Phil K
Encyclopedia
Phil K is an electronic music DJ and producer from Melbourne, Australia. He is a member of the "Aussie breaks" music scene which also includes other Melbourne DJs such as Nubreed
and Andy Page
. In addition to DJing, Phil K also produces alongside Habersham
and Dave Preston
in The Operators
and is also a member of Hi-Fi Bugs
and Lo-Step. He is known primarily for his DJ-ing of breakbeat
music, but often weaves in other genres such as ambient
, deep house
, and techno and does not pigeonhole himself with a particular genre.
In 2000, Phil K created his first commercial mix album for Global Recordings. This album won him the "Best Dance Compilation" award at the Dance Music Awards in 2001 his Kiss 100
"Friday Tapes" garnered him the award for "Best Radio Show". Phil K started working with fellow Australian Luke Chable
and the two released "The Roots" on Boxed
in 2002. After sending Sasha
a demo of their next track, "Burma", he included it on the album Involver
and the track was subsequently released by GU Music as well. He also signed onto EQ/Stomp to mix the fourth entry in the Balance series. Balance 004 is a two disc release consisting of a "Breaks Mix" and a "House Mix" and won Phil K the 2003 DMA award for "Best Mix CD".
In 2005, Distinct'ive Breaks Records released Phil K's entry in the Y4k series and features a combination of melodic breaks, bassy techno, and glitchy electro
. The mix album featured "Cloudbrake", a "tech-edged" bass driven breakbeat track written by Phil K and Habersham
. In 2006, Phil K and Chable as Lo-Step released Because We Can. The album combines emotive breakbeats and dirty, electro rhythms with strange synths and samples.
With Pioneer
, Phil K developed a prototype for the DVJ-X1, the first visual and audio live mixer. Unlike some other DJs, Phil K does not hold vinyl "sacred" and enjoys using newer digital technologies due to their flexibility.
Albums
Remixes
NuBreed
NuBreed is a trio of Australian producers Jason Catherine, Michael Walburgh, and Danny Bonnici. They have performed several remixes for artists such as The Crystal Method, Luke Chable, and Way Out West. They have also recorded several DJ mixes including Electric_02 for EQ Recordings and an entry...
and Andy Page
Andy Page (producer)
Andy Page is a producer who has frequently co-produced tracks with artists such as Sasha, Desyn Masiello, Phil K, Lee Burridge, and BT.He is also one half of the duos Farmatronic and Hi-Fi Bugs. He worked with Guy Sigsworth on the Alanis Morissette album, Flavors of Entanglement.-External links:*...
. In addition to DJing, Phil K also produces alongside Habersham
Habersham (producer)
Habersham is the production alias of Damon Fonooni. Habersham has released over a dozen singles on labels such as Audio Therapy and Bedrock Records. He is also one-third of the producer trio of The Operators along with Phil K and Dave Preston. He also appeared as a special guest producer on...
and Dave Preston
Dave Preston
Richard David "Dave" Preston is a former professional American football player who played running back for six seasons for the Denver Broncos....
in The Operators
The Operators
The Operators is a trio of electronic music producers Phil K, Habersham, and Dave Preston. They are most well known for their single, "Furball". They also run Lobotomy Records along with Luke Kalish.-External links:*...
and is also a member of Hi-Fi Bugs
Hi-Fi Bugs
Hi-Fi Bugs is an electronic music duo of Andy Page and Phil K. They have also released another track as "The Fact". They are well known as a duo for producing the single "Lydian and the Dinosaur" on Zero Tolerance Recordings, which was featured on several compilations, including Anthony Pappa's...
and Lo-Step. He is known primarily for his DJ-ing of breakbeat
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
music, but often weaves in other genres such as ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, deep house
Deep house
Deep house is a subgenre of house music that fuses elements of Chicago house into the 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. In the early compositions , influences of jazz music were most frequently brought out by using more complex chords than simple triads which are held for many bars and...
, and techno and does not pigeonhole himself with a particular genre.
Biography
Phil K started DJ-ing in 1985, performing at his school's disco. He soon started working for a disco hire company setting up sound systems at venues. In the 1990s, Phil K worked for DMC, a seller of DJ gear and records. In 1996, Phil K released his first record, "Summer Breeze" as The Free Radicals with Andy Page and Ivan Gough.In 2000, Phil K created his first commercial mix album for Global Recordings. This album won him the "Best Dance Compilation" award at the Dance Music Awards in 2001 his Kiss 100
Kiss 100 London
Kiss is a UK radio station broadcasting on FM and Digital Radio, specialising in hip hop, R&B, urban and electronic dance music. It also broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio around the UK & nationally on Freeview, Sky and TalkTalk TV...
