I am very excited for Profile #001: Pete Ellison. Pete is the creative mastermind behind Disko Warp, a great musical project ranging in genres from happy hardcore remixes to eurobeat and beyond. Disko Warp is releasing "Hardcore Advance" next month; the album is chock full of great remixes. I am truly honoured to profile Pete!
1. What is your occupation?
Working DJ, music producer and artist. My area of focus is creating shared pop culture experiences through music, iconography and event spaces.
2. How did Disko Warp begin?
I was working on music for the video game series 'In The Groove' and was trying to license eurobeat music. I contacted a few labels and 2004 Evelina Somenzi from SCP told me we might have a hard time licensing music through Avex and that I should just make my own. I put some demos together with my friends and launched the label on MySpace on May 5th, 2005 (5/5/05). I chose that date intentionally so I'd always remember our anniversary. Initially it was just a side project and an experiment, but it eventually turned into my main focus musically.
3. Who are your influences, musically?
I learned the most from studying the works of Norman Cook, Towa Tei, Pizzicato Five, Yoshinori Sunahara, Si Begg, Juan Esquivel, and Tipsy. For eurobeat specifically, definitely Hi-NRG Attack and Y&Co.
4. I hear on your facebook page about the EDM scene in the NW. Can you talk about this?
I don't know anymore. I can't stand 90% of the club music I hear these days, and the NW is no different. I think the generation after me is so hyper-focused on whatever the latest niche sub-genre is, but those things almost always sound too generic and templatized for me to get any enjoyment out of it (that's probably me just being old). I think there's a few people locally that are throwing events that go beyond just "this is a dubstep party" or "this is a hardcore party", but actually making the event into a great experience, namely Fun Time Party Zone, Mudpieluv, Seattle Hardcore. The monthly JKPOP party is amazing. Other than that I only really go to gay club nights or stuff my friends are doing. My buddy Toast has really fun nights with a smart variety of music.
5. What has been the response from fans and on the internet with your music?
The hardcore purists hate it, the eurobeat purists hate it, and the people who know nothing about either genre or just don't care love it. Hopefully.
6. What are some of your favourite hardcore songs?
I don't listen to hardcore.
7. Favourite trance songs?
I only really like hands-up/trance from Japan that was big about 5-6 years ago, Big Kiss "Ciao" (Shohei Matsumoto) is my favorite and I play it often when I'm DJ-ing any kind of party. It reminds me of old early 90's rave music that was just fun and silly.
8. Favourite hyper techno songs?
"Get Your Power Go (Okan!)" and "People Geda Hype" and "Crazy For Your Fire (Hyper Techno Ver.)"
9. Favourite eurobeat songs?
Key-A-Kiss / My Boyfriend is Oil King
10. If you could do a collab with one of the major Eurobeat studios, which would it be?
I'd like to write a really ridiculous song for Domino or Go Go Girls to sing someday, or write something for Hi-NRG Attack. I'd like to hear Nagisa sing one of my songs in Japanese and have DJ Command produce it.
11. Of course, you were involved in the FB discussion on SCP's page concerning the uploading of 221 on Initial D World. What are your feelings on piracy? Does it help or hurt niche EDM genres?
It doesn't matter whether piracy hurts or helps music, people should vote with their dollars and support artists and music they want to see continue.
12. Physical albums or digital copies? Why?
Digital copies. Physical media just takes up space. I only listen to music on my computer or iPhone. It's just clutter otherwise. I understand other people like it though, and it's fun to buy CDs from the artist themselves at a show. But I don't like them, or DVDs or video games or books. I'm a minimalist and don't like to be surrounded by stuff. I'll only buy CDs if I can't buy it digitally.
13. Where do you see yourself and/or Disko Warp in the next couple of years?
This year Disko Warp will put out a eurobeat compilation and another anime remix disc, and the J-Mi & Midi-D album. I don't know what after that. There's talks and ideas banging around about a hyper techno compilation with Francisco Gaitan and maybe some others. I've already accomplished a lot of the things I set out to do musically, so I'm not sure what's next. Maybe you can tell me. Right now I'm really into touring and playing DJ gigs in new places, seeing art museums, and getting my heart broken. 2 or 3 years from now I'll probably take a hiatus from Disko Warp and focus on visual art or some kind of experience-based project. I'd like to have a boyfriend with an awesome beard. I'll probably leave the NW and live someplace cheap that isn't cool yet.
14. Guilty food pleasure?
There's this really heavy Thai noodle dish I'm obsessed with, Rad Na, its pan fried thick rice noodles in a thick soy gravy sauce, with deep fried tofu. It's super unhealthy and I can't stop thinking about it. I tend to stress eat. I'll never say no to beer.
15. Guilty music pleasure?
Eurobeat is my guilty pleasure. It can be really fun, but it will never, ever be "cool"
16. Anything you want to tell the people in the EDM community?
Break the rules and make something new or don't bother!
