London is melting in a heatwave, but Peggy Gou is unfazed. 'Let's enjoy it! It's not going to last for long,' she says. The South Korean DJ and producer is in high spirits after a slew of festival appearances and her 35th birthday celebrations.
From Croydon to Berlin
Gou, born Kim Min-ji in Incheon, was sent to London at 14 to learn English after disappointing school grades. She spent her teens in Croydon, lying to guardians about underage nights out at Tiger Tiger. After a brief return to Korea, she studied at the London College of Fashion, where she discovered house music and started DJing at The Book Club in Shoreditch.
'I had to toughen up to live there, you know. I came from Korea, I couldn't speak any English,' she says. 'All of these experiences in London made me who I am today.'
Facing Sexism in the Industry
At 21, Gou quit her job as a London correspondent for Harper's Bazaar Korea and moved to Berlin to pursue music. There, she faced a male-dominated scene. 'They wanted me to look pretty and sell records. They didn't want to talk to me about music,' she recalls of her male colleagues, alleging they referred to her by racist nicknames and patronised her.
'I had to fight so much to prove myself,' she says. Her persistence paid off: she became the first Korean DJ to play Berghain, and later the first female DJ to headline Glastonbury's Park Stage.
The Birth of K-House
Gou invented K-house, blending Korean samples and instruments with nostalgic house. Her 2021 track '(It Goes Like) Nanana' reached the UK top five. She now mentors upcoming female talent via her label Gudu Records. 'I want to be a good example,' she says.
London Show and Future Plans
Gou's new single 'Wo, Man' with Ayra Starr is out now. She plays a sold-out show at the Old Royal Naval College on August 2, with support from MPH, Prospa and Kelly Lee Owens. 'This is where I started, and I have a lot of great memories here,' she says.
'I need to give them the right energy. I think a great artist is someone who does 50 per cent of what they want, and 50 per cent of what the crowd wants.'
