Destination Bristol: We check in with Dorpy for this week’s exceptional addition to the 1 More Mix series.
Get yourself comfortable, this one bumps!
We had a little chat with Hannah Dorpy to find out about her musical journey, her love for free parties and the crews she plays for. Get to know!
Dorpy! Thank you for this mix! Sheesh. No stone unturned!
Hellooo! Thanks so much for the shout, I had so much fun recording this one! I think it comes pretty close to what you’ll hear in my live sets at the moment, but I’m a huge fan of mixing things up so it depends heavily on the event and crowd I’m playing to.
What are the most important things a DJ mix has to do for you to stay locked to it throughout?
I really enjoy hearing different genres/sub-genres in sets, but most importantly vocal tracks keep it interesting for me, there’s a lot of room to get creative!
Amen to that. Tell us your origin story. How did you get into this caper?
Music has been a huge part of my life from the beginning, my mum was a musician so growing up I got to see a lot of what goes into performing live gigs, I also used to sing and play piano myself but got into electronic music properly in my very early teens. I used to listen to a lot of jackin’ house and jungle around that time which has definitely had an impact on my selection today! Anyway, fast forward to the first lockdown in 2020 and that’s when I bought my first controller and started learning to mix in my bedroom while I was off work. I had loads of fun experimenting with any genre I could get my hands on and it made me really look forward to getting in the dance again!
Free parties were part of that journey, right? Tell us about their influence on you as a DJ and as a creative person….
Absolutely! Free parties have had a huge influence on me and my style as a DJ, they were part of the reason I started and they also helped establish some great connections which I’m so grateful for! My love for 4×4 properly grew when I was going regularly a few years back and some of my favourite sets have been in a field somewhere in the south west.
Haha. Sick. If your IG grid is anything to go by, your first set was at Dare To Club with Wonky Goose in summer 2021… That was only three years ago! How much has changed for you since then and how much has happened?
Yes! I still remember how nervous I was because I had only played a couple of the ‘sit-down’ raves where you’d get kicked out for dancing (might’ve happened to me a couple times) but it was a great feeling to finally play to a proper crowd, and it’s crazy to look back on because a lot has changed! Since then i’ve been lucky enough to have a residency at Lakota for two years and played in lots of cities around the UK. I’ve also met a lot of amazing people on the way and my life looks very different now to when it did in 2021 (In the best way!)
Love that! Bristol in general has a major influence on you as an artist, right?
It definitely has, I love Bristol to absolute bits! I moved here pretty spontaneously from Sussex where I was living to be closer to work, and it was the best thing I’ve ever done! There’s such a big variety here in terms of music events and it’s refreshing to see the scene being kept alive by younger generations.
You’re resident with Rigside. Tell us all about Rigside and share some of your fave memories parties with them so far!
Rigside is definitely one to keep on the radar! They’ve established themselves very well in the scene over the last couple years with some absolute killer shows in Bristol and around the UK, bringing in top tier headliners but also giving a platform to up and coming talent. They’re all about pushing a variety of Drum and Bass and UKG, and creating an immersive, high production experience at every event with jungle decor, dancers and state of the art lighting and soundsystems.
You can also find them at pop-up raves around Bristol and exclusive house parties! They’re absolutely smashing it right now, and I’m super proud to be a part of it! One of my favourite memories would have to be playing Motion’s container yard with my other half Beanz last year, definitely a set to remember.
What other crews and organisations are you playing with on the regs?
I’m also a resident for Land Raver, an underground events brand and record label specialising in 4×4 music with roots embedded in the free party scene. Land Raver is releasing a brand-new Various Artists EP in November, featuring some of the hottest underground 4×4 producers. You can expect big names in the scene on this one!
I love the Land Raver crew. Always a highlight at Balter! You’re all about the multi-genre vibes and eclecticism aren’t you? There’s a dark art to it isn’t there?
It’s definitely not something I would do all the time but depending on the crowd a tempo switch up can really change the dynamic, especially when people have been listening to drum and bass all night I think a bit of 140 or garage mid set can help build the energy up again and keep it interesting!
Yes! What’s coming up for you as we move out of the fields and back into the clubs for a few months?
I’ve got some exciting stuff coming up over the next couple of months, really looking forward to 10 Years of Jungle Cakes at Lakota in November! Also heading back down to Torquay to play for Infected events early November which I’m excited for, had a blast last time they invited me down so will be a good night.
Sick! Please sign out with a random fact about yourself!
I’m actually a born and bred Dutch gal. I just have a very British accent so not many people know that about me!