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In 2017 I interviewed the British Rebecca Godfrey a.k.a. DJ/producer BEC about her debut. “That first gig was such a big deal to me."
“My first club gig was at a venue in South London. De club was called Brixton Jamm. However, before that I used to play at friend’s house parties in London quite often. These were quite big parties often with curated line-ups. That way I got a bit of practice before eventually having my first proper club gig.”
Proper Londoners
“That club gig was in 2014 when I was 23. So not too long ago actually! The audience was full of proper Londoners. Truly British crowd, and not many people from elsewhere! It was a great vibe though! Lots of energy.”
Flow
“I prepared extensively for my set. Actually, far too much! Now that I’m more experienced, I think it’s usually way better to just go with the flow and work with the crowd! These days I only prepare for a set if it’s an incredibly important one, or if it’s being live streamed somewhere.”
Thankful
“That first gig was such a big deal to me. I invited all my close friends and actually most of them came along to support, which I was so thankful for!”
Trading graphic design
“You ask if I had a mentor? In a way I did. A few other friends who were also DJs, were the ones who encouraged me to start playing out in the first place. Two of them, Conor Newman and Paolo Gallardo, were who got me quite a few of my very first club gigs in London at venues such as Brixton Jamm, Rhythm Factory in Whitechapel and Café 1001 on Brick Lane. Two other friends of mine, Kannan and Sam, spent time teaching me to DJ and let me use their decks and equipment until I eventually traded some graphic design work for a pair of technics and mixer from another friend of mine, Jez Pereria.”
Major butterflies
“I was so nervous for that first gig! I had major butterflies in my stomach, which I very rarely get. But as soon as I started playing they went away and I enjoyed it a lot. In the end, that gig in the Briston Jamm went well! I was really happy with how it went and it gave me the urge to try and play as much as possible after that! My original planned set was as the opening DJ in the second room, but I was luckily enough to spontaneously close the main room as well. Which was great for exposure as it was a much bigger room and was packed! Right after my first gig there, they offered me more dates, which was the best outcome that I could have had!”
“Thankfully I didn’t make any mistakes. I did learn an important thing though: how to interact with the crowd. That’s what’s lacking when you are DJ’ing at home or just at friends’ places. And I think it’s one of the most important things to learn, which you can only grasp by putting it into practice!”
This interview with BEC is originally published on DJMag.nl in November 2017.
Who is BEC?
BEC is a relentless techno talent who has got to the top in a very short space of time. She was head hunted by Pan Pot for their influential Second State label from her first release, then snapped up by Carl Cox’s Intec and Adam Beyer’s Drumcode. Not only has BEC put out her music on those labels, but has also played with them as a tour member at showcases everywhere from Burning Man to Tobacco Dock and Warehouse Project. Add in solo tours of North & South America, Asia, India and Europe and much talked about sets at Fabrik Madrid, Watergate Berlin and Sunwaves Romania, and you have one of techno’s brightest contemporary stars.
As a self-confessed “studio geek” with a dizzying array of skills and knowledge, BEC has worked with industry giants Roland and Novation doing demos and product videos. This means BEC very much has her own trademark sound: her tracks are perfectly weighted, well swung and built on high pressure drums. Add in the spirit of where she resides, Berlin, plus powerful, all consuming bass and you have the key ingredients that make her music stand out. It is those same qualities that will define her brand new label BEC. Reserved purely for BEC’s own creative output, it will be the unrestrained sound of this innovative artist in all her majestic uncompromising glory.
As an accomplished and well travelled DJ, BEC is just as high energy and works non stop across three decks. She creates her own tension and dialogue between tracks that brings something new each and every time. By constantly weaving together heavy loops and remixing tracks on the fly, her dark and hypnotic sets keep people very much locked in the moment.
