FOLD Invites Phin + Interview
Phin is both inventive and refreshing, with a knack for turning her ambitions into reality. A longstanding member of the HTBX community, London-based Hannie has become a recurrent face in the scene since her first introduction to techno as a teenager. Since that initial shift in her musical awareness, her motivations became engrossed in plying her craft, subsequently guiding her into the sweeping London music culture in 2008. Cultivating an affiliation with the diverse and inclusive culture of key environments such as KAOS and Electrowerkz, Phin made the conscious decision to join the community in full force by honing her skills both behind the decks and in the studio, eventually swapping the dancefloor for the booth at the very venues she first admired. Having witnessed her determination to contribute to the ethics she valued, FOLD invited Hannie to play at UNFOLD 009, and alongside this recording of her face-melting set, we spoke to her about her ever-propelling lifestyle.
You launched your label 'Theory of Yesterday' back in 2019, with three EPs released in just one short year. What inspired you to create this label, and what is the concept behind the project?
I think it’s similar for a lot of DJs after a while - you want to play your own music too. It was as simple as wanting to release mine and other people’s music - to create something positive that I can grow with. The label is eclectic and will be more so as it grows; it’s a personal project and a space for me to express myself to others through music, and I love to have my freedom with it. I’ve also connected with more people outside my circle despite being London-based. Until 2018 my gigs were all in London but as a direct result of the label, I started travelling more for gigs. I’ll be back soon in Germany as people found me through TOY. The artists I’ve signed so far have been and are producing great music; it’s great to be the one to have released their first EPs. There’s lots more coming up, including a new act that I recently fell in love with…
How did you find playing UNFOLD?
It was so much fun! I played something a bit different than my current sets - I went back to faster BPMs and acid sounds. This was how I’d started before I got into more industrial sounds. I’m happy that the more ravey sound’s made a return in London! It never left completely but you would only hear it at certain places in the last 10 years. It was an instant connection with the crowd.
How did UNFOLD's crowd feel compared to other parties you've played?
Unstoppable - ready for anything! That’s the motivation for me - to push myself a bit more. It’s obvious that FOLD brought together a lot of people that want to have a great time. People love being there; they feel safe, free and loved. Happiness was in the air the whole time. Most parties I play thankfully have a similar vibe; London is on fire with so many great events lately. UNFOLD is definitely one of the strong additions and people have adopted it as their second home. There's common ground with FOLD and other venues like Electrowerks and Kit Kat in that people are just there to dance and let go – thanks to the promoters. Thank you for having me!
You've been a staple of the HTBX family for some while now. How did they help develop your musical career and what special moments have you experienced with them?
HTBX is family and where I started taking things more seriously. From them, many more doors opened and they’ve always been very supportive. I don’t know how many HTBX events I’ve played at in the last 5 years but every one of them has been special. I feel a special connection with HTBX and it’s also very much to do with the core people that created it and due to the fact that I met a lot of people that I'm on the same page with through HTBX. I hope this feeling always stays the same as the party grows.