"Friday Tapes" garnered him the award for "Best Radio Show". Phil K started working with fellow Australian Luke Chable
Luke Chable
Luke Chable is an Australian producer, singer/songwriter, and DJ. He is arguably the most prolific Progressive House producer ever to come out of Australia. He has released hundreds of remixes and original records with countless labels across the globe....
and the two released "The Roots" on Boxed
Boxed
Boxed was a record label which has released around forty mix albums from DJs such as John Digweed, Nick Warren, and Danny Howells. They are most known for their Global Underground series. After stopping releases due to financial difficulties in 2003, Global Underground Ltd...
in 2002. After sending Sasha
Sasha (DJ)
Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
a demo of their next track, "Burma", he included it on the album Involver
Involver
Involver is a progressive house and breaks mix compilation by Sasha. Tracks which Sasha admired by other artists were chosen for this album and have each been remixed to give Sasha's own interpretation of them. It received generally favorable reviews for its track selection and creative mixing...
and the track was subsequently released by GU Music as well. He also signed onto EQ/Stomp to mix the fourth entry in the Balance series. Balance 004 is a two disc release consisting of a "Breaks Mix" and a "House Mix" and won Phil K the 2003 DMA award for "Best Mix CD".
In 2005, Distinct'ive Breaks Records released Phil K's entry in the Y4k series and features a combination of melodic breaks, bassy techno, and glitchy electro
Electro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
. The mix album featured "Cloudbrake", a "tech-edged" bass driven breakbeat track written by Phil K and Habersham
Habersham (producer)
Habersham is the production alias of Damon Fonooni. Habersham has released over a dozen singles on labels such as Audio Therapy and Bedrock Records. He is also one-third of the producer trio of The Operators along with Phil K and Dave Preston. He also appeared as a special guest producer on...
. In 2006, Phil K and Chable as Lo-Step released Because We Can. The album combines emotive breakbeats and dirty, electro rhythms with strange synths and samples.
Technology
Pioneer Corporation
is a multinational corporation that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop...
, Phil K developed a prototype for the DVJ-X1, the first visual and audio live mixer. Unlike some other DJs, Phil K does not hold vinyl "sacred" and enjoys using newer digital technologies due to their flexibility.
Selected discography
Singles- 1996: Free Radicals - "Summer Breeze" (DanceNET)
- 2000: Hi-Fi BugsHi-Fi BugsHi-Fi Bugs is an electronic music duo of Andy Page and Phil K. They have also released another track as "The Fact". They are well known as a duo for producing the single "Lydian and the Dinosaur" on Zero Tolerance Recordings, which was featured on several compilations, including Anthony Pappa's...
- "Lydian & The Dinosaur" (Zero Tolerance Records) - 2002: "Bushpig" (Super Charged)
- 2002: Lo-Step - "The Roots" (BoxedBoxedBoxed was a record label which has released around forty mix albums from DJs such as John Digweed, Nick Warren, and Danny Howells. They are most known for their Global Underground series. After stopping releases due to financial difficulties in 2003, Global Underground Ltd...
) - 2004: Lo-Step - "Burma" (GU Music)
- 2004: The OperatorsThe OperatorsThe Operators is a trio of electronic music producers Phil K, Habersham, and Dave Preston. They are most well known for their single, "Furball". They also run Lobotomy Records along with Luke Kalish.-External links:*...
- "Furball" (Lobotomy Records) - 2005: "Cloudbrake" with HabershamHabersham (producer)Habersham is the production alias of Damon Fonooni. Habersham has released over a dozen singles on labels such as Audio Therapy and Bedrock Records. He is also one-third of the producer trio of The Operators along with Phil K and Dave Preston. He also appeared as a special guest producer on...
(Audio TherapyAudio TherapyAudio Therapy is an electronic music record label run by Dave Seaman. It has featured releases from artists such as Phil K, Habersham and Seaman himself....
) - 2005: "They Just Won't Let Me Be" (Institution Recordings)
Albums
- 2000: Sound Not Scene (Global Recordings)
- 2002: Balance 004: Phil K (EQ/Stomp)
- 2003: Retro>Future (Functional Breaks)
- 2004: Renaissance Presents The Therapy Sessions: Dave Seaman & Phil K (Renaissance)
- 2005: Phil K Presents: Y4K (Distinct'ive Breaks Records)
- 2006: Lo-Step - Because We Can (GU Music)
- 2007: Hi Fi (Central Station)
Remixes
- ShpongleShpongleShpongle is an English psychedelic downtempo/psybient music project formed in 1996. The group includes Simon Posford and Raja Ram . Their musical style combines eastern ethnic instruments and vocals with contemporary western synthesizer-based psychedelic music...
- "Dorset Perception" (Lo-Step's Balearic Breaks Re-Edit)