BEATS & PIECES
DJ Hannah Holland
What track are you loving right now?
Hyperballad (Revisited) by Tedd Patterson. This classic Björk rework feels like a huge euphoric hug from NYC’s house master.
Which song introduced you to dance music?
Most likely On a Ragga Tip by SL2. Being a child in the late ’80s and early ’90s meant rave culture seeped through our radios and TV screens and turned a generation into baby ravers. My best mate’s brother had decks and we would sneak into his room and play Prodigy and Shut Up and Dance while looking through his porn mags!
Which dance record changed your life?
Felix Da Housecat’s Kittenz and Thee Glitz incorporated that early 2000s Detroit electro, techno, house with punk on top; super queer and it just made everything technicolour. The few clubs in London playing that sort of stuff were some of the best I’ve ever been to.
What’s the go-to club to DJ at for the energy?
Adonis [Tottenham] is the one for me right now. Everyone involved is lovely, talented and with no big egos. The crowd is queer as fuck and really up for it. It’s sexy and it feels free in there.
Which club has the most impressive sound system in the world?
Berghain is the most body-shaking, feel-it-in-your-bones system. I went to the Loft in New York when David Mancuso was still alive and the attention to detail was beautiful and warm and wasn’t loud, but you felt everything.
What was your greatest gig ever?
Playing at Panorama Bar in Berlin. There is nowhere else like it; all the stars align, music, people, venue, staff, system, energy. It’s very special and you can really express yourself as a DJ in the fullest way, doing very long sets.
What up-and-coming or
underrated DJ should we look out for?
Ayebaitari is an amazing DJ who runs a drum and bass party called Queer Rave. She’s also a talented visual artist and made me three amazing videos for my new album.
Best advice you were given by another DJ?
Plan your first few tracks for a set, have some alternatives and then let the energy guide you what to play. My late friend Sonia aka Soto, who was one of my biggest DJ inspirations, said this to me when I first started.
What do you mix on at home?
Technics 1200s, Allen and Heath Xone: 92 and Pioneer XDJ-RX2.
What advice would you give to any budding DJs?
Get yourself a Pioneer controller, and some DJ lessons — even a couple just to talk you round the gear. Most importantly, collect music; search high and low for sounds that you love, make that the focus, be unique. Practise all the time, make mixes for your mates, play at house parties, learn your craft! And just know nothing happens overnight.
What’s the one piece of DJ kit you couldn’t live without?
Probably my Pioneer CDJ Controller for practising; it’s a really simple bit of kit and super-easy to record myself on, too. Plus, my Sennheiser HD 25 headphones, which come everywhere with me.
Should all DJs learn to play on vinyl?
Yes, purely because it’s really fun, tactile, a part of history and a great way to learn how to beat match by ear.
What song would you love to play at a party but never would?
I do love a bit of Miley Cyrus’ Nothing Breaks Like a Heart.
What dance record represents your outlook on life?
This Bitch Is Alive by The Carry Nation on Batty Bass. Own it, baby.
If you could create your ultimate dance record, who would you produce it with, who would do the vocals, and which club would you play it at?
Sylvester on vocals, Larry Levan on co-production and I’d play it at Paradise Garage, mid-’80s, as house was taking hold in New York.
Tectonic (PRAH Recordings) by Hannah Holland is out on 17 September
“My best mate’s brother had decks and we would sneak into his room and play Prodigy and Shut Up and Dance”