Fred P interview — “my service is to the music, and the music is for the people.”
New York via Berlin’s deep house specialist on achieving States Of Bliss
“They have epic sunsets. I mean absolutely epic, trust me. It’s an experience unto itself and it still has an impact on me to this day.” Fred Peterkin overflows with heartfelt enthusiasm while discussing his time spent in Southeast Asia, in this instance, reminiscing about the evolving light of a Balinese sundown. An overriding sense of passion and sincerity abounds as he shares his thoughts via Zoom from New York City, and one could argue without difficulty that these same qualities have permeated his thirty-plus-year career operating in and around house music’s most profound quarters.
Though he now resides in Berlin, Peterkin — better known as Fred P — has been back in his birth city for the past month or so, performing at shows and putting time into some personal projects. “I’m kinda doing a revamp on my business model for this year, just changing things around a little bit.” This week sees the vinyl release of the second instalment of his two-part ‘States Of Bliss’ album which arrives on his Private Society imprint, a collection of far-reaching tracks that, in keeping with the rest of his work, are designed with a clear intention in mind. “When I started putting this album together I was thinking in terms of sound destination, which is like a multi-genre thing. My intention with it is to inspire different states of bliss.” For Peterkin, music is much more than a form of entertainment — it’s a powerful tool for communication, and he’s dedicated his life to using it as a means of sharing a distinctly philanthropic message.
Fred’s long and winding musical journey has seen him rack up more than 100 entries in his ever-growing release catalogue, with each carefully constructed soundscape he creates infused with soul-heavy purpose. Gliding through jazz-flecked house, propulsive techno, immersive ambient and beyond, his agile and emotive sound has garnered fervent admiration among peers and audiences alike. Raised by musically inclined parents and inspired by an early introduction to an abundance of across-the-board sonic textures, a desire to create and recreate the sounds that moved him quickly manifested. With a DIY mentality, from a tender age, Fred began using whatever tools he could lay his hands on to start forging rudimentary music of his own.
Considering the dexterity of his melodies and the fluidity of his chord progressions, it may seem surprising that he never studied music theory. Dive a little deeper, though, and this very disregard of a traditional framework in some way explains, or at least contributes to, the freeform nature of his sound. “Most people learn music theory to break the rules, but if you never learn the rules, there are no rules to break and you become what it is that you’re supposed to (be).” Though he doesn’t discount the value of scholastic routes into music, for Fred, an autodidactic approach rooted in feeling has led him to make sonic discoveries he might not otherwise have made. “As a child, how I picked up on music was through the communication of what I heard and having it resonate with me. I [started] to imitate and discover my own things as opposed to what someone might tell me. I just continued on that and then technology caught up in the form of samplers and sequencers. Over time, those things became affordable, and I was able to amplify those ideas and it became my unique sound signature and I haven’t deviated from it.”
The elevated state Fred experienced once his journey progressed into and onto the dancefloor served to enhance his intention, and the congregation and feelings of elation he experienced in the clubs of NYC as a younger man continue to manifest in his productions and DJ sets. Propelled by a profound belief that the energy each of us release dictates what we receive in turn, he consciously strives to radiate positivity, not least through his music. “I always want to put positive energy out into the world, positive messages out into the world. Messages of hope, inspiration, determination. That’s always my intention, whether I’m making music or playing music. Because I know I was on the dancefloor and people were doing that for me, so I try to carry that into my music.”
Fred suggests he’s fortunate that his role as an artist allows him to reach and connect with a large number of people, embracing the opportunity to use his position to spread light through his art. “I wanna give positive reinforcement,” he explains. “You know, we’re not alone, we’re all in the same soup together. Let me try to help you raise your vibration with a sound that could possibly help you cope, organise your thoughts a little better to turn it into a more positive influence, to help you move in a way that will get [you] towards whatever it is [you’re striving for]. True to his belief that we get what we give, Fred suggests the energy he projects is replenished by the feedback he receives from his audience. “I’m fortunate because it comes back to me when people let me know how they feel about what I’m doing and my work.”
Naturally, as with the rest of us, he faces challenges on a daily basis but works hard to cultivate a constructive mindset regardless of what life throws at him. Surrendering to difficult moments, he recognises that, with the right outlook, even the hard times can lead to growth. “You have to let go and flow with that energy until there is some form of resolution or understanding. And in that resolution, you start to understand the ‘why’ of it. And in that ‘why’ you get direction and you start to find a more positive flow. I mean, it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, and sometimes it can make you crazy, but it is an evolutionary process. If your reaction can be turned into a response, and that response can be positive, then you have actual development, actual growth. That’s a powerful thing.”
