Rising up through the ranks with a plethora of uniquely immersive, genre-fusing dance tracks, DJ Frisbee brings a twist of soulful conviction, melody and magic to the contemporary scene.
We were blessed with the opportunity to interview the DJ and producer, to find out more about his journey, what moves him as an artist, and what the live scene is currently like over in Karpathos, Greece. Here’s the conversation in full.
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Hi George – thanks for the interview, a real pleasure to talk music with you! To introduce things, where are you based, and what first inspired you to get creative?
Thank you Rebecca for the invitation for the interview. I am based in Karpathos, Greece now but was born and raised in New York. I started my music production the first day of lock-down here in Greece in 2019, as it was the first time ever I would be away from music and DJing.
Do you perform live much around Greece, and does the tourism scene there help in terms of the younger groups looking for those summer dance vibes?
I own a club on the island where I am the resident DJ, so that means I don’t travel much anymore as I must be here. Karpathos tourism is on the rise as the beaches here are exceptional. I spring Hip Hop and House mostly in the club and the crowds are a mixture of Greeks, Greek Americans and tourists from all over Europe.
In Your Eyes is a huge track, a passionate floor-filler with unique production traits throughout. Tell me about the creative process for this?
Honestly it’s one of my favourite tracks that I have produced as it has the old school house sound with the piano melody and hypnotic male vocals. Produced it in less than a week as I remember and was sent for mixing and mastering to DiGi, one of the best in the business here in Greece.
What is it about electronic dance music that connects so intensely with you?
The Vibe of the people both young and old. Dance music has the power and the energy to make the club goers forget about daily problems and just focus on the music coming out of the speakers. It’s a sort of therapy and I am happy to have been DJing both here and abroad and seeing the enjoyment in people’s faces and and dance moves.
Tell me about last year’s single Stay – how did the track come to be, and what made you give this a more mellow and soulful tone?
Stay is my biggest production to date as its my most streamed song on Spotify and signed to a Swedish record label. I must admit as soon as I heard the acapella vocals I knew that I had to create a song. The whole concept came out with a U.K. garage sound and a chill dance tune. Very happy to see it doing so well.
Do you play any organic instruments, and are you musically trained or self-taught as a composer and producer?
I have been listening to music all my life since I was a kid. Remember buying my first 45 inch record at the age of 9. Never stopped after that, music freak by nature. I am not musically trained whatsoever but listening and spinning all these years has taught me how a song and its structure should sound like. Used to play the drums for a short period but that’s about it with instruments.
Your latest release Jabali shifts gears again – organic layers of rhythm and guitar elevate a brilliantly enchanting, addictive song and groove. What was the inspiration for this, and what made you want to explore these world music sounds and samples?
Jabali is an Afro House song that just came about this summer. I love testing myself with productions of various types of music. Have always been inspired with African artists such as Alpha Blondy and Mory Kante. The passion that African music has is second to none. Always a pleasure to create a song like Jabali.
Your monthly listeners and followers are growing impressively, what would you say is your main ambition though as an artist – is there a certain level you’d like to reach, a particular venue or event you’d like to perform at?
I started producing to be close to music in the hard times of the Coronavirus, it was something that made everything better in such a hectic time the world was in. I never did it for money or fame, just for the love of music.
It’s crazy sometimes when I see the data of the streams around the world. People might not know me here in my country but I have like thousands of people listening to me in various parts of the globe. Puts a smile on my face and it’s a great feeling knowing that people are into what you are creating.
My job has taken me around the world as a DJ and I have played in clubs all over so I have already experienced the large venues and events and I thank God that this has been my “job” for the past 35 plus years.
What was your first gig like as a DJ, and what’s one of the main lessons you’ve learned in the time since then?
Wow, first gig was a club here on the island called Karpathos by Night and was the opening and closer DJ to DJ Mike Papavasilis in 1986. Was afraid to DJ for a large crowd as it was all vinyl back then and always thought the record would skip and I would be ashamed. Slowly got passed that and learned a lot from Mike in technique as to making a smooth transition from one record to the next. A big thank you Mike wherever you are, and to Billy – that was the first person to ever show me the turntables and mixer way back when in Brooklyn.
“Lessons are that you learn something each time you spin. Today’s gear makes everything so much simpler & I am glad to see a lot of new talent in today’s DJ music scene.”
Where can fans catch you performing in the coming months?
For the moment based in Karpathos but after the New Year will be heading out to the U.S. as it’s been a while since I went to visit and perform. Have booked dates in Trend New England based in Lowell Has. And am working on some gigs in New York City.
Is there anything else we should know?
Just wanted to thank you again for this interview and thank the people for all the support they are showing me. One Love. Frisbee.
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Find DJ Frisbee on Facebook & Instragram.
