FEATURE:
Saluting the Queens
are dominating British Dance music, it is perhaps no surprise that Peggy Gou was placed third in the BBC’s Sound of 2024. A superstar D.J. and legend in the game, you can follow her on Instagram. Perhaps better known as a D.J. rather than through her music/wider afield, she is a queen I wanted to salute. Not only is she one of the world’s best D.J.s. Peggy Gou has also released incredible music. I Believe in Love Again was her collaboration with Lenny Kravitz. I think that this year will be one of her best. I shall end with that Sound of 2024 interview with the BBC. I want to come to some other interviews before that. You can see some updated biography here (it would not allow me to copy and paste the text); here is some background to a wonderful, globe-struggling D.J. that is one of the world’s most influential and important:
“Berlin-based Peggy Gou is a South Korean DJ and fashion designer, quickly cementing her mark in the music industry with a unique concoction of house and acid sound as well as an equally unique sense of style with a New Guards Group-backed clothing line, Kirin.
With her first track only dating back to 2016, the musician and Instagram star has enjoyed a rapid rise to fame, gaining the support of established musicians Moodyman, The Black Madonna and DJ Kaze through support slots that have attracted a loyal fanbase that includes Virgil Abloh .
Gou was born in Seoul, moving to London aged 14 to complete her high school education. Growing up, Gou harboured ambitions to become a singer; a classically trained pianist, she composed her first piece aged eight. A few years later, she left her passion behind, opting to pursue a fashion degree at the London College of Fashion instead. While studying, Gou reignited her love for music, pursuing music production after making a start mixing in Korea with her then boyfriend, and performing at London’s Cirque Le Soir nightclub through connections. With the desire to become the youngest and first female Korean DJ playing at the Berghain club in Berlin, Gou threw herself into music full-time, pushing her fashion studies aside.
By the end of 2016, Gou released her first double EP, titled “September War,” and played her first set at the Berghain club after moving to Berlin. She has produced four EPs, including her first American tour and a month-long BBC Radio 1 residency in 2017, and has performed at Coachella. At Dazed’s 2017 Off-White party, Gou met representatives from New Guards Group, which offered Gou her own label. Her line of high-end streetwear, marrying traditional Korean mythological motifs with club culture graphics, made its debut at Paris Fashion Week in 2019 and is yet to be made available in stores
In 2019, Gou also announced the launch of her own record label and was included in Forbes’ 30 under 30 Asia Entertainment & Sports list”.
Before coming to some 2023 interviews – and ending with one that is from this year -, I will go back to 2020. 2019 was one of the busiest to that point for Peggy Gou. She spoke with i-D about a hectic 2019 and her resolutions for 2020. The South Korean D.J. and producer is someone who has brought joy to thousands around the world. Even if you are not overtly-familiar with her name, I guarantee that, once you hear her work and D.J. magnificence, you will fall under her spell:
“Peggy Gou had a busy 2019. On top of playing close to a hundred gigs the world over, the South Korean DJ, producer and now fashion designer -- known as much for her popular Instagram account as the sophisticated deep-house sets she never fails to deliver -- recently launched her own record label and streetwear line. “I enjoy it so much that I forget I’m tired,” she says, laughing, as we chat over a New Year’s Day iced coffee in Desa Potato Head, Bali’s new OMA-designed hotel and cultural venue. Dressed in a silky short-sleeve shirt and sporty Mugler shorts, the DJ-turned-designer looks suspiciously fresh for someone who was up until the wee hours playing to a rowdy crowd of 3000. The beach-front gig -- whose promotional posters plastered across the island read ‘Gou Year’s Eve’ -- coincided with the drop of a new capsule collection, made in collaboration with the Indonesian hospitality group.
