Pete Philly & Perquisite Back on Stage: Like Seeing an Old Friend Again

Seven floors above the Utrecht skyline, Pete Philly and Perquisite sit relaxed on the couch in their dressing room. Before them lies the city where they will perform that evening. The view outside is somewhat chaotic, but inside hangs a serene calm. Tonight, the duo and their band will take the stage in the Hertz Hall for a show from their Time Flies Theatre Tour, celebrating their new album “EON,” the 20th anniversary of “Mindstate,” and marking a special reunion and friendship.

Pete leans back with a smile. ‘It feels familiar, but also new,’ he says. ‘Like seeing an old friend after years and immediately realising: we’re still on the same wavelength.’ Pieter, better known as Perquisite, nods in agreement. ‘We’ve both grown, as musicians and as people. But as soon as we started working together again, that old magic was immediately there. It’s wonderful that it never disappeared.’

And this despite backgrounds that couldn’t have been more different. Pete, born as Pedro Philip Monzón in Aruba and raised in The Hague, found his voice in hip-hop. Pieter, ‘Everyone calls him Perq,’ the tour manager notes beforehand, was born in Amsterdam and began making beats as a teenager using a now-forgotten computer program, Fasttracker. He grins: ‘That was quite primitive compared to what we have now. These days, I’m married and I don’t even know what grows in our garden. Poppies, I think? My wife mainly cares for the garden, so I have to think about it.’ The duo bursts into laughter, but it immediately shows where their true passion has always been: music.

That was also the foundation for their success. After meeting through a mutual friend, Bao-an, they worked together on the project North West Metropolis, which can be seen as the precursor to Pete Philly & Perquisite. The collaboration worked so well that they soon continued together. In 2003, they were pioneers in the Netherlands with their mix of hip-hop, jazz, and classical instruments like the cello. In the United States at that time, there were groups like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Guru’s Jazzmatazz. ‘That’s why we started working with an American label,’ says Pete Philly.

Time Flies

Their success came quickly. ‘Before we knew it, we were doing 120 shows in 2008. Insanity,’ says Perquisite with a broad smile. They toured everywhere: Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Serbia, Hungary, Japan, South Africa, the US… it went on non-stop. Until it came to an end in 2009. Pete and Perq each went their own way. Pete, who struggled with Lyme disease, had previously worked with artists like Gotcha!, Benjamin Herman, went solo again, and sought collaborations with C-Mon & Kypski, among others. Perq stayed busy with his label Unexpected Records, collaborated with Kris Berry, produced for Jeangu Macrooy and Swan, and created a lot of film music. Yet something kept nagging: that special chemistry between the two of them.

The idea for the reunion came from Pete. ‘After various solo adventures, I felt it was time to create something together again. I missed our collaboration, our unique sound,’ he explains. When he called Pieter, the latter didn’t need much time to consider. ‘I hadn’t actually been on stage myself for years,’ says Pieter. ‘But it’s good to be together again. We’re now discovering new sides of each other.’ It’s precisely their different backgrounds that make their collaboration so special. ‘Our live band is actually a big crossover,’ says Pete. ‘Everyone comes from somewhere different, with different influences. That’s exactly what makes us unique.’ Perq adds: ‘We complement each other. What one misses, the other brings. That makes the music richer.’

In 2023, after fourteen years of absence, they gave a spectacular reunion show in a sold-out AFAS Live. It left them wanting more. With their new album “EON,” they began a European club tour, reviving old times but also sounding with new energy. ‘Technically, a lot has changed,’ says Perq. ‘But the core has remained the same: combining beats and words into a story.’ Pete nods. ‘We’ve learned, separately and together. But when we collaborate, we understand each other immediately. That makes it creatively so strong.’

A Celebration of Recognition and Surprise

During their performances, they bring not only old and new songs but also a unique interaction with the audience. After the intermission, for example, they record sounds and voices from the audience. ‘I process those live into beats and samples,’ says Perq, ‘over which Pete then freestyles. Something different really comes out of it each time. Additionally, we improvise a lot throughout the rest of the show. We record everything, so by the end of the tour, we have a complete overview, with no two performances being the same.’ And now they’re looking ahead. In 2025, their legendary debut album “Mindstate” turns twenty. They’re celebrating with a theatre tour, in which they’ll perform their now-classic songs like “Mystery Repeats,” “Time Flies,” and “Mellow,” but through the lens of everything they’ve experienced and learned over the past years. ‘This might well be our last tour; at least of this reunion,’ Pete indicated when we made the appointment, two weeks earlier in Eindhoven. ‘So anyone who wants to see Pete Philly & Perquisite live should act quickly.’

Suddenly, Pete jumps up and points at his mobile phone. ‘We need to go on stage soon!’ The three of us had lost track of time, and the interview ended with a quick handshake and a broad smile before we each went our separate ways.

Time flies – but some connections prove to be timeless.