Interview: DJ George Pihlgren Looks Forward to Spinning 'Eclectic Mix' at Asia Society Celebration
Asia Society New York is delighted to welcome DJ George Pihlgren to the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration. He spoke with Asia Blog leading up to the May 1 event.
On May 1, Asia Society New York kicks off the month with an Asian Pacific Heritage Month celebration, featuring dancing, live music, and street food. Learn more
Tell us about your journey. How did you get started in music? What were your influences?
My formal introduction to music was in junior high school, where I learned to play the trumpet and was in my school’s orchestra. But I had developed an early appreciation for a wide spectrum of music from my parents. I grew up listening to my father’s vinyl LP collection, which ranged from '60s and '70s rock n’ roll to disco, funk, jazz, classical, and world music. He used to have a weekly house party where I started to select and play the music to keep an upbeat vibe throughout the evening for our guests.
My mother and my stepfather were into Eastern mysticism and spent a lot of time living at an ashram in Puna, India. When they returned to New York, they exposed me to classical Indian music and synthesizer-driven New Age music.
In high school I got into heavy metal, new wave, and rock music. I was also inspired by movie sound tracks such as Giorgio Moroder’s work on Midnight Express, Vangelis’ Blade Runner, and Peter Gabriel’s The Last Temptation of Christ. Growing up in New York City, I was also exposed to early hip hop and electro.
After college, I gravitated more and more into electronic music, particularly club-friendly genres such as house, progressive house, and trance, which I found uplifting and mesmerizing. I got inspired listening to European DJs who would play ten-hour sets of the most beautiful, melodic, and high-energy music. It was at this point that I bought my first mixer, set of turntables, and sound system and began to DJ professionally.
I started to do house parties for friends and got my first break working with Royalton Hotel’s banquet department. I DJed parties in the hotel’s penthouse for guests, staff parties, and corporate events. I also began overseeing the nightly music program for the Royalton’s two bars and large lounge in the lobby. It was a great experience, and I honed my skills at programming and creating a proper vibe and flow for guests who want to hear familiar music and new sounds while also being able to converse and enjoy their cocktails. After the Royalton, I became the Resident DJ at The Core Club, where I DJed in that private club’s lounge and outdoor terrace during the weekend evenings, as well as for private parties for the club’s exclusive membership.
Did you come from a musical family, and how have they influenced you? What role, if any, has your Vietnamese-American heritage played in your career?
My family was more visually arts-inclined than musical. My mother was a fashion designer and had her own women’s wear label. My father draws well and paints. From the age of four and all through grammar and middle school I would draw and paint for recreation, often while listening to my parent’s music collection. I ended up attending The High School of Art & Design, where I majored in Illustration and Graphic Design. Interestingly, I often experience music visually with colors, shapes, and intense emotions, especially when dancing (a sort of synesthesia, if you will).
My Vietnamese-American heritage has definitely had an impact. I was born in South Vietnam during the war, so Vietnamese was my first language. Vietnamese has seven diverse tones, and has been described as very sing-songy. And the Vietnamese love to sing, and are especially fond of ballads about romance, broken hearts, and unrequited/undying love. After college, I lived in Ho Chi Minh City with my extended family for a year. I became well versed in the pop music at the time and developed a new appreciation for karaoke, which is a national obsession.
What kinds of music can attendees expect at the celebration in May? Any message you’d like to send to them in advance?
I recently played the Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration at Asia Society and was asked to play a diverse mix of music that ran the gamut from South Asian to Southeast Asian and East Asian. I played everything from ambient Eastern-inflected Buddha Bar-style lounge music right on through to Bhangra, K-pop, Mandarin-pop, and Cantonese-pop. I even managed to throw in some '80s new wave. That set was received extremely well. As the upcoming celebration is also pan-Asian in theme, I will follow a similar format and see where the crowd and the evening want to go.
A DJ’s most important job is to read the crowd and provide a wonderful atmosphere and flow throughout the evening, playing familiar music and new sounds that delight the guests and uplift their spirits. I have always enjoyed playing an eclectic mix of music the most, and events such as Asia Society’s are ideal for creating a wonderful blend of music from a diverse range of cultures and musical traditions.
I am very excited about DJing again at The Asia Society on May 1. I would just like to tell everyone to expect an eclectic and upbeat mix of music that will make everyone festive and ready to enjoy a beautiful spring night in New York City after our recent long, cold, cold winter.