There aren’t many DJs who succeeded without producing tracks. The unwritten demand to make music in order to promote your name is keeping a lot of great performers deep under ground. But there is someone who opposes to the trend and manages to conquer clubs worldwide with his unique style and perfection. And that’s also what he did in Warsaw’s On-Off.
I’ve heard crazy things about DC 10. Has anything mad happened to you in that club?
Many things. Most of them I don’t remember. Some of them I choose not to remember.
One please.
This year I broke a personal record. I stayed in the club for 16 hours. I’ve been there for like 10 hours before but never longer. And this year it was so good that I stayed for 16 hours. I played at Space the night before and my friends and I went to the club at 6:30 and left at like 11:30 at night.
Nice. You said in one interview that you were looking for a right party to show your kid how you work? It wouldn’t be one of them, I suppose?
It would be.
Really?
Yes, but it would come with a health warning (laughs). And my kid would have to understand that not every party is like this but this is pretty much as good as it gets.
(laughs) Do you think you’re going to be a good role model for your child? As the party animal?
I hope so. But you know, I’m sensible as well. It’s important to know your limits.
16 hours is a limit for a child to know. (laughs)
(laughs) Yeah, it’s important to know your limit and to drink plenty of water (laughs).
(laughs) I have to remind you that you’re supposed to say “drink milk” not “drink water”.
(laughs) But not with drugs.
Right. You’re doing a night with Michael Mayer. How did this collaboration come to happen?
At the Benicassim Festival in Valencia last summer. We played at an amazing party called Freezer and afterwards we went to my hotel which was just close to where the club was. We were with some friends and everyone was really high and we went into the garden of the hotel and there was a big swimming pool. Michael and I took our iPods with us and we were just playing on very small speakers just to our friends, drinking and partying. But there were many, many, many people in the garden and in the swimming pool of the hotel and we were sitting just above them. And one moment I noticed there were some speakers facing out to the people, so we went to speakers, found the cable and a big mixing desk hidden away behind where we were. So we played with Michael back to back with our iPods to the whole of the hotel. We played crazy techno music to little kids in the swimming pool and the families and then we started to play nice chillout, afterhours music. We realised we have a lot of music in common and started talking about this. We went through our iPods and amazingly we had very, very similar old music. We were really stinking this ripping awful day and we had this idea: “we should have a party together and we should call it Stink”.
And how are the international Crosstown Rebels parties doing?
Amazing!
They’re happening all over the world. How do you organise them?
I employ someone to do it (laughs).
That’s what I thought.
We started a company called Rebel Agency and it’s being taken care of. I have a lot of good contacts around the world, from places where I’ve been playing. We discuss parties when I travel. We look at various places and we think: “this could be good for this person or that person”.
Is Rebel Agency also a DJ agency?
Yes, we’re now working with 3 Channels...
Yeah, how did you come across them, because I didn’t know about them until I read an interview with you, in which you said you were releasing them.
They are amazing. They’re going to be one of the biggest names in this music in 2006. They’re very young, very talented. They don’t have any money so they’re working on very basic equipment and what they’re making is incredible.
Great to hear that. What were you doing before getting into the music industry?
I’ve always been in music. I used to write for a magazine called “Dazed and Confused”, where I was the music editor and the assistant editor so I looked after the whole magazine really. I did this and I met many people in music and I listened, and I looked and I watched and I learned and then I tried to DJ.
Do you think you’re a good example for a DJ who succeeded even though he didn’t produce?
Yes, sure. There’s not many people who get to this level without having a hit record. I’ve worked hard but I often think it’s a shame when producers who are great at producing but not so great at DJing become great big name DJs. I often find it a bit unfair and I’ve somehow managed to switch it and be an example for people who just want to DJ.
And that’s what I really respect but would you recommend your way rather than telling the young ones to stick to the plan?
I think that people that are into the whole idea of DJing for all the right reasons, should do it for those reasons. If they’re good enough and they have something to say which is unique and special enough and they have the talent, then they can do it. They can do it but it is harder. The easy option to be noticed is to make a record. That’s the easy option if you have the ability to make that happen. But if you just want to be a DJ and you’re good enough, then personally I would listen and I would help someone like this. But they would have to be very special these days I think, because so many people want to do it.
As for the easy way. Do you think you have the ability to make that happen? To make a hit record? Why don’t you produce at all?
I decided that I’m better at working with other people. I don’t want to spend most of my time in studios, in front of computers and machinery. I prefer to be with people, talk with people, help them develop their ideas, suggest ideas and create situations for other people that have talent.
You’re a specialist when it comes to compilations. What does your work on a mix album look like?
A lot of list making – I’m a very organised guy. I spend a lot of time with each track trying to – in my head sometimes – put these tracks together. And when I DJ in clubs, I try everything out. I’m always listening and thinking about other things that are going on so it’s a constant search for the right… it’s like mathematics. It’s like trying to create an equasion of work that equals something that is really great. It’s about adding, making tricks and little ideas and throwing things in. That’s like multiplying and dividing…
Jesus Christ! Sounds really scary!
(laughs) On the other hand maybe I just go into the studio and just throw some records on. But seriously, I think because I don’t produce records, my way of being creative outside of a DJ booth is making a mix album. So yeah, I spend a lot of time on it, I want to be creative, I want to try to do something different, aim to make something that people will like and it’s not just a certain kind of people. I’m always thinking about how I can get people that don’t know about this music get excited by it.
As for the new stuff you are playing. Do you get it sent or do you make most of the digging yourself?
I do a lot of digging. Oh, I don’t want to give away my secret... I help people create something that people haven’t heard before. Because there’s no point saying to people: “make me something like this, because this was big”.
So you order tracks?
Yeah. I run a record label and if my artists said to me: “we’ve made this”, I would say: “this is great, I love it, I want to sign it” or I would say: “it’s almost great, I think you can do this with it”. You know – make suggestions, this is what I do.
And are there many trainspotters leaning over your shoulders trying to find out what you are playing?
Yeah, there are but I don’t mind telling people. I think this music should be for everyone but there is a problem when I start playing a track that’s not going to come out for over a year. I don’t do it, because that just annoys people. (laughs) They just go “oh fuck it, I’m not gonna get that!”. (laughs)
Links
Comments (0)
