For young DJ sets are just the bassline
Where did your inspiration for getting into the drum and bass scene and DJing come from?
It came mostly from going to parties.
I'd always try and play my selection of music through the speaker and that turned into me wanting to make my own mixes.
I downloaded an app on my phone and you could just upload two songs on it and it had all the controls that a DJ mixer would have.
In September 2020 I asked my mum and dad if they could get me my own pair of decks for my birthday, which they did, and that's when I actually properly started mixing.
I started doing mixes with my friends at parties and people started to take videos of it, so I started taking my own and thought 'why don't I post them on TikTok'. I never had any intention of doing anything seriously but then one blew up really big and got 1.5 million views. That sort of gave me the inspiration to just keep posting and from that I got my first booking in May 2021.
How did you find going from recording yourself in your room to playing in front of live crowds?
When I got booked for my first gig I made the jump from my $200 controllers straight to playing on thousands of dollars of equipment.
I was thrown straight into the deep end. It was nerve-racking. I was so excited the weeks leading up to my first gig but when it came to the days before the nerves really kicked in.
I couldn't work properly, I couldn't eat and I was just shaking. I remember thinking 'I do want to do this but I don't know if it's something I'll be able to do'. It's one of those things that has come with time, nowadays there's no worries at all, most of the time.
What are some of the highlight gigs that stand out to you?
Definitely all of the Castle St sets in Dunedin. There is a big university drum and bass culture there and I've been lucky enough to have been invited four or five times to play out to thousands of people there. They also stick out because whenever I'm there I'll just be walking around Dunedin and people will shout out 'Procy' and know who I am, it's crazy there. I've also played Urban Jungle twice now, which is a big festival in Christchurch and at this most recent New Year's I played at Rolling Meadows. They're also pinnacle moments.
Do you think people have a bit of a misconception when it comes to the musicality that goes into drum and bass DJing?
A lot of people think it is just pressing play, because I suppose a lot of normal DJing at events or things like that is just pressing play and transitioning cleanly between songs but drum and bass is a whole different ball game. It can get quite intense because you can be blending one, two, three or even four songs at a time. One of the main things you do is doubling songs, you have one song playing, press play on another song, cue it up in your headphones, and when that sounds right, bring it up, and then you'll have two songs playing. You muddle with the EQs [equalisers] so the the bass doesn't override each other and as those songs are playing, add a third song, or even a fourth.
There can be a lot involved.
How often are you performing?
It varies, some months I'll have two, three gigs but then I could go two months without gig just due to the fact I live in Timaru. Promoters often have to think about travel. Timaru has never had a big scene but it was starting to grow, I had my first gig here and they were coming in quite consistently. I think a lot of people involved in the Timaru shows moved away and there hasn't been one here for a year.
Christchurch is definitely the hot spot in New Zealand for it but I get asked to play in all sorts of different places now like Dunedin, Queenstown and Auckland.
What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your career?
I'd love to be able to start producing my own music, because that's not something I've actually got into yet. Music is a form of art and lives forever so having my own out there that I can use in sets or other DJ's use is one of my main goals.
It would also unlock way more opportunities because producing artists are the ones that get booked overseas.
I have a few United Kingdom connections so I'd love to get over there and play because that is the home of that style of music.
connor.haley@timarucourier.co.nz
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