Introducing: J. Phlip

Introducing: J. Phlip

5 October, 2010 | 3.05AM

• Written by: Beatport Mike
• Filed under: Music News: dirtybird, j. phlip

Within Claude VonStroke’s dirtybird army of DJs and producers lives one spectacular chick named Jessica Rose Phillippe. In an industry dominated by dudes, Jessica (or better known as J. Phlip) has risen the ranks of house music’s underground purveyors of fine funky tunes and can now be found globetrotting planet earth playing her personal cuts for thousands of adoring birdwatchers. 

Already Claude VonStroke’s favorite opening DJ, J. Phlip has hit all the big clubs worldwide, such as Fabric, Watergate, Space Ibiza and Back to Basics. With a handful of releases out, and even more to come, we have a feeling that Phlip is about to break out of her shell and conquer the underground. Meet J. Phlip, party-starting powerhouse.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

Champaign, Illinois, and right now in Berlin. I’m going to be between SF and Berlin for a while it seems.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

The first woman major league baseball player, and I wanted to be recruited by the Chicago White Sox.

What was your first release?

That was da “Rumble, Rumble” on dirtybird, in 2008!

How would you describe the music that you make?

Booty-tech-house-funk-bass music.

Do you DJ or play live (or both)? How would you describe your sets?

DJ. I like to keep my sets pretty fun—sprinkling in some booty house vocals and acapellas with dirty, dirty words and ghetto beats. Heh. It’s funny because I’m an innocent lil’ white girl. Sometimes I like to drop a lil’ hip-hop snippet somewhere in the middle here and there. I like to take the dancefloor on a bit of a ride, taking the set up and down—deep and moody, bangin’ and techy. All flowing nicely, yet keeping it changing and interesting. Ohhhhh, and long blends are a big passion of mine. Just keeping the groove going and having a good time! 

How did you get started making music?

During my freshman year of college a homeboy of mine showed me how to match beats on his Technics. I bought some belt-drive decks immediately afterwards, and it totally took over my life! I only messed around a bit with making music while I was in college. I really wanted to get into producing more but I had my schedule so full with DJing a weekly in Chicago, weeklies in Champaign, bartending several nights a week, all on top of my engineering studies at this crazy hard school. It wasn’t until I graduated that I really started to teach myself how to produce.

Who gave you your first big break?

I guess that would have been BPM magazine. They flew me to LA to compete in a DJ contest in 2005. After I won, they put me on tour with DJ Colette, DJ Rap, and Reid Speed, including also a free trip to WMC Miami, a gig at Ultra Music Fest, and some press coverage of course. But there have been so many people throughout my musical past who have given me a chance. I remember for my second gig ever, my homies at the club had this huge poster made for me that they designed with a comic cartoon of catwoman doing a flip. It was so cool!

When did you first feel that you had discovered your own individual sound?

Hmmmm. Well, I have always played music that I love, and only because I love it… not because it’s a hit, or a request, or a club jam or something. And because no one else has the exact same taste as me, I guess that would make my sound somewhat individual the entire time I’ve been DJing. However, in 2006, after playing in San Francisco a few times, my sound started to change a bit because people in SF would really get down to a lot of stuff that was hard for me to play in Chicago. It pushed me to start sounding more unique and dig deeper into myself because the dancefloors there allowed me that freedom.

How does it feel to be the sole lady member of the unstoppable dirtybird crew?

Dood come on.... it’s so f!@#$%^ing cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It’s a dream come true. Those guys are my friends and my heroes and dirybird is my favorite label. It’s my home.

What’s your preferred time of night (or day) to play a set?

I like sweaty nighttime sets.... prime time, droppin’ bombs, hands in the air, screaming faces, jumping up and down set time!

How do you explain your music to your family members?

It’s tough. I guess “underground dance music” is an easy way to put it. It was cool when I got to remix Bootsy Collins, because finally they could relate to one of my tracks.

When you sit down to make a track, what’s the first thing you do? How long does a track typically take you to make?

I usually start out with the beat, these days. Having a really hot beat to base your track around is very important. Then after that I get stuck.... and stuck.... and maybe stuck again.... hahaha. I am a pretty slow producer. A track could take a month or more.

Where do you record?

I record in my room with my Mackies. I brought them all the way to Berlin in my suitcases!

