London-based DJ collective and label heads HOUSEKEEPING may have one of the most exciting and complete overall brands in House Music today.
Founded in 2012 by DJs Jacobi, Taylor HK, Sebastian MDH and Carl Waxberg, as HOUSEKEEPING the quartet are renowned for (aside from top notch label curation) spectacular production and inimitable vibe, while their sell-out London shows are widely recognised as some of the best pop-up parties in the capital. Aside from their hometown, where they also take over fabric’s room three this Friday, HOUSEKEEPING also has a prominent International slate on their touring CV, having travelled to South America with Guy Gerber last winter, as well as appearing at some of Ibiza’s biggest events including ANTS, In The Dark, and perhaps their most high profile involvement at Hï Ibiza‘s Black Coffee residency where in 2018 sees the relationship in its second year.
With the next appearance at Hï Ibiza on 21 July before virtually every Saturday night until Black Coffee’s Closing Party on 6 October, HOUSEKEEPING dish on the collaboration, Ibiza, fabric and more.
“We’ve been doing this for such a long time now that all of that actually happens quite naturally.”
First off, how has your experience been at Hï Ibiza’s Black Coffee residency thus far? Have you noticed any major differences from last year? What have been some highlights?
We’ve had an amazing summer so far! The team at Hï are incredible and constantly keep upping the game. The level of production and the overall clubbing experience has definitely taken another step towards perfection and the line-up this year is second to none.
Can you explain a bit about your role in programming and designing of Hï Ibiza’s Club Room during these nights?
We got involved early on in the process this year to look at the Club Room. In particular around some of the production elements, the layout of the VIP area and to provide input on the line-up. Naturally the team at Hï Ibiza and Black Coffee’s management team were the ultimate decision makers, but we feel that our input was well received.
How do you view Hï Ibiza as a space? And also, as a space within the landscape of Ibiza clubbing?
Hï has definitely made a big splash on the Ibiza clubbing scene. It’s moved considerably up-market and has a stronger focus on VIP table service relative to the old Space which was much more focused on General Admission. We would argue that it offers the best VIP experience on the island at the moment.
What are your impressions on the atmosphere of Ibiza in 2018? Do you notice any major changes or any kind of evolution from when you were first visiting the island? When was your first visit?
Ibiza has changed a lot in the last 12 or so years since we’ve been coming to the island. For better and for worse the whole island has moved up-market. The whole offering from hotels to restaurants, to night clubs all of it has become much more exclusive. So, whilst you can enjoy incredible food and service it does mean that a lot of the younger crowd gets priced out. As result you see less young ravers and more high earners in their thirties and upwards. Having said that, the island still retains a lot of its special vibe. There are not than many destinations in the world where you have grown up people whistling and cheering as you touch down on the runway!
As a collective, how do you divide up the tasks and appearances of all the HOUSEKEEPING DJs?
We’ve been doing this for such a long time now that all of that actually happens quite naturally. People always think that being four people in a collective is a bit of a pain but it’s actually pretty effortless and a lot of the time it helps to be four people rather than one! We split tasks and because some of us are more naturally disposed to peacocking than the others there’s not too much fighting for attention!
More than a collective actually, HOUSEKEEPING can be considered a bonafide brand. Aside from the music, how do you strategize brand development and maintenance? What would you say the is the core ethos of HOUSEKEEPING?
The core ethos of HOUSEKEEPING is “HOUSEKEEPING, HOUSEKEEPING, HOUSEKEEPING!”. Everything we do we do to promote and build our brand. Our label, our parties and our DJ performances all help to get our name out there. Some people think it’s confusing that everything is called HOUSEKEEPING, but we just see it as the best way to get our name out there. We’re very careful to keep everything on-brand. It’s one of our most valuable assets.
…and outside of Ibiza, you obviously have a strong following in your native UK. How would you compare UK and Ibiza audiences? Do you approach your sets any differently when playing in the UK?
Generally, I would say that, for being the UK, we usually have a very good vibe at our nights. It’s very much a friends of friends type of feel and we pride ourselves in providing a clubbing experience which is as close to Ibiza as you can get at home. Having said that, Ibiza is one of a kind and you can’t beat a crowd almost exclusively made up of holidaymakers! In terms of the music, at Hï we play at the same time as Black Coffee is on in the Main Room. So, our experience is that people who come into the Club Room respond better to tech house rather than progressive, afro and deep tech. When we headline in London we tend to play a slightly more diverse set of tunes.
On 20 July, one major gig will see you host your own Fabric room for its FORMS night. How did this collab with Fabric come about? What can you tell us about the night?
That’s right! We’re absolutely buzzing to be playing our first show at Fabric. The whole thing came about through one of our previous agents who reached out. We’ve all spent time at Fabric over the years and getting to stand behind the decks and see the club from the vantage point of the DJ is surely going to be a memorable experience. It’s such a legendary venue and one of the few remaining bastions of rave culture in London so it’s a true privilege! Hopefully we can bring some HOUSEKEEPING magic to the night!
Do you have more international showcase dates lined up outside of Ibiza?
We have a few dates coming up, including Marbella and Mykonos. Follow us on social media and make sure make sure to come to one of our shows!
Looking forward through the rest of 2018 and into 2019, what are some things you have lined up that are of particular excitement?
The focus for rest of the year and into next year will definitely be to continue expanding our brand internationally. We have a loyal following in London and we will obviously continue throwing shows at home. But increasingly we will be focusing on international expansion. The rest of the world needs a bit of HOUSEKEEPING!
HOUSEKEEPING play fabric on 20 July before heading to Hï Ibiza 21 July
