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DJ D - feature in 3d world 2003 |
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Article Title:In deep with D Written by: Unknown Location of Publication: Sydney Year: 2003 Aside from hitting up the wheels of steels, D is also a vocalist, producer, sound engineer, TV personality, tertiary TAFE teacher and workplace trainer. She somehow found time to answer some questions for 3D World. What was it like starting out as one of Sydney's first female R&B hip hop DJs? Starting off as a female DJ in a male dominated industry wasn't easy; not only in terms of breaking into the scene but also in terms of gaining initial respect from peers and the general crowd. I remember doing my first club gig, walking through the dance floor with my record crates and receiving all sorts of strange 'what the heck is she going to do?' looks from people in the room. But once given the chance, it was on, seeing jazw drop and hearing some guy in the crowd say 'shit, I ain't never seen a girl scratch that hard!' was enough fuel for my fire. After receiving advice from one of my mentors, I anticipated this type of initial response, and this lef me to refuse early offers for club spots - I wanted to build up my skills to a high standard before hitting the clubs so that I was known for me skills not just the 'female' factor. In the early days I focused on playing private gigs to build up my crowd motivation skills, and locked myself in my studio to work up my turntablism skills. During this time I was also getting into producing tracks for various artists, creating remixes and mix CDs, and also recording and performing vocally with artists. There are so many R&B DJs at the moment, how do you go about setting yourself apart? Is it the fact you incorporate live elements into your set? Yes, that is definitely and important part for me. I always aim to include various turntablism elements into my sets - from scratching to juggling to live remixes, to body tricks - as I believe a DJ should not only rock the crowd, but entertain them as well. Deonding ont he type of gig I also like to pick up the mix and hype the crowd, as I believe crowd interaction from a DJs perspective is important. Aside from bringing my own style of mixing to the decks, most importantly I try and have as much fun as possible, from dancing on tables to having a boogie with the crowd. What can you tell us about the online internet program you established called 1200 degrees? 1200 degrees was initially a three-hour online internet program that was streamed worldwide. It consisted of one hour of DJ D mixing it up on the decks, an hour of a special guest DJ, and finally an hour of live local artists. Regular guests that we had on the show included Chiefrocker Nino Brown, Kaylan a.k.a Disco Montego, Jeremy, Roxane, and many up coming artists that were performing and producing original tracks. I decided to put the progra, on hold for a little while, and then it took a turn from audio to T.V. It piloted as a segment early this year on Channel 31, featuring artists such as Craig David, Rahsaan Patterson, Shortee Blitz fromt he UK, Jeremy Gregory, Shan One, DJ Samrai, and Mike Champion. Unfortunately due to funding issues we could not pursue our own one hour program despite an overwhelming response. The DJ D crew (worldwide) still contribute segments to other shows on Channel 31, namely AMC TV, interviewing international/local artists and filming special events. The 1200 Degree concept has had a worldwide response, were you surprised by this? Initially, yes. I was all for the idea of really pushing the local artists and DJs in the R&B hip hop scene to a worldwide scale, but never expected so many people, both locally and internationally, would want to get involved, especially considering it's a voluntary thing. Any plans on taking your skills around the globe given the worldwide contacts you have extablished with 1200 degrees? Although I have had quite a bit of international interest from places including Vienna Australia, Scotland, Malaysia, Texas, Toronto, Detroit, Hollywood, and London, I am yet to play live on the worldwide circuit. Hoever a worldwide tour date late 2004 is in the current plan. It really sounds like you are a technical wizard, would this be a fair assumption? Hmm, technical wizard? Let's just say I make sure I practice on my 1200s every day and am constantly aiming to push my skills to the next level. There is still a little way to go before I'm at where I wanna be. What have you got planned for your set at deep? I generally don't plan my sets song for song, but like to feel and respond to the crowd. In any case you should hear a good mix of hip hop and R&B, a new intro each week at the beginning of my set showcasing some turntablism skills, a lot of hype and a lot of fun! Plus not forgetting, DJ D giveaways each week... so get down early to get yours! DJ D plays Deep on Saturday November 29th @ 7 Bridge Street, Sydney | |
