A year on from stretching their tendrils over to Leeds, Pretty Pretty Good can be happy with the parties they have cultivated here. Accepting that they would have to do midweek rather than weekend parties, they have really dominated the school-night scene, and have done so with pizzazz by adding some really special names to their roster. Pangaea, Byron the Aquarius, Al Zanders, Hodge, Adesse Versions, Chaos in the CBD, Contours and Cervo have all played midweek, and killed it. Now, for their first birthday celebrations on 31st May, PPG have enlisted their biggest name yet, Objekt, to do the business.
But, alongside these headline DJs, is PPG’s resident selector, Smorsli (“the smiling assassin” according to co-founder Dan Sumner). As much as their events are defined by stunning bookings, he takes the lead in carving out their sound, which is unapologetically geared towards the party. Here’s a sneak peek into his record bag.
Name(s): Samir
Artist name: Smorsli [Pretty Pretty Good]
Hometown: Oxford
First record ever bought?
“WOLF were a firm favourite when I started buying records. I only had a handful for a few months to play on some hilariously dodgy Numark turntables, so I rinsed them all to death! This one from Medlar is probably one of the only tracks I’d still play, still so good.”
Best floorfiller?
“This is a really simple yet effective track that never fails to get people’s attention. I can’t stop my hands from flying in the air whenever I hear it, and I vaguely remember running from the smoking area of some club to get in on the action when I heard it out for the first time.”
Best flip-side/b-side?
“Zombie Zombie – The Beach I bought this record for the ace DJ Sotofett track on the flip, but I’m so glad I stumbled across this! Straight up killer techno cover of New Order’s Blue Monday that feels like a real intense drum machine workout.”
Sexiest record?
“Cosmos Records in London provided me with a pretty amazing afternoon digging a few months back. This album from Aalon was a particular favourite, with some amazing artwork to match!”
Most euphoric record?
“Floating Points has undoubtedly produced some pretty uplifting music in his time, but this one in particular just feels so unashamedly euphoric. I don’t think I’ll grow tired of it for a long time…”
Most nostalgic record?
“Seeing Larry Heard last year at Dimensions Festival was spectacular. When I got back home I re-listened to all of his records that I owned again, this time with a whole new perspective. I think ‘Missing You’ was the first one I managed to grab!”
Most valuable record? (monetary or sentimental)
“This was a gift from my brother, and the first UR record I’d ever owned, so it’s got a lot of sentimental value to me. Big up yourself Tom!”
Weirdest record?
“This track is pretty bizarre. I picked this up at Idle Hands in Bristol last year and didn’t fully realise the extent of its madness until I got back. I love how you lose all sense of what’s happening when the kick disappears, crazy stuff.”
Last record you bought?
“Glenn Underground is one of my favourite producers, he always manages to impress me with his consistently imaginative and complicated music! This has so many amazing elements to it that I’m sure I could listen to it 100 times and still find something new that I didn’t notice before, that switch up at 5 minutes is just perfect.”
Record you wish you could own?
“Impossible to choose just one, but this song has been in my head for a few years now. In fact, I gave up on finding an affordable copy and bought the album digitally from iTunes, but the quality is not great… One day!”
Click here to see the Pretty Pretty Good Facebook page, and click here to like Smorsli’s.
