Hi Gordon, you are quite simply an Ibiza institution – your music has filled the ears of millions of people from all around the world over the years. Not just with your brilliant trumpet playing over your DJ sets, but also your production on labels such as Subliminal and compilations such as the Cafe Del Mar and Buddha Bar series’.What is your earliest Ibiza memory?
“Arriving the first time in Ibiza at 4am, thinking that if I went to my hotel in San Antonio, every bar around there would be closed. So I got a cab straight to Pacha and blagged my way in with my suitcases. That’s Ibiza life for you!”
You have backed some big superstars – Sade and Madonna are some pretty major names, what was that like?
“Sade was a world tour, she is incredible to work with – it made me realise I needed to start making records. Madonna was a couple of private parties in Miami and New York, the one in Miami was just after Millennium midnight and I played directly for her in the middle of the dance floor…amazing.”
Favourite Ibiza tune ever?
“Trumpet Thing – ‘Need You (Right Now)’. This record sums up all I learnt playing the trumpet into the sunsets at bars such as Cafe Mambo and Savannah back in 1998 – an incredible time to be on the best party island in the world.”
What do you think is the best venue in Ibiza?
“Amnesia – just has the best atmosphere and craziest clubbers. Love it. Bora Bora where I play every day is off hook too. Last night I DJ’d for five hours and then decided to go into the crowd with my trumpet and got a mad reaction.”
Who is the finest Ibiza resident DJ ever?
“Jose Padilla is just stupendous. Hearing him play Miles Davis to an Ibiza Millennium sunrise – can you get anything better?”
You are also down regularly at Velvet in Frankfurt – tell us about this club…
“It’s in the centre of Frankfurt, very friendly and an upbeat crowd. A great sound system, the owner is on the dancefloor all the time! There are some amazing dancers, looking forward to Friday!”
Who is the biggest caner ever to set foot on the white isle Ibiza?
“There are so many, you know the people I am thinking about, but to be honest everyone has calmed down these days. Not.”
Why is Ibiza such a magical place?
“There are so many open minded people and also so much positive energy from them. All in one place and also Es Vedra’s energy.”
Why did you pick up the trumpet in the first place – are you from a musical background, you first picked up the instrument at the age of ten, true?
“Yes from about ten years old. Music was very much in my family. My older brother for instance, Stuart, played sax in a band in Hull, they played stuff like funky versions of people like of Isaac Hayes – I started playing over the top and that was it!”
Best villa party you have ever been to?
“Roland’s villa, looking over Es Vedra and most of the island, breathtaking.”
So from playing hard techno in Germany to the more chilled Ibiza vibe – what clicked to make you make the move?
“I’d heard all about Ibiza from friends, people told me my first record ‘Blow Go’ was big in Ibiza, but I never made the trip to see what it was all about. Then, unfortunately in the late 90s I got a six month driving ban via a Speed Camera and due to the fact I needed to drive around to run my record label, I thought – fuck it, let’s shut it down and let’s go to Ibiza!”
How do you combine the trumpet with your tunes, for instance Judge Jules got a right bollocking for his bugle show…?
“Ha ha. Well, the most import thing is not too much. The next thing is basically have a great selection of records on the decks. It’s all about performance, Ibiza is one big party…”