Phil Cooper

Since the 1990s, Phat Phil Cooper has been on a journey through DJ culture and electronic music with more twists and turns than your average million-selling novel. Through his work as a DJ, label manager, curator, record shop owner, event organizer and music consultant, Cooper has remained a central figure in a story that has yet to reach a conclusion. Musically, Cooper has long been celebrated for his diverse approach to music. While naturally at home championing the seductive, sun-kissed sounds released on the NuNorthern Soul label he founded in 2012 – either in humid outdoor venues around the Globe or via his popular weekly radio shows and regular sessions on Mixcloud – Cooper’s roots can be traced back to the dancefloors of legendary Liverpool club Cream, where during the 1990s and early 2000s he was a key resident DJ. Three decades on, Cooper’s club-moving skills remain as sharp as ever, despite his reputation as a storied, laidback and open-minded downtempo selector. Further proof arrived in September 2019 where he played acclaimed sets in New York and Detroit. At the latter he played alongside Andres, Rick Wilhite and Moodymann, while several dancers compared his style favourably to Ken Collier – a legendary figure in the Motor City who remained Detroit’s most influential DJ for over two decades. Since others have variously compared Coopers musical styles to Mr Scruff, Harvey and Gilles Peterson, it would be fair to say he’s in some very illustrious company. Away from the dancefloor, Cooper has spent much of the last three decades running or working for record labels including Northern Records, Sick Trumpet, KAT and the African Music Corporation. Today’s he’s best known for steering NuNorthern Soul and his other current imprint, Through God’s Own Eyes. NuNorthern Soul has been on a fine run of form in recent times, offering up fine releases from Ilija Rudman, Jose Manuel, Blair French, Private Agenda and a handful of cracking catalogue compilations curated by Cooper. As you’d expect the 2020 release schedule is packed, too, with highlights including a new set of reworks of label favourites by Leo Zero, plus singles and albums from Igor B, Torn Sail, BJ Smith and Balearic legend Joan Bibiloni. Cooper’s behind-the-scenes roles in the music industry don’t tend to get talked about much, but he has been hugely successful and influential in this regard too. He has a track record of connecting producers and labels – it was Cooper who introduced Crazy P to Paper Recordings in the mid 1990s and he’s been assisting aspiring artists ever since – and has also helped to raise the profile of previously unheard venues through his work as an artist booker and brand developer. Cooper’s most notable success in this regard is the Potato Head Club in Bali; during his time living on the Island, he brought some of Balearic music’s finest DJs and artists to the venue and booked Bali’s first ever Boiler Room session with Jose Padilla, Daniele Baldelli and his old friends Crazy P. Now residing in Ibiza with regular sunset sessions at La Torre, Phat Phil Cooper remains one of electronic music’s unsung heroes. Of course, he’d never think of himself that way: in his eyes, he’s just someone who lives and breathes music, showcases sounds he loves and promotes artists who inspire him. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Owns and runs NuNorthernSoul label & publishing & Through Gods Own Eyes label +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ex A&R Director at Musica Vitae Limited Ex Executive Producer at Northern Records Ex Label manager at Sick Trumpet Ex Tea Boy at KAT & KAT45 Ex Digger at African Music Corporation +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Also owned Global Grooves record store in Chester, UK