This is close to our heart. Breaks pioneer Phil K passed away from cancer on 1st November. His passing sparked an outpouring of lovely tributes from DJs around the world. Phil was just 51. He was our friend.
An exceptional DJ and producer, Phil K was an extraordinary human being. Through his amazing music, his incredible DJ sets, his animated story-telling that could induce tears of laughter, he was a force of nature. He impacted so many lives, in so many ways.
Secret Weapon
Phil was at the heart of Melbourne’s electronic music scene right from the start. He was Australia’s secret weapon. His first record, Summer Breeze, produced with Andy Page and Ivan Gough as The Free Radicals and released in 1996, is achingly beautiful. Burma, produced as Lostep with Luke Chable, is a bona fide breaks classic. Sasha included it on his 2004 Involver album. Phil’s compilations for Balance and Distinctive Breaks also stand the test of time.
Mixing Genres
At the forefront of “Aussie breaks”, Phil’s love for music transcended genres and he’d weave ambient, deep house and techno into his DJ sets.
“I love mixing music and mixing genres,” Phil once said in an interview. “In most cases when you hear something from me, I’m hearing something for the first time as well. The editing is spontaneous. I’m creating stuff on the spot. I don’t sit down and make edits; I create them live. I’m in the zone; It’s like breathing.”
Technical Prowess
Phil’s technical mastery made his DJing stand apart. It earned him gigs from Australia to America and the UK – and the respect of peers worldwide. His technical prowess was admired by the best in the business, including James Zabiela, who is no technical slouch himself.
“It was Phil who opened my eyes to what was possible with some CDJs and an FX unit, beyond mixing just one track into the next,” said Zabiela via his social channels at the time of Phil’s passing. “He was my favourite DJ to just stand and watch (and learn) and I have him to thank for both my obsession and involvement with Pioneer. I recall Phil telling me that the Pioneer’s EFX500 was actually a sampler. He made me look for all the cheat codes.
“Whenever we DJed together Phil would often pull off some wizardry that would leave me in awe and I would always try and do something to impress him, because impressing him was important to me,” said Zabiela. “You always want to impress your heroes and Phil was definitely one of mine.”
Friday Tapes Tribute
Phil’s friends in Melbourne have organised a special ‘Phil K – Friday Tapes Tribute’ show. A celebration of his life and career, the 12-hour show will be broadcast on Friday, 18th December, on Kiss FM Melbourne, from 12pm – midnight AEST. That’s 5am – 5pm in the UAE. And 1am – 1pm in the UK. We can tune into the live stream on kissfm.com.au.
The marathon session will be packed with Phil’s sets, guest sets inspired by his music, interviews, messages from familiar DJ names and funny anecdotes. Well worth a listen, it’s a fitting tribute in memory of an unassuming legend.
