Sunday 22 April 2012

Hannah Holland gives us the low down ahead of her gig for Socialeyes this Friday alongside Boddika, T.Williams & Presk















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