during the blog/early internet music era affect the way you discover and make music now?

It definitely gave me different avenues for music discovery, but I think ultimately I’ve always found songs in the same ways, new bands at festivals, hearing songs in film or out and about, occasionally deep diving off an artist I like to find others that are similar etc.

A lot of your music feels rooted in very specific eras of UK dance culture without sounding purely nostalgic. What was your entry point into that world growing up?

I think more than anything I tend to use instruments bedded into uk dance culture as my way of blending my sounds into those genres, but I grew up on mainly indie music with a bit of old school house music through my parents really, as a kid from Portsmouth there wasn’t a lot of access to decent club culture so I was more into rock venues.. and found myself making more electronic stuff once I moved to London.

What’s one overused trend in dance music you’d happily never hear again?

I think the ‘ UK Garage’ -esque dub siren – immediately puts me off a song, incredibly overused and just unoriginal and just reminds me of bucket hats and female-less lineups… GROSS.

A lot of producers talk about “the UK sound” as one thing, but your influences seem broader and more fragmented. What scenes or cities outside the obvious ones shaped you most?

I would have to say London first and foremost as it’s the city that got me into electronic music, but I think over the years my favourite bands & artists have always been from all over the UK and beyond, I used to love alot of the indie music coming out of Montreal, and atm I’m finding alot of things coming out of the US shaping my production, EAR, Loukeman etc.

Do you still feel connected to the communities and scenes that shaped your early taste, or has success changed that relationship?

No I definitely still feel that connection, I still try to carry the same moods & production techniques in my music even know I’ve come on a long way since the very start.. so mainly I hope that, whilst my sound has developed… that people can hear the progression and still feel the same things from it? I hope so anyway!

What do you hope people feel after hearing a 1-800 GIRLS set?

Love of course! I get lots of stories of peoples first kisses during my sets – that’s exactly what I’m after haha.

If someone only heard one track of yours, which would you want it to be and why?

I always say an old one of my ‘by your side’ when asked this… mainly because I feel that it represents alot of the different sides of 1-800.. emotional, percussive but also is some of my best production. But also I’d maybe say ‘everything together from the new album.. because I feel that’s where want the 1-800 sound to go from here, using my vocals and become a bit more of a ‘band’ sound.