Pressure DJ, gig fanatic and all in all legend Jimi sat down with us to talk all things Pressure! Have a read through and make sure to head down every Tuesday.
Hey Jimi! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hello there! I’m Jimi, a music journalist and DJ from Hull. I’ve been in residency at Pressure in Rescue Rooms since 2019, plus you can occasionally catch me at Bodega and Rock City too.
I love anything with savage, abrasive guitars, intelligent lyrics and a sexy beat. And I adore the gritty East Berlin club scene. Because I get sent albums to preview before release, I’ll often get to play new music to audiences before it’s heard anywhere else. So, my sets are a fusion of classic anthems, big bangers and cutting edge tunes sure to make everyone lose their minds and dance all night.
I’m a Manic Street Preachers obsessive, Star Wars geek and the first one to go nuts at any gig. I’ll never say no to another Long Island Iced Tea.
Do you remember your first Pressure set?
My first Pressure set was about a week before the COVID lockdown. So, there was a really strange atmosphere, with just a few people daring to come out. But it did mean I was able to find my feet, try out a few things to see what worked and what didn’t. So, when we were all released back into the world, and everyone was eager to unleash all that pent up energy, I was ready to tap into that and celebrate our return to freedom.
That experience is always at the back of my mind. It means I never take a single set for granted and I make sure I play every night with the same passion as I would if it were my last. I’m always trying to give everyone the best time they could possibly have at every moment.
What’s been your favourite track to play over the past couple of weeks?
I’ve been playing Fcukers for a while, but it’s only since they headlined Dot To Dot, people have really gotten into them. “if you wanna party, come over to my house” is so seductively infectious, and it’s destined to be this summer’s big tune.
Recently, I’ve been mixing and beat matching New Order’s “Blue Monday” with blur’s “Song 2”. Both are guaranteed floor fillers anyway, but the combination of the two is absolutely perfect and when that first “WOOHOO!” hits everyone goes nuts. We’ve had crowd surfing, mosh pits erupting, I love it.
Hit us with the maddest thing you’ve ever seen on the dancefloor?
Conga lines became a thing at one point. It’s always fun seeing complete strangers spontaneously become a human centipede, with the entire bar uniting to snake around Rescue Rooms. Plus, there have been times when people have decided to stage dive off the tables, which might be a bit naughty, but I love provoking that reaction.
We once had an attempt at building a human pyramid. That went about as well as you can imagine…
If you could go B2B with anyone who would it be?
We’ve already had some amazing guests at Pressure including Yard Act, Soft Play and English Teacher. Joe Talbot and Dev from IDLES are good mates and the nights we’ve played together have been absolutely wicked. And Warmduscher totally killed it when they popped in.
But I’d absolutely LOVE to team up with Erol Alkan. He’s my number one DJ hero. A pioneer of the indie-electro crossover and a total indie sleaze icon. I never managed to make it to Trash, his infamous club night down in London, before it closed. But I’ve caught his sets elsewhere and they’re perfect combo of stylish beats, intriguing odd tracks and classic tunes. Alkan has always been a huge inspiration for me. Plus he’s a massive Manics fan too, so I’m sure we’d get on.
How would you describe Pressure to someone that’s never been before?
Pressure is a place for people with a taste for the truly alternative. It’s centred around indie, so you’re going to hear a lot of the essential bands you’d expect. But, it would be boring if all you got was Arctic Monkeys and The Smiths. So, I like to spice it up with dancy stuff like Grimes, Jockstrap and even Death Grips. There’s plenty of post punk, sometimes some alt pop, and the odd heavy track too.
There’s a strong sense of community that’s really welcoming and inclusive. First timers quickly become dedicated regulars, and you can often see that magic moment when friendships are forming on the dance floor.
My mission is to always make the night explode. And it’s the best feeling seeing everyone dance like crazy to the bangers they know and love or discovering their new favourite song.
Catch Jimi spinning the best in alternative anthems every Tuesday at Pressure.
