Phat Phil has been long championing a diverse range of music since the early 90s, where he held a residency at legendary Liverpool club Cream up til the early 2000’s. Since then his roots have spread far and wide across the globe taking with him a bag packed with sun-drenched sounds that are now represented on his own label @nunorthernsoul, which is approaching its 10th anniversary this June.

The label with will be marking this occasion by releasing a 5 piece vinyl box set with 10 hard to find, unreleased or exclusive tracks from artists and remixers including @ronbasejam, @absolutebegin aka James Holroyd, @williegraff, B.J. Smith (@movedrill), @captain.sunshine aka Jon Tye [Seahawks], Ryo Kawasaki, Andi Hanley, @ragznordset, plus loads more beautifully Balearic inspired music.

For more info on the label check 👉 @nunorthernsoul (link in their bio)

Aside from his label works he says “on the Phat Phil Cooper tip, I am working on a project called Chill The Folk Out – www.chillthefolkout.com plus DJing in various spots in Ibiza including Hostal La Torre, Pikes, Cafe Del Mar, 6Senses, WOM Cafe, and off island across the UK and Europe when permitted”

More PPC info 👉 @phatphilcooper (link in his bio)

Each week we will be taking a dip into the crates and minds of some of the digging scenes most prolific collectors.

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DIGGR: What’s your first memories of collecting records?

Phat Phil Cooper: “Picking up the Star Wars orchestral soundtrack, buying Joe Dulcie ‘Shadupp Your Face’ and Adam Ants ‘Ant Music’ in 1980, this is when the vinyl love started.

About 4 years later when I was 13 or 14 I was digging in the Middlesbrough indoor market at an amazing record stall when a leg of lamb went sailing past my head one way, and a load of shoes and assorted missiles went the other way, ‘Boro at home against Leeds I think and the ‘fans’ decided to have a meet up pre game, carnage hahahahaha.”

D: Name one institution that changed your life musically…

PPC: “The Hacienda, I was attending a 3 day convention for The Smiths in the Oxford Road Student union, Manchester in 1988, I was a huge fan of the band and a group of us headed down to the Hacienda one evening as we heard Mike Joyce and Andy Rouke were hanging out in the Gay Traitor bar there.

We traipsed down and I was exposed to early Chicago House and it blew my mind, until that point I was into Indie music and some US hip hop and electro, hearing those early Chi-town and Acid House cuts took me to another level! From that moment I was hooked.”

D: Weirdest most quirky record buying memory?

PPC: “Having blagged my way into a club in Toronto in 1989 while backpacking across the country with the ‘I am a DJ from Manchester, UK’, I was introduced to the resident DJ who had a record store in the city, the next day I was dragged there very hungover and he sold me a white label / booty of A Guy Called Geralds remix of Stone Roses ‘Fools Gold’.”

D: Name a song to soundtrack the sunshine…

PPC: “Terry Callier – What Color is Love”

D: When digging, what are 2 of the things that draw you to a record?

PPC: ” Artwork intially and then a quick look at the credits to see who played or produced on the record.

I have found over the years, especially in the jazz scene, lots of musicians who featured on albums also recorded their own albums, it can be quite the rabbit hole to disappear down!“