Speaking with Joshua James is a full 360 moment. During lockdown, Joshua was one of the queer voices we were regularly tuning into for a little rosé-coloured escapism through his Rinse FM show. Transporting us to a much-needed parallel universe, a very gay, technicolour one, helped us survive those difficult months locked up. Now he is delivering us a new anthem to celebrate going out again! Joshua tells us about his brand new single, ‘Fist‘ featuring the forever iconic Leigh Bowery & Minty and how he is even joined by Peaches on the official remix – both out now on Phantasy Sound.
Hiyaaa! How/when did you discover the Leigh Bowery sample? Was it easy to get clearance? And how long were you sitting on it before you decided to use it?
Hey! Well… just after I moved to London as a baby queer for university, I was going out all the time (obvs) to clubs like Trailer Trash, Circus and The End, and it was one club night in particular that became my weekly home. It was called Foreign and was run by performance artists Scottee and Jodie Harsh. I soon became really good mates with Scottee, and they started to show me and my best mate Titus around, playing us loads of music we’d never heard. I think I was about 19 or 20, and Scottee invited us for tea at ‘Aunty Sues’ house… It was Leigh Bowery’s best friend, Sue Tilley… So Leigh and Minty’s original record has been an important part of my queer development.
I made the record three years ago and handed it to Erol Alkan, HAAi and Jonjo Jury to play at the first Homobloc as I couldn’t think of a more powerful track to play to 10,000 queers! After that night, Erol said let’s try and get this record out it’s sick! Erol being the legend he is, messaged Matthew Glamore, one of the original members of Minty, and we got to work on it.
With a sample like that, in someone else’s hands it could have gone wrong and it would have just been the main element. But you give it its moment to shine, then fuck it up in the best way! How did you decide what to do with the sample?
The original record starts with just Leigh’s vocals, and that’s the only bit from the record I sampled. I didn’t want to change something I loved so much, but instead capture the punk sentiment and power of the record. It could so easily have been used in a naff way, but I wanted to create little percussive samples from vocals that make it really hard (pun intended).
It was really important to me that only queer people were working on the record, from the illustrator to the video directors! So much of queer culture is being used and flogged off for brunch; it’s very “not gay as in happy but queer as in fuck you”.
How did Peaches come to do the remix? How do you know each other?
I was sorting through records in lockdown, and I came across the Peaches remix of Daft Punks “Technologic” and put it straight on… I, like most queers, am a Peaches super fan… When I was maybe 20, I played after her show at Royal Festival Hall with the Circus crew, and a few baby drag queens had to pretend to drag her off stage to the afters.
So as soon I’d put the record on, I sent Erol a message and said… “COULD WE PLEASE ASK PEACHES… CAN YOU IMAGINE” and he said casually, “I’ll text her”. She used to stay on Erol’s sofa in the early days when she’d perform at Trash, so they’ve been friends for years! She loved the project, and it has been a total dream!
The video is super fun too. Did you enjoy filming your part? Were you a club kid performer before being a DJ? Or are you usually behind the decks?
I’m sooo happy with how it came out! It’s the right level of bonkers. The directors, Josh Quinton and Jeanie Crystal of FABOO.TV, are geniuses and I couldn’t think of anyone better to have made the video. We were going through ideas and different looks, and it was important to reference Leigh’s work but ensure it was never an exact copy – highlighting their influence across different parts of the arts from design to ballet (Leigh and Michael Clarks Collab).
I’m usually really shy being in front of a camera. Give me a DJ booth and thousands of people and I don’t get anxious… but Josh and Jeanine pushed me to channel my inner provincial cottager. What’s more subversive than drag, a rain Mac and a backwards wig?
I was never a performer, I was a club kid… there are some highly airbrushed piccies from Boombox floating about of me in a Chanel blazer and a smokey eye.
I know that you began DJing around 2005, right? That was when I first started going out on the scene too. I loved those days. Tell us something you miss about LGBT clubbing back then…and something you don’t!
It was amazing, you could go out any night of the week and have the wildest experiences! I practically lived at the Ghetto off Tottenham Court Road. I remember getting hammered with Patrick Wolf and ending up in GAY Late Bar… getting chucked out and barred… can’t remember why, but I’ve never been back….
I felt there was a bit of glamour back then. I’d spend all week collecting records and outfits for the parties ahead. It was so camp.
Did you have your time listening to mainstream pop or has it always been about dance for you?
Ohhhh, I love a bit of Pop… I’ve been the resident DJ for Sink the Pink for the last 13 years. We’re doing our last ever party in April at Printworks! Five thousand people singing the Britney Blackout album at a rave is going to be special. I just did a mix for Radio 1 Dance all about the Origins of the party, really digging into all those old Morales and Sharp boys pop remixes was a total joy! I got into dance music through the queer scene. Peak Electroclash and Nu Rave got me into the harder stuff, and I’ve never looked back.
I always love listening to your Rinse FM show because I never know what it’s going to be. It keeps me guessing. How do you approach the show?
I have two club residencies, one at XOYO and the other at new queerfest Feel It, so the sheer amount of music I collect and get through each week influences the show. I’m always digging. Sometimes I’ll be in a disco hole for a few weeks, and currently, I’m into a 90’s diva vocal… so get ready.
Which of the other DJs there are you close to? And how do we get The Blessed Madonna back?
The Rinse FM family are total dreams, and everyone’s the best of the best! One of my besties HAAi had her first show there! Check out The Blessed Madonna’s BBC 6 Music show… it’s FIRE.
What’s next for you in 2022 and when will we see you play out here in Barcelona?!
I love a bit of Barcelona, and I’m gagging to get back out there playing! There’s loads of new music coming… I’ve been in the studio hard working on some exciting new bits!
Lastly we are named after the biggest-selling single of 2001, so we always ask what is your favourite Mariah song?
Live for a Mariah moment. Always and forever… Mariah Carey – Fantasy (Def Club Remix) 11 minutes and 14 seconds of total joy!
‘Fist’ feat. Leigh Bowery & Minty is out now.
