Bill Patrick: “I don’t want to see a live stream of a bunch of sycophants dancing behind a DJ”

What were the key things you learn when DJing? What were the real eureka moments early in your career?

My friend Steve in Long Island taught me how to DJ back in 1998. I remember being so amazed and also super disappointed when I found out that all the buildups, breaks and fun sounds were already on the record. I thought the DJ was actually pushing buttons and doing that on his own – and I guess nowadays they kinda are – but there was a point where I was like, “So wait, this is all just on the vinyl and basically all you do is mix? This sucks.” I think what I took from that was learning how to mix really long and blending records together to make shit more interesting for myself. I remember getting so excited when I would find two records that just matched perfectly and had sounds talking to each other. Riding a mix for 2-3 minutes and feeling like a superstar in my bedroom with my parents yelling at me to turn it down.

Some special moments were definitely my first few gigs in NYC. There was a moment where I was told I would get a chance to play the upstairs room at Twilo and I nearly cried. Unfortunately the club got shut down like a month later and I did cry. But that was incredible for me because that place was my Mecca. To get asked to play there, even though it didn’t happen, was really something that stood out for me. Landing the residency at Vinyl/ Arc in NYC was a very special achievement and I would have to say playing the DC-10 terrace for the first time back in 2003 or 2004 was absolutely ridiculous. I remember Sven Vath being in the crowd and I was so fucking nervous. I dropped “Orange Mistake” on Cadenza and got this huge reaction. Afterwards I got a thumbs up from Sven and I was like “How the fuck is this happening? Who am I? What kind of crazy dream is this?” Because NO ONE knew who I was and to have someone like Sven acknowledge me was insane. It gave me a huge boost of confidence and resonated with me for some time to come.

How much does personal life, relationships and so on have to take a back seat when you’re a DJ – do those things suffer?

This is a fun question. I have some experience in this [Laughs]. Relationships have always been a bit tricky in the beginning because you’re always on the road and it’s hard to maintain some kind of groove. However, things change a bit when you get a little more successful and then a whole new set of circumstances occur. I dealt with this recently. You have a situation where you are with someone and you’re able to take them with you and share this life with them. Because in the end it’s such an amazing job and we are so fucking fortunate to be able to do what we do and go where we go. But after doing this for so long, you start to get a bit lonely on the road and you want to share those beautiful moments. So when you do meet someone it’s really exciting to be in a position to travel the world with them. It’s just as much of a gift for me as it is for them. If I’m in a far off exotic location witnessing some magical scenery, I would much rather be sharing that moment with someone I love than by myself. But the problem you run into here is finding the right person, obviously. There’s many people who are quick to take advantage of you and take all these gifts, the flights, the trips, the parties, the VIP treatment and just use you for their own selfish reasons. There’s shitty people out there and you need to just be careful who you invite into your life.

In general I think relationships and love are difficult no matter what profession you have. We live in this fast paced world where we’re always being sold something bigger and better. Never satisfied with what we have. This crosses over into our personal lives. When something is wrong or a bit broken we just give up and go for the next best thing. Something sexier or newer, instead of working on it and trying to fix it. I’m guilty of this myself but it’s something I’m trying to be better at, as I get older.

Is DJing really a lonely mans game then?

Yeah, I think I touched on that pretty well in the previous question. It’s fun but there’s times when it’s fucking depressing. And I don’t want to be like “Oh woe is me, I have to travel all around the world and play music I love to people who pay to see me. Boo hoo.” But hey, sometimes there’s shitty gigs and the traveling does take a toll on you after a while. There’s moments when it does become work and you are tired and just want to be home in bed with someone you love. You have to fight through that shit, though.

After doing this for 17 years I know how to better handle that stuff but it can still creep up on you. I remember a moment recently where I actually broke down in the terminal at JFK. Crying and going through it like “holy shit, am I having a nervous breakdown?”. The good thing is, at this point I know who my true friends are. I know who I can count on when times get tough. I’m pretty good at fishing out the bullshit and seeing people for who they are. I think that’s the New York in me. But in general, yeah it can get lonely when you are doing a hundred shows a year on your own. Having someone traveling with you and by your side definitely makes things a lot easier.

This topic has been touched on a lot recently in various interviews and I think people are probably tired of hearing about it but if the question is asked I’m going to be 100% honest with you. Life is not always parties and good vibes. Life sucks sometimes and that’s ok. It’s getting through those shitty times that really carves you into the person you are and helps keep the balance.

Cool. On a more positive note can you tell us what you’re excited about/have got coming up?

I’m excited to move into a new apartment in Berlin. To start fresh and have a place to put all the shit I’ve collected on my travels over the years. I swear my room now is like a scene out of “Hoarders”, it’s out of control. I can’t live like this. I’m excited to be in New York all of December and be with my family and friends over there. Art Basel in Miami and then BPM in January is always fun.

The new year is looking exciting as I have some new projects I’m starting with friends like Guy Gerber and his Rumors team. The party was a real success in Ibiza this summer so I’m hoping to help him build from that and take it into next season. 2015 may be the year I actually produce something. Let’s see. Probably not. But I’m really starting to get the itch to do something a little weird. Oh, and I can’t wait for the new season of the Kroll Show starting January 14th.

Being a DJ is all about selection so if you could play one record no other DJ was allowed to, what would it be?

The collaboration between Four Tet, Thom Yorke, Nils Frahm, Burial, Ricardo Villalobos, Philip Glass and myself. It exists in my head. 

Photos: Camille Blake