With infinite sources of distraction and any number of negative influences poised to infiltrate and derail one’s quest, Fred’s commitment to nurturing and erring towards positivity has become a daily practice, and the rewards speak for themselves. Armed with an unwavering belief in and understanding of his purpose, it seems every fibre of his being is resolutely focused on emanating higher vibrations. “I know how I want to feel, and I know when I’m there and ready for it, oh man, magic happens. I say this all the time, it’s not a slogan, it’s a way of life: my service is to the music, and the music is for the people. This is why I’m there, to serve them. And the music does its job. I think that’s the reason I’ve been around so long because I wholeheartedly believe in that and live by it, you know?”
If his desire is to elevate, then music is unquestionably the primary vehicle through which he channels his intention. For Fred, communication is a key facet of the human experience, and music is a universal language endowed with the propensity to evoke a shared state within and between even the most ostensibly disparate of beings. He suggests each of us carries a profound desire to connect in our own personal and honest way, and art is unique in its ability to break down social barriers. “If you had to compare people, it would be like snowflakes, right? They’re all different, they all have unique geometry. That’s the complexity of each being that you see. So, to connect with someone that can identify with your uniqueness is truly where the difficulty lies. And the power of art itself is the communication tool that allows that possibility to even exist, and that’s what makes it so beautiful.”
Momentarily overcome with emotion, Fred’s voice cracks as he elaborates on music’s unparalleled power to unify and inspire togetherness. “Seriously. There are people who go through this life absolutely alone because they don’t get that, recognise that, or evolve into a space to be able to recognise that. As a musician, I see this so clearly. Because I go to places where I don’t know the language, I might not even understand the culture, but when I play a particular record or a series of records, I feel we’re all together and understand the same thing at the same time and it’s a positive, loving feeling. And I want that for everyone, all the time. Everywhere. Because if we can live in a world like that, ah man. It’s a different reality. But we get this in moments, you know?”
Fred’s commitment to a higher purpose combined with an apparent lack of hubris is a far cry from the ego-driven narcism that seems to afflict many of today’s fame-hungry DJs and producers, whether established or aspiring. The landscape may have shifted almost beyond recognition following the arrival and growth of social media, but he appears entirely accepting of this new and ever-changing reality. Constantly exploring new technologies both inside and outside of the music world, Fred feels our reliance on these relatively recent technological advances is not likely to diminish, but rather multiply exponentially.
With this in mind, he strives to maintain a sense of purpose while utilising the technology-led tools that have become an almost inescapable force evolving the scene and the industry as a whole. For him, such apparatus and platforms are not necessarily bad for the movement, ultimately believing how one chooses to use them comes down to individual intention. “There’s a difference between playing the fame game and amplifying the purpose,” he says. “There’s a clear distinction between the two, but both are possible. You can see and hear the intention clearly. It’s always going to be both sides of the coin, and you have to decide [if you’re] going to fulfil a purpose that helps to enrich the culture and still be smart about the business, or are you going to amplify a more egotistic approach and just engorge yourself in that — which is fine too, because everyone has to choose what character they’re going to play, and that’s your right to do that. I happen to believe you can lead a life and a career of purpose and serve and still do smart business. It’s who you are as a character that’s going to define the ethics in that.”
Indeed, Peterkin has used social media and internet-based utilities throughout his career. Starting out connecting and sharing his music on the now-defunct download.com, he evolved through various emerging platforms as each overtook the last. Having passed through audiostreet.net and into MySpace, he continues to use Facebook, SoundCloud and various other sites as a means to grow his audience and spread his word, keeping a close eye on novel platforms as they appear.
“I’m always about the first generation technology because most times it has the best intention in mind, which is to share knowledge and expand on ideas. Then, eventually, commerce comes around and changes it into some form of consumption mechanism. This has been the cycle since the beginning, and that’s fine, but if you’re focused on what it is that you’re doing, you can learn from it and then use the best bits to help you amplify and develop the thing that you’re doing.”
