After a summer break, the PULP collective is back on the club radar with two outstanding guests. At the end of last year, El Commando and Anako brought English DJ Djrum to Kocka in Split, and this time they will present him to the Zagreb audience. On November 1, Om Unit will also perform at Peti Kupe.
Behind this alias is Jim Coles, a British musician known for his innovative experimentation across different styles, blending elements of breaks, jungle, footwork, dubstep, and techno. He began his career in the 1990s as the Bristol-based turntablist 2tall, and he still lives in the city today.
Under the alias Philip D Kick, he experimented with combining jungle and footwork, laying the groundwork for the development of the 160 movement. Together with Machinedrum, he launched the Dream Continuum project, which further explored this fusion and resulted in notable releases and innovative production techniques.
It’s also worth mentioning his conceptual series Acid Dub Studies, which reflects Om Unit’s desire to step beyond genre boundaries. The signature 303 acid bassline is paired with a solid dub reggae rhythm, complemented by subtle elements of dub techno and ambient music.
After numerous releases on influential labels such as Terrorhythm and Tectonic, in 2011 he founded his own label Cosmic Bridge. His bold approach to music has earned him a range of industry accolades. As a DJ and live performer, he has played over 500 events in more than 30 countries.
For the esteemed producer, this won’t be his first visit to Croatia. He has previously performed at Dimensions Festival, Outlook, and Dekmantel Selectors, as well as at Kocka club ten years ago, hosted by the Loopjunkies collective. In anticipation of his show at Peti Kupe, Om Unit shared memories of Croatia, his work with Djrum, and glimpses into his personal life.
How are you? What are you working on these days?
Well, thank you! Just got back from Australia, where I played some great shows and I’m surprisingly awake! More Acid Dub Studies to come and other projects as always.
You’ve played in Croatia many times, especially on the coast. Do you have a favorite memory from our country?
So many… Sunrises in Tisno, Pula and all of the great festivals, but also the scenery and the laid-back culture. And also the wine!
You were a guest at Loopjunkie’s event back in 2014 at Klub Kocka in Split. What do you remember the most from that gig?
I remember it was fun, and it was good to see something different that isn’t just English people in a festival for a chance. I remember really seeing the real side of Croatia, where people struggle to make a living compared to the richness of the festival culture. I also remember an old guy who looked like a classic rock fan coming to me and shouting at me in Croatian when I was DJing, lol! I love that kind of chaos though.
In your opinion, what has changed the most for you as an artist over the last 10 years?
The landscape of the music world is always changing, but really I think the smartphone has had the most impact. It’s good to connect people in a way there but also the smartphone is replacing social spaces which is really sad to see.
This time, you’re performing alongside Djrum. You two have worked together and created some great music. Our crowd is excited to have you both here on the same night. Could you tell us more about your relationship with Felix?
Well, to me he is a traditional turntablist type of DJ in a sense that you would find a lot in the 90’s where people would experiment with scratching and FX and playing a lot of different music. It was actually something that was very common at one point, but I think he’s like one of the last people doing it in 2024 as far as I know anyway. There are people out there who do interesting more technically focused things in the turntablist community, but Felix really focuses on using records as a long-form performance that’s kind of part ‘dance music’ and partly for your mind.
I think he has found his own way to take people on a ride that does set himself apart from those DJs from the past, but he reminds me of someone like DJ Spooky or Strictly Kev or some of those early Mo Wax/Ninja Tune era DJs with a more modern edge. We’re friends and we made the track Ruins together for a Cosmic Bridge compilation and we get to hang out a little bit out there on the road which is always nice. I look forward to Zagreb with him!
In 2023, you released the Footwork Jungle trilogy under your alter ego Philip D Kick, which you created back in 2011. Do you plan to produce more music under that alias in the near future?
No more Phil. R.I.P Phil (again).
Experimentation is a big part of who you are as a musician, and Acid Dub Studies is a great example of this. How did you come up with that project? What does your creative process generally look like?
303 in Dub is not a new concept but I always felt that people didn’t go so deep into it. Jammin Unit did some great stuff in the 90’s though, or Cem Oral at least under a couple of aliases was doing cool stuff with 303 for sure in a dub context. I guess I felt really inspired to take the ‘language’ that the 303 has and work it into the deeper more spaced out dub realm in my own way and see what happens and I think it worked! Generally I think a lot about the ‘shape’ of stuff in my mind, and spend not too much time in the studio, by the time I’m there I’m just getting it done.
What are the last three albums you bought?
Various – Rockers (Original Soundtrack Recording)
Trans Upper Egypt – No Dub
Johnny Osbourne – Dancing Time
Are you into any other forms of art or activities aside from music?
I work as a teacher, I like nature a lot and like to study mycology a bit and forage edible mushrooms. I also like science fiction, numismatics, growing vegetables and record collecting.
If you could play any song or track for us right now, what would it be?
Foto: press, PULP