For more information on Disko Warp:
Disko Warp Main Page
Disko Warp Bandcamp Store
Facebook Page
Youtube Page
1. What is your occupation?
Working DJ, music producer and artist. My area of focus is creating shared pop culture experiences through music, iconography and event spaces.
2. How did Disko Warp begin?
I was working on music for the video game series 'In The Groove' and was trying to license eurobeat music. I contacted a few labels and 2004 Evelina Somenzi from SCP told me we might have a hard time licensing music through Avex and that I should just make my own. I put some demos together with my friends and launched the label on MySpace on May 5th, 2005 (5/5/05). I chose that date intentionally so I'd always remember our anniversary. Initially it was just a side project and an experiment, but it eventually turned into my main focus musically.
3. Who are your influences, musically?
I learned the most from studying the works of Norman Cook, Towa Tei, Pizzicato Five, Yoshinori Sunahara, Si Begg, Juan Esquivel, and Tipsy. For eurobeat specifically, definitely Hi-NRG Attack and Y&Co.
4. I hear on your facebook page about the EDM scene in the NW. Can you talk about this?
I don't know anymore. I can't stand 90% of the club music I hear these days, and the NW is no different. I think the generation after me is so hyper-focused on whatever the latest niche sub-genre is, but those things almost always sound too generic and templatized for me to get any enjoyment out of it (that's probably me just being old). I think there's a few people locally that are throwing events that go beyond just "this is a dubstep party" or "this is a hardcore party", but actually making the event into a great experience, namely Fun Time Party Zone, Mudpieluv, Seattle Hardcore. The monthly JKPOP party is amazing. Other than that I only really go to gay club nights or stuff my friends are doing. My buddy Toast has really fun nights with a smart variety of music.
5. What has been the response from fans and on the internet with your music?
The hardcore purists hate it, the eurobeat purists hate it, and the people who know nothing about either genre or just don't care love it. Hopefully.
6. What are some of your favourite hardcore songs?
I don't listen to hardcore.
7. Favourite trance songs?
I only really like hands-up/trance from Japan that was big about 5-6 years ago, Big Kiss "Ciao" (Shohei Matsumoto) is my favorite and I play it often when I'm DJ-ing any kind of party. It reminds me of old early 90's rave music that was just fun and silly.
8. Favourite hyper techno songs?
"Get Your Power Go (Okan!)" and "People Geda Hype" and "Crazy For Your Fire (Hyper Techno Ver.)"
9. Favourite eurobeat songs?
Key-A-Kiss / My Boyfriend is Oil King
10. If you could do a collab with one of the major Eurobeat studios, which would it be?
I'd like to write a really ridiculous song for Domino or Go Go Girls to sing someday, or write something for Hi-NRG Attack. I'd like to hear Nagisa sing one of my songs in Japanese and have DJ Command produce it.
11. Of course, you were involved in the FB discussion on SCP's page concerning the uploading of 221 on Initial D World. What are your feelings on piracy? Does it help or hurt niche EDM genres?
It doesn't matter whether piracy hurts or helps music, people should vote with their dollars and support artists and music they want to see continue.
12. Physical albums or digital copies? Why?
Digital copies. Physical media just takes up space. I only listen to music on my computer or iPhone. It's just clutter otherwise. I understand other people like it though, and it's fun to buy CDs from the artist themselves at a show. But I don't like them, or DVDs or video games or books. I'm a minimalist and don't like to be surrounded by stuff. I'll only buy CDs if I can't buy it digitally.
13. Where do you see yourself and/or Disko Warp in the next couple of years?
This year Disko Warp will put out a eurobeat compilation and another anime remix disc, and the J-Mi & Midi-D album. I don't know what after that. There's talks and ideas banging around about a hyper techno compilation with Francisco Gaitan and maybe some others. I've already accomplished a lot of the things I set out to do musically, so I'm not sure what's next. Maybe you can tell me. Right now I'm really into touring and playing DJ gigs in new places, seeing art museums, and getting my heart broken. 2 or 3 years from now I'll probably take a hiatus from Disko Warp and focus on visual art or some kind of experience-based project. I'd like to have a boyfriend with an awesome beard. I'll probably leave the NW and live someplace cheap that isn't cool yet.
14. Guilty food pleasure?
There's this really heavy Thai noodle dish I'm obsessed with, Rad Na, its pan fried thick rice noodles in a thick soy gravy sauce, with deep fried tofu. It's super unhealthy and I can't stop thinking about it. I tend to stress eat. I'll never say no to beer.
15. Guilty music pleasure?
Eurobeat is my guilty pleasure. It can be really fun, but it will never, ever be "cool"
16. Anything you want to tell the people in the EDM community?
Break the rules and make something new or don't bother!
For more information on Disko Warp:
Disko Warp Main Page
Disko Warp Bandcamp Store
Facebook Page
Youtube Page
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