INTRO-ducing ... Anthony Collins Talks Jazz, Drinks and Festivals

Iain Shaw | May 24, 2012 8:00 pm | Add a comment | 1251 reads

You might have seen Anthony Collins at White Rabbit when he last played Beijing in May 2010. (He even turned up at our Reader Bar & Club Awards party that year.) Collins is back in town to play INTRO Electronic Music Festival on May 26, and we asked him about jazz, cocktails and social networking as he prepared for his return.

Your father owned a jazz studio. Who were his great jazz influences, and did you pick up on any of those?
My father was a big fan of Miles Davis and Coltrane. Not sure how it influenced me though – maybe in the way I like deep, emotional stuff and well-structured melodies.

What was your experience like last time you were here?
Very fun! It was a small club, but the vibe was great and I really love the city and Chinese culture in general.

If you made a track about Beijing, how would it sound?
It would have an old-school influence, as I find the city very respectful of its past. It would also be very complex in rhythm, with many different elements overlapping, as Beijing is quite crazy and hectic like that!

If you could bring one other DJ with you to INTRO, who would it be?
Francis Harris, my label partner at Scissor & Thread. He’s a truly great DJ with refined taste, while also being an amazing producer. But above all, he’s a great friend so I know we would have a lot of fun!

For you, what makes a great electronic festival?
The lineup, the setup, the location, but most important is the crowd! A party only gets as good as the crowd who attends it.

Do you find social media like Twitter and Facebook useful for DJs, or just a distraction?
Personally, I don't use Twitter, but Facebook is one of the most important promotional tools out there. And it also keeps me busy when I have long layovers in airports!

There are already drinks called the “Tom Collins” and the “John Collins.” What would a drink called the "Anthony Collins" contain?
Definitely tequila. Also acai, mango or strawberry, maybe banana – and don’t forget coconut!

So there you go. While you're waiting for Beijing bars to adopt the Anthony Collins cocktail, here are a couple of tracks the man himself recommended to get us in the mood for INTRO ...