Roni Size kicked off this New Year with a tune most people had never heard before but one which every single person at The Greatest Show On Earth started whispering about immediately. The track, Where’s My Monkey?, was an instant hit and having been aired on Radio 1 subsequently, it’s pretty fair to say that DJ Parker, one of Bristol’s very favourite sons, has well and truly arrived!

Since launching his debut album, To Eternity, in 2008, Parker has been “the one to watch” on the national Nu Funk scene so it was only a matter of time until he reached the same level of critical acclaim as DJ Yoda, who we believe is a massive fan alongside Massive Attack who have also come out in support of our favourite DJ; not bad, eh?

We decided to catch up with ole Peter Parker to find out what the beef is:
F: So what started this thing off for you?
P: Umm…well there’s the musical mum and dad I guess. Mixing was just way cooler than the piano though. After that I had a ‘music’ teacher, he had a totally different approach and sort of taught the music behind mixing.

F: So you had the skills, what then?
P: I went on a road trip and Sirbean showed me that it was possible to integrate cool things into the music, like James Brown. Finally then it all clicked when I went to Lakota for a 6th Form party, it just put the whole thing in context. Lakota was amazing, is amazing, and it just made me think; I want that, I can do that!

F: So that’s the beginning of the love affair. What skills does someone need?
P: A tendency to be OCD and being short helps…well, I don’t think it helps but most DJs are short. That’s not mathematically and statistically proven but I think they are!

F: What makes you so successful when so many others have tried and failed?
P: I just think that you can do anything you want if you set your mind to it. I had a few random sets, like the Urban Music Festival and The Clothes Show, all corporate things to keep me ticking over, to remind me what it was like to play out whilst I was making the tunes, I just wanted more.

F: Is that why you left Bristol?
P: You know it’s hard, I love this place, it’s just too easy to settle with what you are doing here, it’s easy to be a big fish here but to make it, as cliché as it is, you need to hit London. It’s a weird thing Bristol, it’s at the absolute forefront of all music; like if a DJ is unsure about a tune, they will drop it in Bristol a year at least before it hits anywhere else. The Bristol scene is just much better than anywhere else, and the people are, but to get connected, to get breaks, London is the place. Look at us chatting here in the Watershed. In London the guy on the next table would be a producer, the other a radio DJ; you are just a bit closer to the action.

F: So when are you coming back?
P: I come back all the time, I love it here! It’s still my home, I still live here.

F: What’s your top Bristol club?
P: Well LAB’s pretty special and I loved Native.

F: What’s next for you?
P: Well continuing with Finger Licking DJ Agency and expanding into Europe…
F: Then world domination!

With a second album in production and a boatload of killer collaborations with top producers underway, Parker’s star is on the ascendant. SY adores him and above his incredible talent and sheer determination he is a lovely guy. It honestly could not have happened to a nicer bloke.

www.myspace.com/djparker

Faye Penfold