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Who don't know Greg Pidcock? After many years of DJing in many countries, he is now based in Montreal when he can offer us his best DJ sessions. We meet him to discover more about his passions and secrets.
Electransmission: First of all, can you describe a bit Greg Pidcock?
Greg: First of all, Greg Pidcock is not a pseudonym. I get a lot of people asking me if Pidcock is my real name or not and I assure you it is! My name comes from England like my father and most of the best music in the world. I'm kinda from all over the place though. My mom is from Los Angeles and I was born in Calgary but moved to Bangkok when I was six then went to Texas, Peru, Ecuador, and India for my adolescence ... run on sentence much? My diverse upbringing has defined my sound and experiencing music in so many countries when I was young gave me a very open mind.
Electransmission: The beginning of your passion for electronic music began when you were young, very young. How did everything started?
Greg: Wow... That's an intense question. I remember wanting turntables since I was 11 or 12 years old, I didn't even know what I was going to do with them at that point but I wanted them that's for sure. As I started saving up one of my best friends got decks and from that point forward we had a little DJ crew of four or five guys between the ages of 13 and 15 all jamming every day together after school in Lima, Peru. My parents would go out of town every once and a while and my brother and I would throw crazy backyard parties when they left. I even did a couple of club gigs when I was there. I was barely 15 - Those were good days.
Electransmission: What are your biggest influences?
Greg: The infinite diversity our universe presents is definetely the all encompassing influence but my dad had a big influence in how I enjoyed music as well. He was always putting on Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan when I was a kid. We've been to at least 20 concerts together and he has always understood my profound connection with music. The bootleg CD markets were a huge part of learning about electronic music... I used to be able to pick up a dozen albums or compilations from guys I'd never heard of for next to nothing. I knew it was wrong but this was before MP3, I had no other way of accessing the music as the proper cd shops in these countries were rubbish anyways. I couldn't just pick up a Global Underground CD on itunes.
Electransmission: What are your best memories of playing in Ecuador, Peru, Montreal and other places?
Greg: Ecuador I was barely just beginning to experiment but the best memories were writing these crappy techno songs and showing them to my friends at school. It was terribly produced industrial techno ridiculousness but it was something and making it made me happy. In Peru I got my party stripes taken care of. I would sneak out in the middle of the week to catch the best electronic night in the city. One time my Dad even drove me to see Tiesto on a thursday at a massive rave in Lima under the condition I went to school the next day. He picked me up from the party at 4:30 AM! Yes, I know I have the best Dad ever. India was also a huge part of my evolution as a DJ. When I lived there it was around the beginning of house music in Bombay. It felt great to be a part of that. I went back to DJ a festival in Goa called Sunburn not too long ago and to witness the massive musical changes India has gone through in the last 6 years has been unbelievable.
Electransmission: After having an experience in the industry, what made you decide to have your own label, Bad Pony Records?
Greg: Well it's definetely not just my label. Bad Pony Records is the brainchild of my confidant and mentor Tone Depth. He needed an outlet for his music and I was eager to support one of my heroes. Eventually I was doing enough work with him and the label that it just made more sense if I was part of it. My first release, "Do Something," will be dropping in September!
Electransmission: How do you find the music industry these days?
Greg: Intense. It's moving so fast and dance tracks are a dime a dozen these days. It's been quite a challenging experience. I love all the variety these days though... I can find great music to suit my mood no matter how I feel in the click of a button. I also how how some songs can float across genre boundaries and be remixed and remixed for every type of dance floor. The control we have over the sound is unbelievable these days.
Electransmission: You played with a lot of artists as James Holden, Marc Romboy, Green Velvet, Layo & Bushwacka!, M.A.N.D.Y., Hector Romero, Stephane K, John Creamer, Angel Moraes, Tone Depth and many more. Is there a collaboration you cannot forget?
Greg: Pretty much all of those gigs were unforgettable for one reason or another. Igloofest with James Holden was the first HUGE show I ever did. I heard they had eight thousand people come that evening! Also, playing with Layo & Bushwacka at Stereo was definetely a peak experience. I had been waiting about 5 years since first walking into the club before playing there and to play there with my heroes was magical. Also Piknic Electronik with Green Velvet was unbelievable. Honorable mention to Philipp from M.A.N.D.Y., Kimberly Kitty and Maher Daniel for the wildest 24 hour trip to Ottawa possible.
Electransmission: You hold a monthly event at Cherry, in Montreal. What kind of ambiance can we find there?
Greg: I have two monthly events at Cherry actually. One is called Pony Down which I do with Tone Depth on the last saturday of each month and the other is called "The Cock & The Cherry" which I do with Mimi Cherry, an burlesque performer from MondeOse. The place is dark, warm and crazy. Our sound system is all analog and designed by Angel Moraes. Definitely my home base in the city. We are a big happy family and its by far my favorite place to DJ. Blood, Sweat, Tears and Laughter, the show must go on! I do a lot of the art direction, design and some of the bookings at the club also so if you come check it out even if I'm not DJing, there's a good chance I'll be there hanging.
Electransmission: Finally, what are your future projects?