But 2020 is going to be more low-key for the overachieving music sensation, who plans to cut down on live shows to focus on her first album. “Creative people need to do nothing to be creative,” says Peggy, before telling me about the new home studio she’s having built in her adopted city of Berlin. The LP follows an eclectic score of dance music EPs (she sometimes refers to her music as ‘K-House’) released since 2016, as well as a recent DJ-Kicks mix. The album, however, will be released by XL Recordings, Peggy’s dream label, who she remembers emailing obsessively back in Korea to ask about internship opportunities. “I never once got a reply!” she laughs.
Alongside this, the 29-year-old DJ will continue to grow her own record label, Gudu. So far, the project has acted as a platform to support the work of cult-yet-overlooked electronic producers, from Rephlex Records’ DMX Krew to American remix maverick Maurice Fulton. “Some of my legends,” Peggy says, “who I think deserve more spotlight”. But ultimately, the powerhouse hopes to sign emerging talents, particularly female and Asian musicians. “I went through a lot after I signed my first music,” she says, remembering the lack of support she received from her first label. This early experience encouraged her to change the game: “I want to give artists what they want,” she says.
While Peggy is best known for her music career, now gathering crowds in the thousands at international clubs and festivals alike, her first love was fashion. After spending her teenage years in London -- her parents sent her to learn English because “they thought I had no future in South Korea,” -- she applied to London College of Fashion and started a course in styling. “I realised I wasn’t good at it,” says Peggy, who briefly worked as a correspondent for Harper’s Bazaar Korea. “I only enjoy styling myself,” she laughs.
But this stint in fashion wasn’t all in vain. Last year, following a series of timely encounters with Louis Vuitton’s artistic director Virgil Abloh, Peggy launched her women’s streetwear label Kirin (‘giraffe’ in Korean; her favourite animal) backed by Off-White’s parent organisation, the Italian luxury company New Guards Group which was recently acquired by Farfetch. The brand has since released an eclectic and colourful slew of logo-print shirts, robes and jumpsuits -- all infused with Korean mythological iconography.
These references appear as much in her design aesthetics as in the visual identity of her musical universe. Whether it be the recurring motif of the xiezhi (a mythical lion-shaped creature) across her designs, or the traditional mask interpreted by illustrator Jee-ook Choi for Gudu’s logo, Korean culture remains a strong source of inspiration for Peggy. “I always try not to lose the link between Korea and I,” she says, recounting how she cried during her last gig in Seoul after the audience started to sing along to her Korean-language track “Starry Nights". “Oh my god, I’m getting goosebumps,” she says getting excited, “which apparently, in Bali, is a good sign!”
PHOTO CREDIT: Christian Soria for Interview
A little bit of a detour before getting to some more music-based interviews. The uber-cool queen Peggy Gou chatted with Interview back in October. They fired some questions her way. We get to know a little more at least about a remarkable talent who is someone who is going to make more big strides this year. One of the best producers and D.J.s in the world. Everyone needs to know the name Peggy Gou:
“Who do you tell your secrets to?
Depends on how secret it is, but I don’t think I really have a secret in my life.
Where do you go to hide?
My bed is where I feel comfortable being alone.
What are you wearing right now?
I’m wearing faux Ferragamo fur. And Harley-Davison. Did I pronounce that right? And denim.
What do you collect?
I collect records, I collect sunglasses, I collect shoes, and I collect art.
What’s your bad habit?
I eat too much.
What do you do when you can’t sleep?
I put lavender oil on the pillow. CBD oil, magnesium, and melatonin.
What do you tell yourself when no one else can hear?
I don’t really understand the question.
Do you like answering questions?
It depends on the questions, but I feel like you asked me interesting questions”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Christian Soria for Interview
Speaking with Zane Lowe on her Apple Music podcast series, Peggy Gou spoke about her collaboration with Lenny Kravitz. Whilst unexpected, it is also a perfect and natural pairing when you hear the song. I think that this year is going to be one where she collaborates with other huge names. Maybe there will be an album. Definitely some epic D.J. sets around the world:
“Speaking to Zane Lowe as part of his The Zane Lowe Show Apple Music podcast series, the (It Goes Like) Nanana producer and singer recalls their recent – and unexpected – collaboration. The collab resulted in a new track, I Believe In Love Again, which is out now on XL Recordings.
