Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Last of the Defectors

London’s Golden Girl

The international radio hit, The Selector, is being launched in Kyiv at the beginning of next week. Hosted by one of Britain’s favourite DJs, Miss Goldierocks, it should be good. The girl will be coming to the capital, and throwing a bash in Heaven to kick it off on 13 November. What’s On hooked up with the adventurous girl in between flights from the Philippines for a quick but consonant chat.

Jumping into her music career first as a journalist, Samantha Hall wrote monthly columns for a number of British music magazines. Deciding that writing wasn’t enough, she tried her had at DJing and was immediately picked up by Aaron Audio. Transformed over night into DJ Goldierocks, she become known everywhere in London for her energy, her wild parties and her crazy aftershows. It has been her radio programme, The Selector, however, that has brought her international status, and broadcast in 23 countries to more than two million people, this girl is young, talented and crazy about music!

Identified as one of the most well-known London DJs around, tell us how your passion for music got started?
Sneaking off to dance hall sound-system parties in Jamaica when I was a young teen, I become totally addicted to that unique feeling of heavy bass vibrating through your back bone.

How did you decide to link you life with music?
I studied theatre at Goldsmiths College but always loved music so it just felt natural to join the two together. Eddy Temple Morris was a major influence on me way back at the start and continues to be today. He did a great mix for The Selector a few weeks back.

What is The Selector and how did you come up with the idea?
The Selector has been on the airwaves since 2001! But I took over presenting duties in the summer of 2009. The idea came from the London’s British Council as a good way to promote new and exciting music from the streets and clubs of Britain to a vast international audience.

What is it that makes the show so popular in the countries you air?
We pick up all the best new stuff straight away and put it on the show – it’s really eclectic! And Britain has a great reputation around the world for music.

Your professional activities are very diverse, and include music journalism, TV production, DJing – do you have a favourite among them?
They are all different and important to me, but the thing that links them together is the music. With that, one of the most thrilling things about DJing is helping people to escape and have a great time.

How would you describe European nightlife culture?
It’s a real melting pot where there is something for everyone.

You travel a lot. What’s the first thing you like to do when you get someplace new?
Presenting The Selector for the British Council has given me some amazing travel opportunities, Ukraine being one of them. I love to try the food and I always take a few bottles of the local booze back with me to the UK. Also, it’s great to see what different music makes people tick around the world. I heard that the club scene in Kyiv is amazing so looking forward to experiencing that.

You’ll be performing alongside Oleh Skrypka here in Kyiv. Do you know each other very well?
I’ve been touring the Philippines so I haven’t met him yet. But we are interviewing him on The Selector this week and I’m very much looking forward to meeting him.

Your life seems very busy – how do you manage to cope with everything?
I have a great team of people around me and I drink chai! For seven months of the year I have this crazy party existence but when I’m home I like to do nothing more than cook, garden and yoga.

What do you see as your biggest professional goal?
To still be doing all of this when I’m 50