London based DJ PK (Paul King) has been involved in DJing since his teens, and now as his profile begins to rise due his signing to management company threesixzero, who also look after the likes of Deadmau5 and Chris Lake, PK is without doubt flying high. A seasoned DJ and producer, he has also recently been asked to remix 'On A Ragga Tip' by SL2, alongside his continued and highly well received own productions.

With a roster that just gets busier and busier, Kidology and Sick! On The Dancefloor have managed to pin PK down for a set at their joint birthday celebrations at SEone this Saturday. And with a line up also including the likes of Fish Go Deep, Mark Wilkinson, and the Sick! DJ's (Andy and Dom) this promises to be a jaw dropper of an event and all out party madness.

How did you get started in the music industry? At what point did you decide you wanted music to be your career?

Music has always been very important to me, and I got into club music listening to pirate stations like Kiss when I was very very young. I got started by pestering Graham Gold into letting me do work experience with him when I was 12 years old. Graham taught me an awful lot, especially about working a crowd, and I was lucky enough to grow up around a club which my parents ran. I actually played my first set on my thirteenth birthday! (although, the mixing wasn’t brilliant :P)

What were you doing before you got started and if it all ended tomorrow what would you do career wise?

To be fair, all I’ve ever done is music. I’ve had a couple of sidelines, I trained as a graphic designer and actually did that as a 9-5 straight from university, but I’d sit at my desk all day thinking “what the f*ck are you doing here? – you’ve worked so hard learning production and getting experience as a DJ”. Eventually, I made a choice, quit my job, and put everything into music.

You’ve made the move into production alongside DJing, how did you first get started in the studio and which do you prefer?

I started working in studios when I was thirteen. An engineer rented a space in my senior school and had a full studio there. They were recording an album with Helen Shapiro and I was allowed to sit in on sessions (as long as I made tea!). From there I worked in friend’s studios (it was all hardware-based then), sat-in on sessions with people like Dino Lenny (of Meck & Dino), then went to University to do Music Technology, and now have my own studio.
DJing provides an instant reaction, and gives you a real buzz, but production allows you to be much more expressive, and in some ways, more creative. I love both, equally, but in different ways.

What’s the first thing you do when making a new track? And what equipment do you favour using?

I start with an idea – asking myself “what is the point of this track?” is it for a massive build up? A beautiful breakdown? A filthy bassline? Once I have made the decision I usually compose the chord progression on my piano, and work on beats.
With remixes, I usually try to take the song in a completely different direction to the original.

You’re in the process of signing to the management company, threesixzero, who also look after the likes of Deadmau5, Chris Lake and Mark Knight, how did this come about and how have things gone with them so far?

We’re in the process of setting up a label, going through all the music I’ve made and coming up with a release schedule. The guys are absolutely fantastic and really know their stuff. Their roster reads like a who’s-who of house music, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be on board. It’s a very exciting time.

You are releasing your new EP in the next few weeks, what can people expect from this? Has your style changed much over the years?

The EP is a mixture of all the styles I love. There are two very different vocal tracks on there and some deeper instrumentals too. Over the years people have tried to pigeon-hole me into certain genres, but I don’t play just one style. In my CD box is everything from soulful and funky house, right through electro, tech, minimal, progressive and full-on techno. I love pretty much all house music, and find it helps me work the crowd. If I’m in a club and the DJs have been playing a very niche style for the past four hours, then I’ll play something a bit different

You currently have a remix in the pipeline for SL2, how has this been going? What characteristics does a PK remix have that make it recognisable as your own?

I was absolutely thrilled to be approached by SL2 to remix “On A Ragga Tip”, it’s one of my favourite classics, and a very important record in the history of British dance music (it’s even featured in the O2’s British Music Experience exhibit).
It took over two weeks to do that mix, as it’s a really difficult tune to fit into modern house music – especially as the original samples are 175bpm, and my mix runs at 128! I always make music for my own dancefloors, and so the mix on Ragga Tip is very euphoric and groove-led. The reactions so far have been superb - I’m also working on a more banging dub.

What has been the highlight of your career so far? Where would you like to be in your career in 5 years?

It’s hard to pick a single highlight, as I’ve been doing this for fifteen years. Bringing in the New Year at Ministry of Sound Egypt (a club built on the beach) comes to mind. That was an amazing party; As the countdown to midnight began I looked out over 3000 clubbers shouting and smiling under the stars, the Red Sea lit behind them. I was in my favourite club in the world, surrounded by my best friends, and then '3...2...1', the sound of Big Ben chiming and the roar of clubbers celebrating that was louder than the monitors, a brief pause of silence before the speakers shook with “I Can't Get No Sleep” and Faithless’ 'Insomnia' played over THAT soundsystem. A clubbing moment I’ll never forget.

In five years... I’d like to be touring the world, mixing studio production with live DJ sets, working with talented musicians and singers, and having fun. But to be honest, I love what I do now.

You are playing at London brands, Kidology and Sick! On The Dancefloor’s joint birthday celebrations next weekend, what are you planning for your set? Do you enjoy playing alongside these guys?

This is actually my first time playing for Kidology and Sick! On The Dancefloor, so I’m very much looking forward to it. I don’t ever plan sets, but vibe off the crowd. That said, I have a load of unreleased projects and remixes to play, so there will be a lot of music previously unheard to 99% of people in there.

What else does 2009 have in store for you?

2009 has been very busy already, which is great. I’m starting a new monthly show on Slinky’s radio station, and my regular podcast is being picked up by a number of sites. Aside from my own label, I’m also head of house A&R for Can You Feel It Media, and our first release is sitting at No.6 in the Music Week commercial chart, so we have lots planned for that. I’ve signed a track onto a Ministry of Sound compilation so will hopefully be working on a follow-up to that soon. We’re releasing my own material, the remixes are coming in thick and fast, and I’m touring a bit too; I’ve got London bookings with ‘The Gallery’ at MoS, The Egg, a monthly residency at RS Lounge, and over the summer I’ll be in Ibiza and Egypt for guest sets, and later in the year France and Switzerland, so very, very busy! But wouldn’t have it any other way ?

PK on MySpace: www.myspace.com/pk_official
PK on Facebook: www.artist.to/pk
PK on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pk_official
PK on Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/pkofficial
Can You Feel It Media: www.canyoufeelitmedia.com

BUT TICKETS FOR THIS MAMMOTH EVENT NOW AT: ticketweb.co.uk