Interview: Lee Jarvis From Moochin

Lee Kimble is resident and promoter of London house soiree Moochin, a promotion which has been gathering some impressive momentum over the past year. We spoke with Lee as he and his Moochin cronies prepare to take over Room 2 at Turnmills for UP^^ on March 4th in London.

Who are you and what do you want?

Lee Jarvis, Moochin Allstar and all-round Nice Guy- and I want world domination and a limo full of cheerleaders. I don’t mind if I’m rich or poor as long as I have lots of money…

What is Moochin all about then?

Moochin has two main principles, fun, and quality underground house music. The people are what make Moochin special too, with no-one ever going to just one party, they always come back for more, often becoming loyal supporters and firm friends (aah).

Who else runs the parties with you and what do they do?

My partner in crime is Mr Kimble, and we pretty much share the crazy ideas, then we have several Moochin DJs who help out in many ways (especially in our last-minute attempts of acquiring duck tape) and their music and fun loving attitudes keep the parties fresh.

How have you managed to build up a following for your parties? Have you found it to be hard work?

We’ve done it the hard way, and built our following with a personal approach, but we have gained a lot of friends and people really do support us and our music, as opposed to jumping ship to the latest fad. It has been extremely hard work but we’re in it for the long haul. If you truly believe that what you are doing is the right way then no-one can piss on your fire, and we can have a good laugh at the fakers from our top secret underground Moochin lair.

What about yourself as a DJ? What kind of gear do you dish out when behind the decks?

“What kind of gear do I dish out?” haha! I assume you are talking music… I live by tough jackin’ house music, from sexy through to dirty, and always with a sense of humour, hence us playing Guns ‘n’ Roses from time to time…

Moochin will be hosting the fabulous T2 Room at Turnmills for UP^^ on March 4th. What other big gigs have the Moochin crew taken on in the past?

We rocked the Ministry boat party last summer with Mark Knight, we’ve turned the Rhythm Factory into a Rockstars palace, and we’ve racked up DJing gigs for respected promoters such as Riot!, Sedition and Frantic, alongside many top acts such as Tim Sheridan, Deepgroove, Bid Daddy and Fergie.

Turnmills is a bit of a London institution…have you had many memorable nights out there?

My last time there was amazing, when I had my debut in the main room. The sound system is pretty kick ass, and all the DJs were on form. Over the next couple of months there are some awesome DJ line-ups, which I’m sure will lead to many more memorable nights (and mornings).

Who else on the line-up are you keen to check out and why?

I rate Brad 212 and Shane Watcha very highly and have heard many a great set from them both, and of course The Trophy Twins - I’ve never heard them DJ live before but am a big fan of their productions and remixes.

Tell us about the DJs playing in your room on the night….who are they, how did you find them, and are they any kop?

New Moochin Allstar Luke Ashworth I found busking around Guilford one summer’s day, he then went on to win Diesel-U-Music 2005 and tour with Smirnoff, and now he’s just won Best Breakthrough DJ in the Global Cape Town Club Tour. Definitely one to watch, he’s due to release a few tracks this year.

Musically, Mr Kimble and I are like two moochers in a pod. Neither of us buys a record for two weeks then we turn up with the same ridiculously-impossible-to-find-overpriced gem of a tune. Also look out for his pointy finger dance, damn he has some moves…

And finally, what’s the biggest reaction you’ve seen a tune get in a club recently, and what was the track responsible for it?

Completely unbiased I would have to say at last Friday’s Moochin when I dropped the new tune that Brad 212 and I are working on. Seriously, when the bassline kicked in, one dancers received three broken ribs, and after the main drop, one of the bar-staff actually offered to have my babies. It is kind of un-named yet but you know it’s the one with the bleeps and a “bow-ah” and goes “nnng, nnnng, nngg ch-ch-ka….”

Check out more Moochin at www.moochin.biz

Interview by Benz