Granite Island Discs: Jake Phillips

Jake Phillips, DJ (Dancespace) and Director of Operations, Crippen Place, tells all about his top tunes, album and Adelaide musical moments.

What five songs would you take to a desert island?

1. Deetron – ‘Photon’

2. Mac Miller – ‘Objects in the Mirror’

3. Deadmau5 – ‘Coelacanth (1&2)’

4. Louie Vega & The Martinez Brothers – ‘Let It Go’

5. Roy Ayers – ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’

If you could only pick one, what would it be?

The impossible question! I’m going to pick someone who wasn’t in that ‘Top 5’. ‘St Germain’ by Rose Rouge. It’s off the Tourist album (also my favourite album) alongside Soul Central’s ‘Strings of Life’ (Danny Krivit Re-Edit) which solidified my music career in DJing.

What’s your favourite album?

I grew up listening to the St. Germain Tourist album riding in my parents’ car to and from school. The album kickstarted my love for Acid Jazz and repetitive house grooves. I was learning drums and used to play along [to] the entire album at a later stage. It was my go-to album… derived from my parents’ love of music.

What’s your favourite song by an SA artist/band?

There’s a lot of talented musicians across all genres in Adelaide, so it’s hard to pigeonhole. But I’ve got big love for Ollie English and his rustic, home-infused blues. ‘Holy Water’ and ‘How Many Times’ give me goosebumps, and his live shows, either acoustic or in band format, give me goosebumps regardless of how many times I’ve seen it.

Favourite music-related memory?

When it comes to playing my own shows, two stand out. Playing back-to-back with Skrillex in an intimate show at Rocket Bar. It was after Listen In, back in 2018. He’s an idol of mine [and] playing for over an hour was one of those ‘wow’ moments. Second to that – playing Stereosonic Stage 2 in front of around 8000 people between Galantis and Oliver Heldens in a 45-minute crossover. That was probably one of the biggest moments people-wise, and the most nervous I’ve ever been walking out in the middle of the day.

Keep up to date with everything Jake Phillips here.