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In 2017 I interviewed German DJs/producers Chi-Thien Nguyen & John Muder a.k.a. Chopstick and Johnjon about their first gig. They remember their first performance together vividly. Chopstick: “The pressure not to mess up and the many drinks beforehand, due to me being nervous, had made me a bit tipsy as well.”
“Our first DJ gig together was around 2005 at Club Morphine in Hamburg, Germany. The venue was situated right behind the infamous Reeperbahn. One of our friends was the booker and he offered us the opportunity to expose our record selection skills.”
Safety net
“It was an intimate club and maybe could hold around two to threehundred people. I was super nervous as I hadn’t played anywhere in front of a crowd ever before. John was calm as fuck as he has been DJing at various venues before. In a way he was my ‘safety net’ because we had connected a Y-adapter to the mixer which went into twee headphones.”
Many drinks
“Back then it was all vinyl and when playing at home it was always easy to beatmatch.” (laughs) “It was much more difficult in a club. Why? Because I had to get used to the monitoring. On top of that, the pressure not to mess up and the many drinks beforehand, due to me being nervous, had made me a bit tipsy as well.”
Playing by ear
“I did plan a few records that I knew I would play for sure. But usually it’s hard to prepare a set when you’re part of a DJ duo. Generally your DJ partner plays something you wouldn’t even come up with.” (laughs) “So ‘preparing’ a DJ set was never possible. To this day, we don’t draw up anything, we always simply spontaneously play by ear.”
3hrs DJ set
“So, whenever I had the feeling of messing up a mix during our first gig, John had a listen on his headphones and adjusted the turntable appropriately. I think he helped me out a couple of times in the beginning of our 3hrs DJ set, but once I got the hang of it and had enough alcohol in me, I did really well.” (laughs) “Naturally I did fuck up a few times but thanks to my ‘safety net’ called John, I don’t think the dancing crowd really noticed.”
Always B2B
“It was the start of a twelve year long DJ journey around the world and back. Our girlfriends were present that night to support us as were many of our friends in Hamburg. It was a great night! John and I always play B2B and it was heaps of fun and still is!”
“From that first gig onwards, I acquiered more self-confidence and felt more secure when mixing. At some point, it became my second nature. This had been the case for John for a long time, as he was a skilled DJ, playing various hiphop and house parties before we met. What he is as a DJ to me, I was as a producer to him back then. We complemented each other pretty well and nowadays we are in every aspect on the same level!”
This interview with Chopstick & Johnjon is originally published on December 22nd 2017 on DJMag.nl
Who are Chopstick & Johnjon?
Chi-Thien Nguyen and John Muder are Chopstick and Johnjon, and these two certainly know their stuff. Between them, they combine years of classical music training with turntable expertise and studio skills as well as tons of experience rocking parties behind the decks all over the world. And on top of that, Chopstick & Johnjon have been running Suol, one of the world’s most respected house labels, since 2009, with core artists including Till von Sein, Fritz Kalkbrenner, Larse, Meggy, Daniel Bortz, Tender Games and Trickski.
Chopstick, the trained musician and former hip hop DJ Johnjon first joined forces over a decade ago. Their journey as a team began with a completely open mind, allowing all of their diverse musical influences to form a broad foundation for what they would then go on to hone into the trademark Chopstick and Johnjon sound with each track they made together.
Now streamlined and recognizable, Chopstick and Johnjon’s style still maintains an eclectic nature, standing out by celebrating musicianship in a scene that relies mostly on sampling. Their rhythms have all of the heavy punch needed in today’s club music but they also have an organic flavour to them and are, above all, groovy as hell. And by adding thoughtful songwriting as well as the talent of internationally renowned vocalists into the mix, Chopstick and Johnjon have arrived at the sound that has made them beloved by fans and critics alike. “Their debut album, “Twelve“, gave dance music an emotional, song structured kick”, said XLR8R magazine in their review of their “Closer EP”, which it described as a “triumphant, pop-laced record”.
With other career highlights including the tracks “Listen“and “Pining Moon” and also their hugely celebrated remix of Digitalism’s “Zdarlight”, Chopstick & Johnjon have proven time and time again that giving into the use of EDM cheese is not the only way to achieve crossover potential when your background is house and techno, you can also do it by being versatile, allowing your tracks to be emotional without being cheesy and, as a duomaking the most of your combined qualities and choosing the right artists to work with.
And it is not only in the studio that these two form a perfect partnership, but also in the club as a DJ team. A Chopstick and Johnjon set will tease and tantalize, it will delight the connoisseur with its intricacy while at the same time keeping the casual partygoer on the dance floor with an irresistible groove.
More Chopstick & Johnjon?
More First Gigs? Check them all here!
