Juno Daily: In The Mix – Angel Rocket

Next gen heroes blast through a string of bangers and deep cuts

Two key players in London’s next gen dance scene – Peter Rocket and Angel Hunt  – have come together for a thorough portmenteau-ing: Angel Rocket. 

After solo releases on BEAM and Good Morning Tapes, this pair’s wide creative palette owes to their relentless testing of each other’s musical drives, thanks in part to the various oblique strategies they impose during the mixing stage. Through the fidgety breaks plod they’ve secured on ‘Oyster Perpetual’ to the Brum-worthy techno of ‘Tunnelrunners Unltd’, we’re sure you’ll agree they have something exciting going on. 

Presenting their debut EP ‘AM 003’ for Brighton label Accidental Meetings this week, we tracked down this cantankerous pair for an exclusive mix and interview. The resultant sound is a juicy and playful affair through melodic acid, delightful dembow, and dolphin jungle.

After their DJ debut last weekend at Venue MOT Unit 18 – alongside Minor Science, Toma Kami and Object Blue – we’re sure you’re as excited as we are for what these two have in store for us. Come with it!

How did you two first meet, and why do you work so well together as a duo?

A: Angel met Peter at a nightclub in South London in 2015. We’ve done lots of growing and crosz pollination since that time and it made sense to finally musically melge.

R: Yes indeed. Since then we have become super tight. We had been sharing production tips and loving each others’ stuff for ages so yeah, it made sense.

It’s a very refined product; how did the mix come together?

A: I have a Pioneer DDJ-400 DJ controller and we used that. Peter sat next to me in my room and we massaged the songs together and then added some effexx and samples in the Ableton Live to finish!

R: The bedroom rocketshipp! Highly recommend the DDJ-400. It allows you to learn how the pioneer CDJs work but costs like 1/20th of the price of a full CDJ setup.

Thinking of the EP – which blends no end of styles – can you name some of your main artistic inspirations / influences, going into its making?

A: The milennium dome, Homebase, dembow, monsoon czn, smoked glasz, Takako Minekawa, harvest festivities, porous rocks, Buddhastick Transparent.

R: General pomp, shoplifting, music from cars going past, mid-century furniture and space age interior decor, Verner Panton’s Phantasy landscape… 

We see you’ve been wearing some patented Angel Rocket boiler suits. How did those come into being?

A: Our rocket suits that keep us cool when its hot and hot when its cool!

R: Too true. Relaxing! 

Dream lineup/venue?

A: Terrence Dixon, Mike Cooper, gui.tar playing the whole of Sunkissed live @ Okinawa Aquarium.

R: I would like to see Paris Hilton playing b2b with Phll Mitchell and they are playing on a pirate ship. They are only allowed to play Blue Pedro by Bullion (slowed down by 200%) and are pelting rocks at each other, but in a platonic way. They are also allowed a little sample pad but are only allowed to use pirate samples like “ahoy there” and “arrr matey”. I just think that would be so cool.

You’re also playing as a duo at MOT Unit 18 this month. Are you excited? What can we expect, musically and vibe-wise?

A: Our first deejay experience! Very pumped. Lots of sloe wub, pensive houss and burnt endsz. Hopefully good seat warming tackle for the wonderful deejays playing after us. 

R: You’ll have to come see us play to find out more.

Angel Rocket’s ‘003 AM’ EP is available on 12″ vinyl here

Tracklist

Urban Tribe – Her

Daniel Brandt – The White Of The Eye

Margaret Dygas – tHat Oops

DJ QU – Lil’ Freak

The Chemical Brothers – It Doesn’t Matter

Clark – Seaweed

Carlo Maria – Rotolame

Punctum – Quick Botta

Man With Guitar – Man With Guitar

Melly Tekiteazy – Test 39

Andrea Parker – Too Good To Be Strange

The Emperor Machine – Rimramramrim

The Black Dog – Pray Crash II

Anastasia Kristensen – Ascetic

Yunzero – Wish

Plug – A Quick Plug For A New Slot

Chico Sonido x Rae Sremmurd – Swang Trappyton

Boymerang – Where it’s at?

Hodge – Bam

Buju Banton – Trust

DJ Die – Play It For Me

Luke Vibert & BJ Cole – Drum’n’Bass’n’Steel