Since exploding onto the scene over a decade ago, Lloyd Pringle aka LPR has been causing huge waves, thanks to his versatile DJ’s sets and stellar productions.
Since relocating from Liverpool to Bali, he has been playing alongside A-List stars like Mark Knight, Sasha, Stonebridge, Sebastien Leger, D. Ramirez, Prok & Fitch, ATFC, Juan Kidd, Riva Starr and Marco Lys to name a few – a testament to his DJing talents.
As well as playing behind the decks at some of the islands most renowned venues, including Cocoon Beach Club, LPR has been releasing hit singles like ‘Watching You’, ‘Never’, ‘In This House’ and ‘Making You’ on legendary labels such as Neon Records, EDX’s imprint Sirup Records, Stonebridge’s Stoney Boy Music and Federico Scavo’s Area94 – gaining vast support along the way. We had the pleasure of chatting to Lloyd about his career to date.
Hi Lloyd, thanks for taking time to speak to us. To get things kicked off and for those who don’t know you, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Lloyd Pringle – Hey guys thanks for having me! Ok, well I’m from Liverpool originally but I’ve been living in Bali for a few years now. I am a DJ & Producer and also the Music Director for Cocoon Beach Club, so basically if I’m not DJing (which I did around 400 times in 2015) then I’m booking acts and making sure all our events run smoothly – how I get time to make music is beyond me!
T.H.E – When and how did you first become involved in the music industry?
Lloyd Pringle – Producing wise, it actually stemmed from opening the right sample at the right time, and showing it to the right guy. Bali is funny like that, it can really line things up for you if you’re lucky! What then turned out to be ‘Watching You’ was initially signed by a label who attempted to burn me badly, and again, I’m lucky my room-mate was on the ball enough to spot the pitfall that I was unwittingly about to enter and called the guy out on it. From then, I was introduced to the amazing guys over at Neon Records in Australia who instantly loved the record and the rest is history as they say! Let me tell you, it was the strangest feeling to be asked on only my debut release to pick two or three potential remixers from a list of amazing guys whom I had looked up to for years! Surreal!
T.H.E – A question that a lot of artists get asked all the time, which came first for you, DJing or producing?
Lloyd Pringle – DJing! I was learning to beat match on battered belt drive turntables when I was 15 and I honestly wasn’t even thinking about producing until around 2011.
T.H.E – Neon Records, Sirup Music, StoneyBoy Music and Area94 are just a few of the renowned labels that you have had the pleasure of releasing music with. How does it feel when a big label wants to sign your music?
Lloyd Pringle – The reality is it ain’t no picnic! When you FINALLY get the reply back from a label you’ve admired for so long, there aren’t many better feelings than knowing they are a fan of your work – but lets not forget the weeks & months you spend waiting around for that reply before it comes (if it ever does). It’s a painstaking process for me as an artist, so I feel for the labels that are bombarded with 1000 demo’s a day. Maybe one day they will just see my name in the title and it might jump up the queue a bit ;) who knows!
T.H.E – What’s been your favourite track to produce?
Lloyd Pringle – Good question!! Well ‘Watching You’ was pretty much a slam dunk from the second I opened Ableton – funny story for another interview there, but I would probably say ’Never’ simply because I got to work on it with a great friend of mine and amazing producer John Ross. The bassline was so fun to work on and I basically knew we would end up with a hit as soon as I went to him with the idea!
T.H.E – What can we expect from you in terms of new music?
Lloyd Pringle – I do have a couple of bits in the pipeline which I can’t wait to show everyone, but I’m also constantly being inspired by the variety of sets that I play. For example when I played after Riva Starr last year, I went home and made a really tech house rolling monster…I just haven’t done anything with it yet haha!
T.H.E – You’ve supported the likes of Mark Knight, Sasha, Prok & Fitch, Sebastien Leger and Riva Starr to name a few. How does it feel to share the stage and support some some of the biggest names in the industry?
Lloyd Pringle – I just get really drunk so I don’t feel anything!! Ha I don’t drink if at all in actual fact, but usually they’re all really cool guys and they make the transition so easy for me to take over, but I always change my mind on my ‘opener’ about 20 times by the time I put my headphones on!
T.H.E – So you relocated to Indonesia, what were your reasons for doing so?
Lloyd Pringle – I was actually a PE teacher in the UK before I moved here! I always knew deep down I wanted to DJ for a living and long story short, I had a cousin who lived here at the time who invited me for a holiday. The rest was up to me to impress enough people in 5 weeks to make them ask me to stay…I’m glad they did :)
T.H.E – Has the moved paid off and helped you to progress as an artist?
Lloyd Pringle – Oh absolutely, I wouldn’t have got into producing back home the way I did here that’s for sure – it really did seem to happen overnight! In any given week you can have people on the island from Pete Tong to Afrojack to Snoop Dogg! The inspiration never ends, and hopefully as I push forward as a producer it will make it easier to maintain relationships with the endless talent that passes through.
T.H.E – Residing at Cocoon Beach Club and Splash Bali, how does the Indonesian crowd compare to the crowds back home in the UK?
Lloyd Pringle – The thing is, Indonesia has something for everyone! It could be a Tuesday night in February and the clubs will be packed playing all sorts of music genres. These guys just love to party so every party feels like a Saturday night! Then you have the holidaymakers who are obviously up for a good time, and it’s just a great balance!
T.H.E – Do you have any exciting gigs or tours planned for the near future?
Lloyd Pringle – Haha I spend so much time planning every one else’s gigs at Cocoon & Double-Six that I’m always too busy to take time off for a tour, though I really would love to! Locally I will be playing alongside James Zabiela in May, which will be HUGE I’m sure!
T.H.E – And finally, what can we expect from LPR in 2016?
Lloyd Pringle – More Music!!! I’m not sure I’ll be able to top the 400+ gigs I did last year but lets see! I also run a podcast called ‘Act Like a DJ’, where I sit down with these amazing DJ’s who pass through Bali, and basically talk for an hour about anything and everything! It’s a great concept, and I’m certainly aiming to spread the word about that and sit down with a few more legends this year :)