“It was such an honour to get a chance to work with him,” she tells Lowe. “He’s very perfectionist just like me.”
In the interview, Peggy reveals that the collaboration was not a typical “modern” digital exchange but involved physical studio sessions in the Bahamas and Paris.
She goes on to say how Kravitz wanted to bring a “different DNA” to the track with an unexpected falsetto part, with Lowe and others agreeing they didn’t think it was sung by him at first, but by Peggy instead.
“Would you have guessed that it was Lenny if this was not written, Lenny?” She asks
Zane Lowe says, “Yes, I thought it was you. I thought it was you as well the first time.”
“I was like, ‘Really, Lenny? I don’t know if it’s a good thing, man. Seriously, I want people to know it’s you because it’s like I’m so honoured that my first collaboration song that I have a feature in the album is you.’
“He was like, ‘Pegs, we’re going to do a music video. People will know it’s me. Don’t worry.’ I was like, ‘That’s true, but,’ and he was like, ‘Girl, let me tell you something. I put different DNA to it when I sing this song.’”
Peggy also reflects on the simplicity and catchiness of ’90s music in the interview, highlighting what Lowe calls “sampling with optimism”.
“’90s music is timeless for me. I also love hip-hop and every song from that period.
Lowe says, “What I love about this song is when you come in with the, ‘Ch, ch, ch,’ it’s like no one uses upper register percussive instruments in songs anymore, but they were everywhere in the ’90s.”
“Also, if you think about it, ’90s music was simple. Although it is repetitive, I feel like it’s catchy and you don’t get bored of listening to it.
“It’s very true,” Lowe responds, “It’s almost like the drums were by design a blank canvas to write these songs over and it was like there’s a naivety to the way technology was working back then that people have mastered now. I love that you’ve captured that sense of optimism, sampling with optimism”.
Let’s finish off with the BBC Sound of 2024 interview. Peggy Gou as placed third. Mark Savage caught up with someone who is a crossover star and a hugely important name in music. Actually, doing the interview, it is revealed that a debut album is coming soon from Peggy Gou. Her path into music is a fascinating one. Still unknown to some, 2024 is when she will truly connect with everyone. Such a wonderful talent that now belongs to the world:
“Peggy Gou was born Kim Min-ji in 1991, and raised in South Korea's chief seaport, Incheon.
The first music she loved was K-pop - not the modern, mechanical sounds of Stray Kids or BTS, but the 80s idols like Kim Wan-sun and Uhm Jung-hwa (aka "the Korean Madonna").
"If I listen back to it now, it's still good," she says. "It has a sexy feeling and a happy feeling to it."
But her real musical education began when she turned 14 and her parents sent her to London to study English.
Studying took second place to nightlife. She went out dancing six times a week, at hip-hop nights and underground clubs. In 2011, she discovered deep house and fell in love with its vibey, R&B-infused sound.
By that point, she'd already learned the basics of beat-matching from a friend, and when the DJ pulled out of a Korean society event at her university, Gou offered to step in.
"I messed up a lot of things in that show, but I still made people dance.
"I was like, 'Wow, this is amazing. I love this feeling.'"
Word began to spread. Gou was booked to play at other University events, then scored a weekly residency at east London's Book Club.
Unsurprisingly, she failed her fashion course, but she picked up work at Harper's Bazaar and, in 2016, moved to Germany.
There she had one aim: To be the first Korean woman to play Berghain, Berlin's most exclusive nightclub.
Within a year, she'd achieved it.
The star's debut album is scheduled for release in the first half of 2024
PHOTO CREDIT: Jongha Park
By that point, Gou was dropping original songs into her DJ sets - but only after four years of writing and rejecting her own material.
