October Profile:Gammah Website: gammah.com + Covert-Operations + Bassdrive Contact: gammah@covert-operations.org Real Audio: Listen to Massive Cuts!

How and when did you get started?
Music has been around me my entire life. My maternal family is Hawaiian, and my whole family sings and plays instruments. I grew up singing Hawaiian songs with my brothers and cousins. We'd go to the local community centers and perform songs while my Grandmother accompanied us. When I was young I learned to play different instruments and eventually started playing Double Bass Violin at 13.

I got interested in djing after a few years of going to clubs and raves while in college. When I started going out dancing all the time, I didn't really get into the classifications, distinctions, and genre-fications of the music, I just liked being with my friends and going dancing. I heard one of the million-or-so Jungle compilations floating around and heard Subnation's "Scottie." I'd constantly ask my friend to repeat it in the car, maybe a little too much. Around that time, Jungle was starting to get attention in Houston, and lots of parties were starting to have side rooms devoted to Jungle. I attended my first all-jungle party around this same time, and was just hooked on it.

When I made the move to DFW, I was living in Denton and started going to parties in Dallas. I knew a little about the Dallas scene, and would go to the parties Zedan and other crews were throwing. I saw a flyer for a weekly in Ft. Worth at the club The Underground. I think it was the only really dnb weekly at the time. I used to go out there every week, no matter what time I could leave. If I could even get there for 30 minutes of music, I'd go because I was really having it. There would be maybe 10 people out there, including the DJs. Soon thereafter, there was another Monday weekly in Denton at the Argo [RIP]. It was attending these weeklies that I met Adrian/Katalyst, and many of the other people that are still players in the Dallas music scene.

I had already started buying records here and there, only listening to them at my friends' houses. It seemed like everyone was starting to want to DJ, and I didn't want to feel like I was following a trend. The more Drum & Bass I heard, the more I bought, and finally I decided to do what I wanted, despite there being so many others getting into djing at the time. It made me think that I had better bring something that others aren't.

I started making tapes, tapes, tapes - all the time. I mixed everyday, recording over older tapes as I got better. I was friends with Adrian/Katalyst and Bob/Grommit during this time, and they were doing a small Friday at a record shop in Denton. I was basically just supporting all the dnb weeklies and hearing all the local DJs do their thing. I've give out tapes here and there, and play house parties in Denton.

It was Zedan who gave me my first proper gig at Beatmatrix, which was at the Ridglea. I saw Bill/Rumble there, and asked him to MC for my set. I'd never worked with an MC before, but I'd heard Bill MCing at events around Dallas and knew his style. When it was my time, I got up on the decks, and Bill appeared, ready to do his thing. The most meaningful event in my DJ career was wrapping up that set, the crowd was having it, the MC was having it, and it finally felt like I had begun my DJ career.

Who inspires you musically and why?
When I'm playing a show, I get inspiration directly from the crowd. Their enthusiasm amplifies my excitement about djing. When they are feeling the overall vibe I'm trying to put out, it challenges me to try and push the level up higher and higher. When those same people approach me with compliments or even a simple 'Thank you,' I realize DJs and the people listening to them are all the same - just fans of music.

I derive musical influence from all across the musical spectrum. Some of my favorites: Minor Threat, The Cure, Run DMC, J5, The Roots, Fugazi, Green Day, The Vandals, Dead Milkmen, Joy Division, Dead Kennedys, The Upsetters, Front 242, Jesus & Mary Chain, EBTG, King Tubby, Consolidated, Beastie Boys, Wu Tang, films, and I'll mention a few dnb producers - Photek, Source Direct, Genotype, Digital, Ray Keith, Carlito & Addiction, and Lemon D among others.

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