[b]An Interview with New Order's Peter Hook
by Thomas Dunkley
Peter Hook never used to take deejays seriously. It's an odd thing to hear when you consider the impact Hook and his bandmates (in Joy Division, and later, New Order) have had on dance and pop music, but it took several years for the legendary bass player to realize all the effort that goes into manning decks. What's a lot less surprising is that, by the time Hook figured it out, he'd become an international superstar DJ. We managed to coax some answers out of him before he touched down in America to start his stateside tour, and here's what happened.[/b]
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[b]How did you get into deejaying?[/b]
Helpin out Mani from the Primals [Primal Scream]. He told me it was a great way to get drunk for nothing.
[b]Do any other members of New Order DJ? Who's the best?[/b]
Barney does, very rarely, and Steve does radio. I am, of course, the best. Practice makes...
[b]How do your bandmates feel about your new DJ career?[/b]
I don't know I've never asked! Barney gets pissed off about me or promotors using New Order's name, but what are they supposed to use?
[b]What kind of music do you like to play?[/b]
I play anything that grabs me from John Betjamin to hard house, via reggae and punk!
[b]What were your favorite tracks of 2006?[/b]
"Put Your Hands Up For Detroit," and lots of others i dont know the names of...The Editors and Puff Diddy.
[b]When you deejay, do you have to play a different kind of music in the US than in the UK?[/b]
No, I play the same everywhere. Get different requests, though, but i don't do requests.
[b]How does deejaying compare to playing bass for New Order?[/b]
Theres no comparison. I love playing bass and composing and all of that. Deejaying is more like a
holiday. I need both.
[b]Are New Order working on a new album or planning a US tour?[/b]
No, we've no plans for anything.
[b]Why do you think New Order are still so relevant after all these years?[/b]
Because we write good music.
[b]In your youth, you built up a reputation for yourself as a bon viveur. Do you still like to party as much these days?[/b]
As hard as an alcoholic can party, I party?
[b]Are you still working on the Freebass project with Mani (of Stone Roses) and Andy Rourke (of the Smiths)? What's happening with that?[/b]
Freebass is on, but we've lost the singer. I start again with that when I return from the States.
[b]Peter Hook is DJing Cheeky B*stard on Thursday, January 4th as part of a tour that will stop in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas before heading off to Canada. He is still a legend.[/b]
<a href="http://marvymarv.multiply.com/">[i]You on the guestlist?[/i]</a>
