As a founding member of globally loved and enduringly successful synth-pop band Hot Chip, multi-instrumentalist, electronic music producer and sound selector, rest assured that Joe Goddard’s after party credentials are rock solid.
So who better than the musician and Greco-Roman co-honcho to headline the next instalment of Ibiza cult party Back To Mine – hosted by the UK record label and collection-worthy album series of the same name – on Thursday, July 27th?
Held at revered island institution Pikes Ibiza, the house, soul and funk-driven residency has been off to a strong start in the 2023 season with DJ sets from the likes of DJ Fat Tony, Eats Everything and Faithless to name just a few.
Having just flown in that morning fresh off a late-night set in Glasgow, we stole a few minutes of Joe’s poolside chill time as he prepares to step inside the booth in Freddie’s at the quirky boutique hotel…
The Back To Mine series is all about the DJ playing exactly what they want. That must be refreshing!
I’m all for the concept of complete artistic freedom, so it really excites me! It also means there is a bit of an understanding between the DJ and the crowd that it can get a little deeper and weirder and playful. And that’s the musical philosophy I associate with Pikes anyway, with people like DJ Harvey playing more psychedelic and unusual music.
What kind of gems can we expect you to dig out for your set?
I’ve been digitising records from my collection in London for this occasion and searching for things that still fall into the disco zone, but that I would be a little bit nervous to play at a more ‘traditional’ venue or night.
As a well-established musician and DJ, do you still get nerves when you step into the booth?
I still get nervous to an extent because I just want to do a really good job. And somewhere like Pikes, that has a really illustrious history, you don’t want to do Freddie’s memory a disservice. But generally it’s just a pleasure and a joy to share the music that I love with the audience.
And what is the key ingredient for a good ‘back to mine’?
I think it’s about having a good mix of people – some that you know, some that you don’t. Some older, some younger, from different walks of life. That’s the secret, an interesting gang to spend the evening with.
Do you share the turntables ‘back at yours’?
Absolutely! I try not to hog the decks too much. I think it’s important to let people express themselves like that.
Speaking of your record collection, where are your favourite places to go crate digging?
From my experience, the best situation is when our band Hot Chip goes on tour in the US and we spend weeks travelling around the country. We always try to go to as many vintage record stores as we can during our free time, and the tour bus just gets filled up with oddities and lots and lots of vinyl. We were there this May and played in some places that we never visited before, like Seattle and Portland – all over the East Coast to be honest – and I came back with lots of stuff.
You’ve had a busy year so far and just played Glastonbury, too – how was it?
It’s one of my favourite places on earth. It’s such a lovely moment of seeing lots of friends and experiencing this magical place. I feel very comfortable there and musically it’s just incredible, the breadth and variety that is available to you. So yeah, I really, really love it!
Earlier this year Hot Chip released a song with the legendary Brian Eno. What was it like to work with such an iconic artist?
It was very nerve-wracking to begin with. He came to our studio in Shoreditch for a couple of days, and just to be in the presence of someone who has been responsible for so much incredible music over the course of his life made me feel quite anxious at times.
But he was very good at putting us at ease. He is very warm and it turned into a really comfortable process. And then, before we knew it, he was singing a song with us in the room. He told us stories from his life and we learned a lot. It was a really magical experience.
We hope you have a little bit of time to relax on this trip to Ibiza. Outside of the booth, what do you like to do here in your free time?
I really love the foodie side of the island, and we go to a lot of different restaurants or shop at the amazing local deli and wine shops. I also like to take a boat out and go over to Formentera.
Beautiful! Last, but not least, what else can we look forward to from Joe Goddard this year?
We have some more Hot Chip live shows coming up and there’ll be loads of fun studio stuff coming out, including our new single “Fire of Mercy”. Apart from that, I’m just in the process of mastering my new solo album, which will be out early next year. And there’ll be various DJ sets!
The guestlist for Back To Mine at Pikes Ibiza is, as always, free. But don’t hang about and register yourself before it fills up over at pikesibiza.com. To stay up to date with Joe’s latest news, follow him on Instagram.
