While I was at We, The People festival I got the opportunity to see and speak to Will Rankin, also known as the superb DJ, High Rankin. After playing the Dance tent at the festival located in Bristol Harbour on the 4th and 5th of June I found him back stage, sweaty and enthused after yet another high energy set complete with facial contortions and crazy dance moves. If it weren’t for the exceptional moustache, twisted to gentlemanly perfection that lay across his top lip, you would be forgiven for thinking it was a little boy playing pretend explosions with toy cars. Throwing his arms in the air and puckering his lips, his next beat dropped. High Rankin is like no other man I have met, he is fairly tall for starters, but he is a crazy individual that oozes confidence and he seems to have a joke for every occasion, complete with comedy actions and full of sarcasm. I caught up with him after his show as Chase and Status boomed in the background and the cool of the evening settled over the crowd at We, The People festival.
Lucy: What have you been doing lately?
High Rankin: Sitting around in my pants watching Jeremy Kyle, eating pies out of a bowl.
Lucy: Ow! Nice!
High Rankin: That’s actually a true story
Lucy: I’m really liking the ‘twizzley’ moustache by the way, it adds character!
High Rankin: It’s a bit droopy today, I haven’t waxed it, but I might wax it later, depends if the mood takes me.
Lucy: Yeah, it’s a good idea. So, getting down to music talk, what do you think of We, The People festival?
High Rankin: I thought it was very quiet on the whole. Not in numbers of people, but in sound volume. I think the police have been having a go at them, but what are you going to do?
Lucy: What was it like in the Dance tent?
High Rankin: Yeah it was lots of fun there were lots of sweaty people jumping around to my top ten Brostep hits. [High Rankin does an impression and dances about with his arms in the air] Yeah it was alright.
Lucy: Are you here for the whole weekend?
High Rankin: No, no I’m going home tomorrow to cry in a dark room.
Lucy: Oh right…
High Rankin: That’s what I do on a Sunday. That’s what everyone should do on a Sunday!
Lucy: No, no…no! You should be here!
High Rankin: Get into bed and weep into their pillow [always the professional actor, High Rankin’s voices breaks as he mimics crying] Maybe I will come, I’m staying just up the road, so I’ll pop in and drink some booze and talk some talk.
Lucy: Are you from Bristol?
High Rankin: Oh God no! I used to live here actually. I used to live up Russell Road, lovely area. But I’m from Brighton and it’s my spiritual home, so I live there, with the sea and the sand.
Lucy:[gesturing towards the stage] What do you think of Chase and Status, did you catch any of their set?
High Rankin: Ahhh I could start some Chase and Status beef? I’m not going to, they’re really good. AHHH they…umm…they smell of cheese and onion crisps and they never do the washing up after they’ve eaten a meal, they leave it for ages
Lucy: Haha, yeah that will work, not ideal for making friends though! What are your future plans?
High Rankin: Future plans? You know, do some records, make a bit of money, find myself a wife, settle down, hell…maybe even raise a couple of kids hahaha! I don’t know. Ah in all seriousness what am I doing? Well I’m starting a live band, we got our first show at Love Box this year, should be quite fun!
Lucy: What kind of music is that?
High Rankin: Well it’s basically my obnoxious break step records.
Lucy: Rayban wearing, curly haired…
High Rankin: Yeah boat shoes without any socks, that sort of thing with a very low cut v-neck top, with a sort of pretentious tattoo going across the chest. That’s my target demographic. So yeah, we are going to do a live show for them, because there are loads of them so it’s quite a good market.
Lucy: Here?
High Rankin: Everywhere really, Bristol in particular. Bristol, Dalston, trendy areas of Plymouth, you know, it would be alright.
Lucy: What actually inspired you to make the music that you do?
High Rankin: To get chicks
Lucy: Is it really?
High Rankin: Well that’s why I started DJing.
Lucy: How has that worked out for you?
High Rankin: It’s done alright you know! If I’m honest, I’ve actually slept with over 3 women! Haha! Well that’s how I started DJing but then started making music just because I was bored, essentially. I lived in a small village and there was naught else to do, so, yeah I did that and…NOW I COME TO BE HERE! Imagine…the paths I could’ve taken!
Lucy: Did you start scratching or was it just I wonder what happens if I do this?
High Rankin: Well everyone wants to learn how to scratch, but then they realise that you have to spend quite a long time at it and it’s easier to play records and dance around like an idiot, take all the glory. Rather than dancing for hours and hours in your bedroom.
Lucy: Which is great, your dancing is one of the best parts of your show.
High Rankin: Yeah, that’s what I do, just try and …PHHROAAAAARRRR [High Rankin mimics some kind of bass dancing beast]. To try and get around the quite poor tune selection and mixing I just do a lot of dance moves. I actually trained for two years at Pineapple Dance Studios.
Lucy: Cardboard box?
High Rankin: Yeah cardboard box, stirring soup, driving the bus, stacking the shelves and slapping the ass. That’s one of my favourites. THAT’S what gets the chicks if anyone interested. [All the while he makes visual gestures just to make sure I know which dance move he is talking about and with enthusiasm and zest repeats the last move]
Lucy: OKAY! Well I think that will be enough now. Haha! You have been brilliant. Thank you …Mr High Rankin?
