Who/what inspires you musically and why?
Personal events in my life, people close to me, people no longer with us, and other people's music.
Do you listen to any non electronic dance music? If so, what do you listen to?
I listen to quite a bit of Soul, 80's dance/rock, 80's cheese (Air Supply is a guilty pleasure), and some non commercial Hip Hop. Can't get enough of Al Green, Barry White, Marvin Gaye, and for some odd reason, I love Journey.
Name your top two tunes (I know, this is hard).
Old fav. Underworld - "Cowgirl/Rez"
New fav. Trentemoller - "Le Champagne"
What is the best thing about DJing?
Looking out at people you know, seeing them smiling and having a good time, and then seeing people you don't know smiling and having a good time right next to them. I like the ability to manipulate what people are feeling, how they feel right there in that moment, maybe even inspire them if I'm lucky. I like contributing to something I love so much, and making people happy at the same time.
What was your favorite event to play at? And why?
Opening for Kaskade in January 2004. We (Neglected Records) and Minc worked very hard to make that show happen. I had suffered a foot injury two weeks before the show that left me wrapped up and on crutches and I was still out every night promoting the hell out of the event. Kaskade is one of my favorite producers. Seeing how packed the dance floor was and seeing how everyone responded made that night so memorable. I hope everyone feels something along those lines sometime in their life. I didn't have one drink that entire night, but I was honestly intoxicated with pure happiness, just plain and simple satisfaction.
Any events/gigs coming up you'd like to list?
Valium Mondays @ Pharmacy w/ Luke Sardello and upcoming special guests: November 8th Dave Pezzner of Jacob London
November 12th Lawnchair Generals @ Minc Lounge.
November 22nd Janel Roland. Both are on Mondays up at the Pharmacy.
What do you think of the current state of the Dallas scene? And what do you think we can do to improve it?
I think the Dallas scene is doing well, but not so good at the same time. Promoters are constantly bringing in talent, some new, some old, and some too many times. It's nice to see that so much is coming thru Dallas, and it's great to see that the floors are packed for these special events. But I think the real problem is that we tend to take for granted what's in our own backyard. Locals are often overlooked and the vibe at weeklies isn't as good as they used to be because of a drop in attendance. People tend to only come out when there is a special guest, and then get upset when a weekly that supported their genre closes shop because bar sales aren't enough. I read on other boards that our locals are playing to appreciative crowds in other cities, and people in other cities wonder what it would be like to be able to see our locals on a weekly basis.
I think the only way to improve this is to wake up and recognize what you've got weekly here. We know that most of you don't have money to come out weekly, and a number of you have the whole morning job thing. But just dropping by once or twice a month to show support would really make your favorite local happy.
Is there anything you see that other DJs do that annoys you?
I think that as a DJ, you should really learn to appreciate music for what it is. It may not be your style, but there is no need to bash it, I'm trying to work on this one myself. DJ's that complain no one is supporting their night, but you don't see them out supporting other people on other nights. DJ's that aren't down to earth, and think they're better than others. Come on, you're just another person too, fellow DJ.
Do you want to thank anyone?
There are too many people that need to be mentioned here, but I'm going to try and cover as many as I can. First and foremost, I really want to thank my parents for supporting me when times were rough which allowed me to be able to do what I love to do now. My siblings for supporting me at shows, or just in general. Sean Anderson, Lek brothers, Dave Brown, Brad Denton, Cody Pierce, Bobby Kurtz and the rest of the Moonmagnet peeps. Pooh, Dan Alvarez, Angi, Katy, Dawn & Dusty, Chuck, Crim, Foo, John Walker, Chrisko, Demarkus & Kelle, Phooka, Arthur H., Fresco & Crew, Tom over at Pharmacy, and Brett & Windy at Crave. I think I got most covered, and if I left you out I'm sorry! But if you're reading this then thanks for making it this far!