Do you currently have a favorite piece of gear or software?

I really wish I had something cool to say here but gear is out of my budget right now. I like to sample. I also just received the latest Reason with their new program Record, so I’m excited to start messing around with that.

Are you a morning person or night owl?

I’ve been a night owl since the day I was born… I think I was one of the only little kids who could sleep in past noon. It’s in my blood. My dad is the same. I am a creature of the night.

Which record do you wish you had made?

Herbert, ”The Audience.”

If you were allowed to listen to just one dance track, unlimited times - but just that one track, what would it be?

Herbert, “The Audience,” hahaha.

Now, if you were sent to hell, and was forced to listen to one record over and over, what would that be?

Uhhhhh, damnnnnnn, there’s so much bad music. I cant seem to think of just one. Just turn on the radio and that is hell enough.

In the dance music biz, there are highs and there are lows: What’s been the peak moment for you thus far?

Definitely signing my first track to dirtybird!

And if you don’t mind sharing, any low points?

My music laptop got stolen in the middle of two months of no gigs and no income. I was absolutely crushed. Heart broken. Rock bottom. I almost wanted to quit. 

What made you keep going, despite the desire to quit?

I guess it was because I have made it this far. Put my whole life into this for so many years now. I just wasn’t ready to give up. Plus I just don’t know what else I would want to do right now. This is my passion, so I just had to push through and pick myself up again. It helps to have so many friends that are doing music and art as well. I know that Barclay (Claude VonStroke) has had hard drives crash and seen even lower points than me—and look where he’s at now. As long as the high points are making up for the low points of this life, then i’m not going anywhere!

Best gig you’ve had thus far?

There is no ONE best gig ever… yet, anyway. Watergate makes it up in the top for sure. I got to rock the water floor for eight hours (yeah, Heidi hooked me up—thanks girl!). It was my first gig ever in Berlin. Everything just clicked all night and all morning long. The dancefloor just wouldnt stop! Eastern Electrics and Fabric in London make the top as well. All of our dirtybird parties are super fun! Ahhh man, so much love everywhere… I can’t complain.

Worst gig experience?

I came down with the flu an hour before having to board a boat party I was playing at decibel festival in Seattle. It was awful. I was so confused as to whether I was seasick or what? I must have thrown up like 10 times. I still played and, yes, I puked in the middle of my set. I spent the next two days in the hotel room with a fever and all that horrible stuff, so there was no party time for the Phlip…

When you’re not listening to electronic music, what do you listen to?

A lot of indie rock, chilled-out emo stuff, hip hop, Broken Social Scene, Stars, Radiohead, Beirut, Flaming Lips, the XX, Beach House, Sigur Ros, Baths, Jamie XX, James Blake (I guess that’s electronic but not house at least), Outkast, Mount Kimbie, Cat Power, Elliott Smith, Pixies, Biggie, old Atmosphere, Burial, Four Tet, Clipse, Coco Rosie, Deltron 3030, Die Antwoord, Digable Planets, Hot Chip, International Pony, Moderat, Herbert, Portishead, Hercules & Love Affair, the Roots, Modest Mouse, tons of stuff.

When you’re not making or playing music, what’s your preferred pastime?

Sleeping.... or a few games of pool..... or snuggles.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing with your life?

I was going to be a math and physics genius before I learned how to DJ. I’m sure I would have managed to make that profession somehow audio related. Without music or audio I would not exist.

Tell us about your upcoming gigs and releases…

Gigging in Europe for October: Germany, UK, Switzerland. Then it’s welcome home to SF and a US tour in November/December and Mexico on Christmas. My remix of Justin Martin’s “Get Low” is finally dropping in a few weeks. Also a remix for a new Brazilian label called Konzept and a remix for Exploited Records out of Berlin. 

We’re looking forward to checking that one out, Jessica. Now, to close this interview - please start a rumor about someone in the music business…

Justin Martin got arrested for stealing a cookie from his high school cafeteria, but the judge dismissed the case on account of the fact that he was a fan of the Pillsbury Doughboy. This is really true! Also, Claude VonStroke won the world jenga championship when he was only 16! Whoaaaaa!!!! And for the record I dunno who started the rumor that I date Claude VonStroke or Jesse Rose… but it isn’t true.

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