| How
did you start DJing? When did you start? |
I
started in the mid-90s after becoming a regular at legendary Leeds
(UK) clubs Up Yer Ronson and Back to Basics ? the dj's seemed to be
havin a right old lark and I thought "I'll have a bit of
that"! |
| How
did you get your first gig and where was it? |
First
paid gig was at a nice latin venue in my home town of Coventry ?
hardly a clubbing mecca and surprisingly easy to break into ? me and
an old schoolmate rocked up spinning yarns of a dj-history as long
as your arm. They were great days because we blagged a Friday
night residency in which we could play anything from house to
hip-hop, soul rare groove and latin. |
| You're
from the UK originally, where did you grow up and when/why did you
come to Oz? |
I
have been in Oz just over a year. It was kind of an accident.
I spent the summer of 2002 dj'ing in Ibiza and discovered that the
tunes I favour sound a lot better in the sun. You don't get
much sun in Coventry so I packed the bags headed for south America.
For the life of me I couldn't find a set of decks there so it was
lucky my flight ticket also brought me to Sydney ? which felt like
home straight away. |
| What
makes a good DJ? |
I
admire technical skill because mixing can really be an art when done
well. Add to this a great selection of tunes ? preferably with a
common theme ? I think its great when a dj's got a unique/trademark
sound. |
| What
makes you a good DJ? |
What
I lack in technical skill I make up for with good records! |
| Who
inspires you in the local industry and why? |
What
Illya has done is incredible? From what I have seen he has done a
great deal for the local house scene here and the amount of people
influenced by his sound is pretty amazing ? and as they say
imitation is the highest form of flattery. He's obviously well
into what he plays and that carries over in how it sounds |
Who
is the best DJ/artist in the world and why?
|
For
me Masters At Work are the dons of the house world ? their appeal
goes far above that of many main room club dj's? they are musicians
and top-quality producers ? anyone who puts out a house album
featuring Jocelyn Brown, Tito Puente, Roy Ayers etc as guests gets a
big vote from me! |
| What
makes you different from other DJs? |
I
am proud to say that I have found my style pretty unique wherever I
have gone ? The music I play tends to be pretty soulful which can
make the sound quite distinctive. |
| Why
do you DJ? |
If
I didn't play out I'd probably be mixing at home ? so may as well
get paid for it and spread the love!! |
| What
is your DJing goal? |
Generally
I'm pretty happy with my lot - I've been lucky enough to play in
some great venues and if some more come around that'd be great? I'm
also looking forward to launching our own night very soon ? which is
great because it means we can get a bit more creative about how we
market it and position ourselves. |
| Do
you pre-determine the music before you play a set? |
No,
its always nice to put the feelers out a little and see what people
are
responding to ? if you predetermine a set I think it sounds a bit
flat. |
| What
is the best venue that you've played at and what made it a good
venue? |
K-ube
in Ibiza town was my favourite ? it's only a small venue but has a
nice terrace at the front ? it's pretty easy on the eye as the sun
goes down coz you are playing to the island's most beautiful people. |
| What
is the worst DJing moment that you've had? |
My
old partner in crime in the UK, Ross Brittleton once switched the
power off both decks and mixer while he was fumbling under the dj
box trying to switch on some lights. Very amusing for him as
everything ground to a holt while I stood there wondering what the
f*&k was going on. ha ha. The funniest was telling a
rugby-shirted Prince Harry that Sean Paul needs shooting and under
no circumstances would I play "Get Busy" I didn't
recognise him and my face was a picture when my mate told me who it
was after he had walked off! I guess my knighthood got lost in
the post. |
| What
is best venue you've been to as a patron and what made it great? |
Definitely
Pacha in Ibiza. Unbelievable place ? It's a huge but there is
something magical about the way they've laid it out ? like if you
need a drink you turn around and the nearest bar is always very
close, or you need a slash then bingo there's a toilet. It's a
lazy clubbers wet dream ? I hate navigating my way packed venues,
and you don't have to there coz its so well designed. |
| How
do you find new music? |
I
try to go record shopping once a week ? I keep my eye on the
internet music sites to find out what's going on, then try to get my
hands on the stuff locally. |
| What
are your fave tracks at the moment? |
Purple
Music are prolific at the moment and releasing some great stuff the
latest being by One Touch. For the deeper stuff Joey Youngman
is getting my nod. |
| What
do you do when you're not Djing? |
I
work full time and just started a production course, which is
exciting. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in and I've
enlisted some local muso's to collaborate with. If my tinnitus
stops playing up I've got high hopes for the project. |
| What
is the most important thing that you've ever done? |
Definitely
travel ? the best period in my life and I'd repeat it tomorrow, only
I'd leave out the getting mugged at gunpoint next time please. |
| What
does 'funky' mean to you? |
It's
a way of life y'all |
