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Hipp-e - Whatever Floats Your Boat

Author: Michelle Pirovich
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Every job has its down side, but as Eric 'Hipp-e' Galaviz explains, being flown in by helicopter to DJ at a private party in Brazil isn't one of them.

"A guy who I see a lot when I'm DJing asked me one day if I would play at a private party back at his home in Brazil. He has always been into my music and is completely crazy in a really good way, so I naturally said yes and he spared no expense. I got flown in by helicopter to where they had built an entire club which rivalled any club in the world on a 16,000 acre estate. It was definitely an event and I'm going back again this year to do another one."

For Denver born Hipp-e, producing and playing an ever evolving style of house music was simply what he was meant to do and despite the accolades and record sales he remains completely unaffected by his success.

"I think I'm about as humble as it gets. I pay my bills each week and I eat everyday. Success for me is personal happiness."

Although no longer together, there is no denying the heavy influence that production partner Halo had on Hipp-e. Having met at the age of 16 (Halo was 9), the pair brandished a sizeable impact on the global music scene with their refreshing style. Combining a smokey Pacific flavour with the bumpety bump beats of Chicago, it found them a home amongst Soma, Siesta Music, Hooj Choons, Fabric and Yoshitoshi.

Preferring not to dwell on the past, Hipp-e is quick to pay his respects to Halo and move on.

"Halo introduced me to the world of production through the MPC2000 and I think we have both come away from the experience with an enormous amount of studio knowledge."

Nestled amongst those at NRK, Soma, Product Deluxe and Tango, Hipp-e is kept busy these days juggling A&R for his own 'Nightshift Recordings' and studio production. He laughs that if he won lotto he would buy the "biggest kick ass studio in the world", but until that day comes he remains content with his G4 and Yamaha MOTIF.

Currently incorporating an 'afro jazz style' into some 'steamin' chunky house', Hipp-e now chooses to take his time on his musical endeavours.

"I listen to a lot of my old music and I'm definitely not impressed, but I see it as part of a continual learning process. These days' things definitely carry on a bit longer because I have a more discriminative ear about the sounds I'm trying to head towards. I don't let things slip through like I used to."

Hipp-e still predominantly plays vinyl but being an avid lover of technology, he has found himself somewhere in the midst of the digital revolution.

"I'm big into vinyl and love technology so I'm caught in the middle. I think the technology of 'Final Scratch' is amazing but as far as clubs go, I think it's a bit scary to let a computer do your mixing, so many things can and do go wrong. I also think people feel ripped off when a DJ comes on with a bag of cds. It most definitely loses its soul. It loses the interaction, the actual getting in there and physically handling it and getting in tune with the crowd, there is certainly something to be said about that. In the end though it's tit for tat, I mean, I've come from the old school so I'm a vinyl junkie and true to the core I will always buy vinyl but I will still play cds and I own 'Final Scratch' so for me its whatever floats your boat."

As well as joining FCommunication's Alexkid here on Australian shores, Hipp-e will be crossing over to the world of playing live with Australian jazz-funk collective 'Twenty Four 7' in the restful community of Byron Bay.

"I haven't done any live stuff before, this will be the first of my endeavours and I'm really looking forward to it. Then later this year I hope to do 2 or 3 mini live tours with the 'Twenty Four 7' guys here in the US and Europe. The live scene hasn't taken off here yet in the US, for economic and political reasons, but we are really happy to do small shows to what should be a more appreciative crowd."

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