Capping an inadvertent week of interviews, I conducted my second interview with DJ Harvey for Resident Advisor, in anticipation of the man's appearance at my absolute favorite outdoors dance party (scant blocks from my home), Sunday Best on the Gowanus Canal.
What's hilarious is that right as I handed in the piece, I had a comment posted on my original interview with Harvey from winter 2007/08:
DJ Harvey? OMG is he still alive?Sour grapes much?
I first heard him play in London at the Gardening Club and I have to say he was great. But I'm amazed by what I read about him being so influential in England. He really wasn't. He was a relative nobody on the circuit and his early compilation for Ministry was the only high point on a pretty useless DJ career.
It seems that he's got the yanks thinking he was a big cheese in London, but sorry folks, it just wasn't so. I'm happy that after he failed to impact Europe he found some love in America and no doubt was fresh and cool to people who have generally been behind the times in terms of house music. But don't kid yourselves, DJ Harvey was one of several thousand unknown, talented DJ's playing across the UK every night and the only reason I even remember him was because he tried to pick me up that night at GC.
If Harvey's a pioneer to you guys, then well done him for finding a bunch of gullible newbies and making a living from it, because he sure faded fast in England, not that there was much to fade from.
One thing's for sure though, you won't find people flocking to see 'DJ Harvey' play anywhere in Europe. Maybe that's why he moved to America.
Enjoy!!! ROFL