Greg: My first single comes out in September, I'm starting a clothing line with interesting individuals and I definitely a few more surprises coming up in the future. First and foremost I'll be DJing at Cherry with Tone Depth on August 27th @ Cherry. (417 St-Pierre)
Greg: First of all, Greg Pidcock is not a pseudonym. I get a lot of people asking me if Pidcock is my real name or not and I assure you it is! My name comes from England like my father and most of the best music in the world. I'm kinda from all over the place though. My mom is from Los Angeles and I was born in Calgary but moved to Bangkok when I was six then went to Texas, Peru, Ecuador, and India for my adolescence ... run on sentence much? My diverse upbringing has defined my sound and experiencing music in so many countries when I was young gave me a very open mind.
Electransmission: The beginning of your passion for electronic music began when you were young, very young. How did everything started?
Greg: Wow... That's an intense question. I remember wanting turntables since I was 11 or 12 years old, I didn't even know what I was going to do with them at that point but I wanted them that's for sure. As I started saving up one of my best friends got decks and from that point forward we had a little DJ crew of four or five guys between the ages of 13 and 15 all jamming every day together after school in Lima, Peru. My parents would go out of town every once and a while and my brother and I would throw crazy backyard parties when they left. I even did a couple of club gigs when I was there. I was barely 15 - Those were good days.
Electransmission: What are your biggest influences?
Greg: The infinite diversity our universe presents is definetely the all encompassing influence but my dad had a big influence in how I enjoyed music as well. He was always putting on Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan when I was a kid. We've been to at least 20 concerts together and he has always understood my profound connection with music. The bootleg CD markets were a huge part of learning about electronic music... I used to be able to pick up a dozen albums or compilations from guys I'd never heard of for next to nothing. I knew it was wrong but this was before MP3, I had no other way of accessing the music as the proper cd shops in these countries were rubbish anyways. I couldn't just pick up a Global Underground CD on itunes.
Electransmission: What are your best memories of playing in Ecuador, Peru, Montreal and other places?
Greg: Ecuador I was barely just beginning to experiment but the best memories were writing these crappy techno songs and showing them to my friends at school. It was terribly produced industrial techno ridiculousness but it was something and making it made me happy. In Peru I got my party stripes taken care of. I would sneak out in the middle of the week to catch the best electronic night in the city. One time my Dad even drove me to see Tiesto on a thursday at a massive rave in Lima under the condition I went to school the next day. He picked me up from the party at 4:30 AM! Yes, I know I have the best Dad ever. India was also a huge part of my evolution as a DJ. When I lived there it was around the beginning of house music in Bombay. It felt great to be a part of that. I went back to DJ a festival in Goa called Sunburn not too long ago and to witness the massive musical changes India has gone through in the last 6 years has been unbelievable.
Electransmission: After having an experience in the industry, what made you decide to have your own label, Bad Pony Records?
Greg: Well it's definetely not just my label. Bad Pony Records is the brainchild of my confidant and mentor Tone Depth. He needed an outlet for his music and I was eager to support one of my heroes. Eventually I was doing enough work with him and the label that it just made more sense if I was part of it. My first release, "Do Something," will be dropping in September!
Electransmission: How do you find the music industry these days?
Greg: Intense. It's moving so fast and dance tracks are a dime a dozen these days. It's been quite a challenging experience. I love all the variety these days though... I can find great music to suit my mood no matter how I feel in the click of a button. I also how how some songs can float across genre boundaries and be remixed and remixed for every type of dance floor. The control we have over the sound is unbelievable these days.
Electransmission: You played with a lot of artists as James Holden, Marc Romboy, Green Velvet, Layo & Bushwacka!, M.A.N.D.Y., Hector Romero, Stephane K, John Creamer, Angel Moraes, Tone Depth and many more. Is there a collaboration you cannot forget?
Greg: Pretty much all of those gigs were unforgettable for one reason or another. Igloofest with James Holden was the first HUGE show I ever did. I heard they had eight thousand people come that evening! Also, playing with Layo & Bushwacka at Stereo was definetely a peak experience. I had been waiting about 5 years since first walking into the club before playing there and to play there with my heroes was magical. Also Piknic Electronik with Green Velvet was unbelievable. Honorable mention to Philipp from M.A.N.D.Y., Kimberly Kitty and Maher Daniel for the wildest 24 hour trip to Ottawa possible.
Electransmission: You hold a monthly event at Cherry, in Montreal. What kind of ambiance can we find there?
Greg: I have two monthly events at Cherry actually. One is called Pony Down which I do with Tone Depth on the last saturday of each month and the other is called "The Cock & The Cherry" which I do with Mimi Cherry, an burlesque performer from MondeOse. The place is dark, warm and crazy. Our sound system is all analog and designed by Angel Moraes. Definitely my home base in the city. We are a big happy family and its by far my favorite place to DJ. Blood, Sweat, Tears and Laughter, the show must go on! I do a lot of the art direction, design and some of the bookings at the club also so if you come check it out even if I'm not DJing, there's a good chance I'll be there hanging.
Electransmission: Finally, what are your future projects?
Greg: My first single comes out in September, I'm starting a clothing line with interesting individuals and I definitely a few more surprises coming up in the future. First and foremost I'll be DJing at Cherry with Tone Depth on August 27th @ Cherry. (417 St-Pierre)
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