Her first demos were "70% samples", she says, mixing club beats with traditional Korean instruments, but "every song sounded the same" (for completists, she later released one of those early tracks, Hungboo, on her DJ-Kicks compilation).
In 2016, she released four EPs of supple-but-lethal house tunes. But it was only when she went for a more stripped-back, vocal-led approach that things started to come together.
Her calling card was It Makes You Forget (Itgehane), the sound of sunrise set to music - all swirling synths and gently bubbling acid bass, over a skipping house beat.
An ode to club culture and the restorative power of escapism, it also marked Gou's first attempt at singing.
"That was my brave challenge. I was singing in Korean, which I thought wasn't such a cool thing in the beginning," she says.
"I did try it in English and Spanish, also. But then I was like, 'You know what, I'm Korean. I should sing in Korean!'"
For Westerners used to the staccato, rap-infused cadences of K-Pop, Gou's diaphanous vocals may come as a surprise, but she explains the Korean language has many colours.
"With K-pop, as soon as it's out, it has to hit number one - meaning it's all about how addictive the song is, how catchy it is.
"In my songs the lyrics are very poetic, so I care about how the words sound. Does the line finish with an "ay," an "ah", or an "oh"?
"My vocal trainer always says I have a breathy voice, so the way I sing is not so staccato."
Peggy Who? Peggy Shoe!
It Makes You Forget (Itgehane) became a huge anthem in the summer of 2018; and Gou's schedule grew even busier, with gigs in Brazil, Australia, Italy, Paris, France and Japan.
But it was a set at Glastonbury that really stood out.
"I didn't even know what Glastonbury was, I was so naive," she says.
"But when I started playing, people took their shoes off, held them in the air and started shouting, 'Peggy Who? Peggy Shoe!'"
"I still don't really know why - but in Australia, when people take their shoes off, it means you're playing a banger."
The success was thrilling and welcome, but the demanding lifestyle of an international DJ began to take its toll.
When she travels, Gou takes notes of how she feels as a sort of aide-memoire. But in 2019, after catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror of an airport toilet, she simply wrote: "I look exhausted".
It was only when Covid hit that she had time to pause.
"I had to stop because there were no shows," she says, "and I spent a lot of that time digging out 90s music and 80s music.
"I don't know why but music from that period really encouraged me during that difficult time. Simple, catchy, classy, repetitive but never boring."
Inspired, she spun her exhausted-in-an-airport story into a song, using the uplifting innocence of 90s dance music to give her motivation when life seemed overwhelming.
"'I Go' is such a great phrase because, obviously, it means 'I'll keep moving' in English, but it's also a sound that older people in Korea make whenever they're suffering from pain or they're tired.
"I thought it was perfect. I like to find the word in Korean that makes sense in English, too."
Unsurprisingly, Gou admits to being a perfectionist. She won't release a song until she's 100% happy - which is perhaps why it's taken eight years for her to prepare her debut album.
Scheduled for release this year, it will feature It Goes Like (Nanana) and her current single, I Believe In Love Again - a collaboration with Lenny Kravitz.
The rest of her album, including the title, is currently under wraps, but Gou promises "it's not just dance music".
"You can expect certain things that are different than I've ever done".
And as she takes centre stage, she hints that her in-demand DJ sets might soon be accompanied by more traditional concert performances.
"Why not?" she smiles cryptically. "I think that's everyone's dream”.
A queen that I had to salute, the magnificent and magnetic Peggy Gou is a true modern icon. I cannot wait for a debut album. With a string of great tracks under her belt, the D.J. and producer is now breaking away purely from Dance. A spellbinding woman with this incredible talent, go and check out her work. Expect to see a lot more from her this year. Rightly named among BBC’s Sound of 2024 names to watch, there is no denying how special and important Peggy Gou is. I hold so much love for this…
WONDERFUL human.