Though many of his releases have been vinyl-only affairs, Fred makes a portion of his music available on Spotify and the like, understanding that to entirely limit your music to a given format is to render it out of reach to potential audiences. Particularly when not all would-be listeners have access to the hardware necessary to play the music. “I’m not anti-digital, because not so many folks can afford turntables or a DJ setup, or even buy music,” he says. “They should have an opportunity to interact with the music and learn about the culture some more. There’s people and places where they only have a phone, or a laptop, and they can go to a site — even if they have to listen to ads — [where] they can still hear the music and get inspired, and that can make a difference to them. You have to keep that in mind, and I totally do. I’m pro anything that [enables] communication of this sound to people.”
Balancing this democratic instinct, he touches on the difficulty artists face when it comes to monetising their work, acutely aware of the detrimental impact the digital realm has made on a creator’s ability to collect equitable royalties. Understandably, he believes all artists deserve to have the time and effort they spend on their craft rewarded, and feels that, though harder than before, it’s still possible to generate income from music. “There’s ways you can put that together for yourself — like publishing, making particular types of distribution deals and things of that nature — to develop some form of economic structure.”
Taking both access and economics into account, ‘States Of Bliss’ will be available digitally as well as via two separate vinyl instalments. Aware that funds are tight for many, the vinyl portion was split in two to allow buyers the opportunity to spread the cost, while the digital release will enable the album to be heard sequentially from start to finish, presenting the narrative in its complete form. “For vinyl lovers and supporters, I definitely wanted to give them these records on vinyl. ‘High Fusion’, that’s a trip right there and it deserves a vinyl release, and the more uptempo stuff deserves to be on vinyl. But I know it’s something you can listen to from end to end and have it be interesting to you in one way or another, depending on what your mood is.”
The album was recorded in stages, and includes freshly recorded material alongside tracks that were formed long ago but, until now, hadn’t quite found their place as part of previous releases. The “shuffling jazz” of ‘NY’ is one of the numbers plucked from the vaults, having been recorded some years previously in a hotel room in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, with Fred suggesting it fit perfectly with the multi-genre concept of ‘States Of Bliss’. Another previously unreleased archive track is ‘Awakening Desire’, which was recorded four or so years ago. “I was intending for that to be on a Black Jazz Consortium album but it didn’t fit the track selection so I held on to it.” Its introspective tone serves as a counterpoint to some of the more upbeat cuts on the LP, with the complete collection telling a dynamic and fluctuating story as it unfolds. “My intention was to start it off with some excitement, then follow that with a little bit more excitement and then do a rollercoaster thing into [a] more meditative [feel], and then back into excitement in part two, ending with ‘High Fusion’.
While the whole album is powerfully compelling, ‘High Fusion’ feels like an especially fitting finale, with its lively double bass, ornamented melodies and propulsive rhythms seeing out the collection in stirring style. Taken as a whole, the LP is stubbornly challenging to pin down stylistically. Inspired by some of his favourite producers, the freeform collection is deliberately expansive in scope. ‘States Of Bliss’ is a passion project, because I feel that electronic music is so broad and vast. It’s important to inspire musicians to reach out more, even in the sense of crossing dance music with other types of music.” Listing influences including Kirk Degiorgio, Domu, and, in particular, the latter’s Rima collaboration with Volcov and Robert Martin, Fred feels it’s important that producers continue to blur the lines between genres with the symbiotic goal of charting new musical territory. “The Rima project inspires me to this day because they do that so well, and I would love for that tradition to continue with more artists and younger artists so I can be inspired by it.”
Turning to ongoing and future projects, Fred has been as busy as ever putting the finishing touches onto work recorded both solo and collaboratively, working hard to build Private Society over the next couple of years while offering an outlet for a selection of like-minded souls. Next on Private Society will be a joint project with longtime friend, Simbad, called ‘When The Mantras Return’. “We did a project called ‘Mantras For The Traveling Souls’, and this is another entry into that dialogue. It’s a beautiful project, I totally love it.” After that, another white label of “trippy, fusion house” is set to arrive, followed by some more dancefloor-heavy compositions later in the year.
Fred also shares that he’s been working on some Balearic-minded material that he’s especially pleased with. “It emits such a positive energy that I feel could be impactful for the community and the culture at large,” he says. “We could bang it out all night, all day, every day. But as people, we leave the club and we need something for that time too, you know. I’m building these types of releases specifically for people who still need to have that energy. There’s a lot in the pipeline.”
Patrizio Cavaliere