Daily Inspiration: Meet Birdee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Birdee

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been into music, ever since I can remember. My dad was very eager for me to learn the piano – and so I took classical lessons when I was a kid – but pretty soon I switched to guitar and started playing in bands. I didn’t really like dance and “electronic” music back then, although I was always very fond of disco – but I was too young to understand that it all comes from the same roots. It was only in the late 90’s when I moved to London that I got into The Chemical Brothers and the big beat/breakbeat scene. That type of dance music incorporated a lot of soul, disco, rock and funk samples and so it was easier for me to understand, since my background was playing in rock bands. Gradually i got more more and into playing records and producing dance music. When I was still making breakbeat, I won an award for best up and coming dj and that was my gateway to play a lot of big clubs – Fabric, Ministry of Sound, The End and festivals like Glastonbury and Glade. The breakbeat scene got a bit stale and I started going back to my roots and embracing the disco sound I loved when I was a kid – I still remember my next door neighbor playing Donna Summer records for me when I was 7 or 8, and that always stuck with me. I finally got tired of the hectic lifestyle in London and moved to LA 10 years ago – it had always been my dream to live in California and I still can’t believe I am here.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s never really a smooth road in my experience – for years I had a day job in investment banking in London. I would work 9 to 5, and by 6 pm I would switch from the office computer to my home studio and work on music until midnight or so, 5 days a week. Pretty much every weekend I would dj or go clubbing, it was very intense. Finally i got to the point where I could make a living with music and I quit my job at the bank. I’ve had a lot of support along the way though, I consider myself very lucky to be in this position and never take it for granted,

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a music producer and dj, specializing in disco. I like to think that I have a pretty recognizable sound, I think at the end of the day that’s the most important thing, I’ve released on labels that have been inspirational to me such as Nervous Records, Defected/Glitterbox, Soul Clap and Sweat It Out and I’ve been lucky enough to work with some proper legends like Barbara Tucker and Michelle Weeks. I’ve had a lot of proud moments, but I think being asked by Purple Disco Machine to remix one of his tracks was definitely a highlight. I was also voted Traxsource Number 1 Nu Disco artist of the year in 2021.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Best: the weather and the laidback vibe, the friendly people. Least: definitely the traffic! But the good definitely outweighs the bad, I love LA!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdeeismyname
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birdeeismyname/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/birdeeismyname
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birdee
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3bSjUrJcV80nkkypJHElmv?si=bcZkNmGIRDmEq4MeQ7v6nw

Image Credits
Justin Paul, Gualtiero Fisauli