ELECTRONIC MUSIC SUPERPOWER: PEGGY GOU

Immerse yourself in a world of imagination, where you close your eyes and conjure the image of a personality embodying the pinnacle of intellect and beauty. Enter Peggy Gou, a muse gracefully dancing amidst the notes and melodies that compose the music universe. With her innate genius, this extraordinary 31-year-old DJ has captured the hearts of music enthusiasts worldwide.
Enveloped in a whirlwind of experiences, Peggy Gou ceaselessly travels to the most exclusive party destinations, enchanting and mesmerizing her devoted fans with an impeccable selection of music. Yet, it is not only her prowess behind the music platforms that evokes wonder and admiration. It is her timeless style, a visual harmony manifested through designer garments that ignite the soul and ignite the imagination with shades of pure brilliance.
And now, with over two million monthly listeners on Spotify and nearly three million Instagram followers, Peggy Gou is poised to soar to new heights of fame. Snippets of her latest single “(It Goes Like) Nanana,” released on June 15, have swiftly taken over TikTok’s For You Page, unleashing a collective frenzy of shares and comments. It is an explosion of creative energy propelling her further into the celestial realm of stardom, transforming her into an absolute icon for free-spirited and adventurous minds across the globe.

If you yearn to uncover Peggy Gou’s deepest secrets, trace her path to stardom, and delve into her captivating inner wealth, you’ve come to the right place. Here, you will find all the answers you seek about the girl who makes the world dance. Immerse yourself in the realm of the artist, featuring on the cover of Collectible DRY VOL.15 PSYCHEDELIA SUMMER 2020, an artistic masterpiece that unveils her story in a captivating manner, transporting you through pulsating beats and electrifying synergies. Brace yourself for a journey that will ignite your intellect and touch the deepest chords of your soul, pulsating to an electronic rhythm.

You are a powerful mix of fashion creativi- ty, music intuition, and digital cleverness. Where did it all begin? Did you ever have some kind of inspiring figure, icons, or experiences that mattered so much to you to the extent of it impacting on your creativity? 

A hero and person I admire is Grace Jones. When I was looking for an album inspiration I was in awe of Grace Jones. I love all of her album covers. It’s not just her style I like, I love her attitude, her music, everything about her. She’s very different and unique. She’s just a real icon to me. 

Some time ago you were a resident DJ in several places in London, in Shoreditch and Soho… Do you think London’s music scene has changed in the last few years and how? How is Berlin and what are the differences between the two? 

I can’t really say much, as my experience in London was back in the days when I just started DJing, around 2012 – 2014. I moved to Berlin and don’t live in London anymore. I only go there when I play. So it’s hard for me to say if the London mu- sic scene has changed or not. But if I can compare London and Berlin, the music scenes really are very different. Berlin is more underground and techno music is more appreciated. The London scene is more spread out, while the Berlin scene feels more unified. I wouldn’t want to say London is more commercial, that wouldn’t be fair, London is great. It is just a differ- ent vibe. Berlin is darker, London is definitely not as dark as Berlin. 

Have you watched Parasite? And did you like it? What does the film say about South Korea and generally about the whole world? I’m curious about your opinion on that…

First of all, I am so so so proud that a Korean movie has made history at the Oscars. Regarding Parasite, I have so much to say. It’s an amazing movie. It shows a lot about the hierarchy culture in Korea. My favourite feature is that it has a lot of metaphors, for example the house has a lot of stairs, which kind of represent the difference between the poor and the rich. I don’t know if this is a fact, but apparent- ly the director said he didn’t want to call it Parasite because the name was quite obvious, but my question is, who is the real Parasite? Are the poor people the parasites, or is it the rich people that can’t live without them? I think that’s the most interesting part of the story. Also, Song Kang-Ho is my absolutely favourite Korean actor. He is one of those actors that when a new movie of his comes out, you don’t even watch the trailer, you just go see it. I real- ly am a huge fan of him. 

Do you feel you have any kind of responsibility, considering you influence so many people with your image and your music? 

I feel like I do indeed have a responsibility, getting more followers, and reaching more people, I could use that power in a positive way. At the same time, what comes with that influence, is the fact that you need to be able to handle criticism. But as long as you know how to channel your energy, take the negatives and turn them into positives, then you definitely should open and speak up. Everybody has differ- ent things that touch them. For me personally, I stand up for women rights, racial issues, or the environment, these types of topics. But yeah why not, if you have the power to influence other people, to do something good, then why not use it… 

Being a female producer, DJ, label’s boss, and a creative mind, did you face discrimination and issues in a basically male-centred music world? 

Yes I have faced issues but they’re kind of in the past, and I don’t really want to bring up these negative stories, unless it’s really necessary. The fact that you are asking about being a “female producer” – I think you should change the question to how does it feel to be a “producer”. I think that females are on a very good path in music right now. 

Is there any difference between the Peggy persona on the Internet and the one in real life? 

The thing – and I get this a lot – many people who never met me, judge me from my Instagram and think I am snobby and cold or difficult, but I am actually quite playful, and I think I am also quite funny and quite accessible too. I often do a lot of stupid shit… 

Tell us a great upcoming trend.

I don’t really believe in trends. I don’t like this word trend-setter or trend. I am not a big fan of this. I think all trends come around and go around, and who am I to say what is trendy. Knowing what looks good on you, your taste, and believing in your- self, should be the trend. 

Tell us 2 musicians, DJs or producers we should follow right now.

I would like to start with Andrew Weatherall who passed away a few weeks ago unfortunately. Actually somebody made a whole mix of his from 1980 till now, I have been listening to it, and I can say it is very inspiring. And I would say Maurice Fulton who just released on my label Gudu Records (Gudu 003). Maurice Fulton is one of my all time heroes and favourite producers and a lot of his music inspired my own production – it affected my music taste. So he is definitely a good one to listen to. 

Tell us 2 artists, photographers or fashion designers we should follow right now. 

I surely want to recommend two photographers. One is Jae Huh, who does my graph- ics and visuals. He is a creative director of several brands and is one of the most creative people I know. And I want to recommend the photographer who actually took my pictures for Dry, Hong Jang Hyun. He is one of the greatest photographers from Korea. When he requested me to do this shoot, I didn’t even ask for more information, I just said yes because I love his art- work so much.