The 35-year-old hoped to entice Kiwi pop star Lorde into the studio to record vocals for Major Lazer's third record, due out by the end of the year.
In between yelping directions at his taxi driver, chatting to a friend and bad reception, Pentz seems cagey on spilling too many details, but he's met Lorde before - and he's a big fan.
"I'm actually trying to get her to do something for me for the new Major Lazer album - we'll see if we get it finished. Hopefully if I get a day off I might go fishing with her, that's the idea.
"I love Lorde, I was with her when she was nominated for the Grammys. She came over to the studio and we hung out. I played her a Justin Bieber record I worked on and she actually liked it - I was surprised."
If Lorde agrees, she's in good hands. Diplo is used to working with superstars. His production biography reads like a who's who of pop, from Britney Spears to Beyonce, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Usher and No Doubt, through to helming rapper and fellow Big Day Out headliner Snoop Dogg's reggae reincarnation into Snoop Lion.
His style - sluggish waves of bass, occasional dubstep squelches and plenty of Caribbean and Jamaican calypso rhythms - can be heard influencing pop songs across the charts, and artists like M.I.A. and Santigold have built careers around his trademark sounds.
The laid-back 35-year-old says he has no restrictions on who he works with - all artists need to do is "flick me an email - and I'll hit them back".
But it's as Major Lazer - Pentz' global mash-up dancehall project that includes his buddies Jillionaire and Walshy Fire - that Pentz really gets to express himself.
They've released two records including last year's acclaimed Free the Universe, and each came with a stunning single: the laid-back reggae lope of Can't Stop Now from 2009, and the more recent ballad, Get Free, featuring Amber Coffman from indie act The Dirty Projectors.
Despite his image as a globetrotting party animal, Pentz says his main goal in the studio is to create "great songs".
"I just want to make music that I enjoy myself. I want to make songs that I can listen to over and over and get excited about. I want it to be exciting and electric and futuristic - that's what all Major Lazer records are about."
Major Lazer are the last act on the Big Day Out bill, and Pentz says no matter how tired fans are, they should prepare to see the festival off in style.
"This tour's our biggest one - we have five guys on stage [and] I'm excited for people to hear the new record and go crazy. It's going to be everything you love about any kind of rave or dance party.
"We play different records from across the board. We're like a carnival party or a Caribbean group so we bring an island vibe to the festival."
Keep an eye out for a special guest - Pentz promises to "hit Snoop up" for a cameo - and some props. But, unlike last year's Coachella festival at which he gave out handfuls of vuvuzelas to the front rows, Pentz says he's downsizing on the freebies.
"We ran out of vuvuzelas. We had like 5000 [but] we have whistles now. They're quieter and it's just easier to give everyone one."
Pentz, it seems, is one happy party starter who likes to whistle while he works.
Who: Major Lazer frontman Diplo
Where: Big Day Out
When: Friday, January 17, 10pm on the Aroha stage
Essential listening: Guns Don't Kill People ... Lazers Do (2009), Free the Universe (2012)
* nzherald.co.nz will have full coverage of tomorrow's event, including updated reviews, videos and photos. Tune in throughout the day to see how it's going.
- TimeOut
