Hi Hannah thanks for taking the time to answer some questions :o)
No problem :)
Q:
Can you give us a rundown of how you first got hooked onto electronic dance
music? What dj’s were you into and the style of music they were playing?
A: I grew up in south London, and when I
was still in primary school, my friends brother, who was about 16, collected
records and we used to sneak into his room and play them. I remember Shut Up
and Dance's Raving I'm Raving and On A Ragga Tip, I think that was the moment I
became hooked, also Normski's show Dance Energy was on the TV, so most kids
were fed Prodigy and Inner City from a very young age. As a young teenager me
and friends would be locked into Dream FM pissing around on Clapham Common,
loving all the jungle classics like Helicopter, Valley Of The Shadows and Dred
Bass. I remember going to my first rave at the Epsom leisure centre, aged 13,
DJ Hype was playing.
Q: How did that love for the music progress into you becoming a dj?
A: I played bass in a band during school
times and genuinely left school thinking we would be huge...this never happened!
however, I had to get a job and I became a runner for a music video company and
just absolutely loved working in soho and not being at school. I did this for
quite a few years, working on some seminal videos and even directing some
myself. Throughout this time I bought decks, as I went out so much to amazing
clubs like Nag Nag Nag and Bodyrockers, I wanted to have the music I was
hearing at home and touch it and play around with it myself. I had a couple of
really close dj friends, who inspired me to start spinning. After a few years
playing in my bedroom and house party gigs, I started spinning around
shoreditch in bars, there I met Mikki from Trailer Trash and Rob from
Mulletover and that’s when it went nuts and I was playing every weekend and my
career started, eventually after a few years, I gave up the videos to fully
concentrate on music, it’s been about 10 years now since I started playing.
Q:
You are well known for being diverse in your dj sets, blurring boundaries
between house, techno and bass music. Would it be fair to say you adapt to the
environment you are playing in? And if so does this complicate things when it
comes to choosing what to play at your gigs?
A: Yes I definitely adapt to the
environment, that’s what I love about djing, feeding from the crowds energy
which inspires the tracks you choose, it's magical. I guess I have my staple
tracks that are a starting block, and then I venture down whichever road I feel
is right for that occasion at that moment...whether it be techno, house,
minimal, harder, deeper...you'll be able to hear it’s me playing, I choose
tracks to play that have a certain sound/vibe and that goes for any genre and
sub genre, together it all makes sense.
Q:
We are really looking forward to you playing at the next Socialeyes Party! You
will be DJing alongside Boddika, T.Williams and Presk are you playing any of
these guys productions at the moment?
A: All of them are the dogs bollox! great
line up, I can't wait to play.
Q:
As a dj do you play cds, vinyl or are you computer based?
A: cds and vinyl for me. still not into the
computer thing personally.
Q:
You have gained yourself a name as a London dj are you originally from London?
A: Yes I’m from South London, Clapham
Q:
Hannah Holland is a cool name were you born with it?
A: Yes I was born with
it! thanks, I'll let me mum know.
Q:
What projects are you working on at the moment?
A: As well as Batty Bass records, )we just
released NYC's The Carry Nation and just about to release Deadstock 33's new
EP), I’m setting up a new label with Deboa (BB resident) called Native
City, showcasing a more stripped back deep groove / bass house/techno. Plus I’m
writing an album....which has definitely got all kinds of influences in and
sounding pretty out there right now, I’m working with some incredible vocal
talent, I’m really excited about it.
Q:
What makes a good party for you?
A: It's the people and the energy they bring
to the place. The best parties that I've been to have almost been tribal, Bodyrockers at Cynthia's
Robot Bar was the best example, it was Damian Lazrarus's night before Cross
Town Rebels. I was about 19, I used to be silent hours before we got in I was
so nervous and excited, it just had this insane electric energy. Trailer Trash
and Batty Bass has those vibes too, and to be a dj on the other side of it, is
very special indeed.
Thanks Hannah see you on the 27th April
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