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“My first public DJ gig was at the homecoming dance of Amherst R. High School in Massachusetts, USA. I was 17 years old at that time. I was a bit nervous since the school committee wanted a band, but I convinced them that a DJ was more cost-effective.”
Breakdance crew
“I played hiphop & electro for my peers. They were into rock ‘n roll but I won them over in the end. I played by feeling. Also, I had my breakdance crew there to support me and show off their dance moves.”
Taste of the future
“I was a big fan of the NYC DJs playing three to five-hour sets like for example DJ Red Alert. Of course, I made some mistakes but they were not horrible. I wanted to impress my friends and give them a taste of the future.”
Groovemaster Johnson
“It took many years before I got my hands again on a real turntable from the Technics SL series. I believe I have DJ Groovemaster Johnson to thank for that since he asked me to house-sit for a few weeks. I asked if I could practice with his records. He answered that I had to put each record back in the same correct order in which I found them.” (laughs)
“I recorded my sets and waited eagerly for his critique. He gave me encouragement. Consequently, I discovered my own style when I was a resident at Subtopia. The rest is history…”
This interview is originally published in March 2014 on DJMag.nl.
