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Read Official Myspace DJ Interview with Dj Gigahurtz
Current mood:  accomplished
Category: MySpace
1. How long have you been a DJ and what inspired you to start? My love for DJing started over a decade ago when I came across the first MP3 of its kind; I thought to myself, wow, you can actually store music in small enough files to have tons and tons of music directly stored on your computer? From that point on I started collecting MP3's, in hopes of becoming an "MP3J" or a computer DJ in hopes of starting something new. About seven years ago, in the year 1999, is when I first put my hands on some experience as a DJ. I was a college student in Southern California. A friend of mine in the dorms showed me the basics in DJing, the beat-matching, juggling and scratching. Seeing this for the first time, live, really got my attention. I received my first few lessons from my friend, which from what I remember, was very tough; matter of fact, I told myself that I would just give mixing a shot on a computer, take a couple of mp3s and mix them live. After my first successful try at this I told myself that this would be the way of my future. A DJ that could rock a crowd from his computer would definitely be the wave of the future. A few years later I was able to DJ at a few clubs and became one of the first in the area to DJ live from a computer; hence, that's where I got my name, DJ Gigahurtz. 2. What do you think makes a good DJ? In my world of a DJ, there are three levels as a DJ – a DJ, a good DJ, and a Rockstar DJ! In today's music industry, DJ's are the next rockstars; and for a DJ to be in that category they have to do more then just play good music. A "good" DJ is when their originality and style as well as taste in music sets them apart from the norm; but what makes a rockstar DJ is, a DJ who can bring listeners or fans the "full experience." The full experience includes doing "EVERYTHING", from doing the mixtapes, radio shows, as well as providing for the clubs at a super high level. DJ's are the next entrepreneurs and trendsetters and to fit into every category with greatness you have to be great in all of these areas. 3. Looking at the qualities stated in Question 2, who do you think is a good DJ? Speaking only from my own experience, I think some of the DJ's who are at the rockstar level would have to be my fellow Bumsquad DJ's; DJ Scene, Clinton Sparks, DJ E-Rock from the Bay, and DJ Skee from Southern California. These DJ's provide you with the full experience and are probably the hottest DJ's out there, in my opinion. 4. What's the most memorable experience in your DJ career? The first few times I DJed, I was able to DJ in some real nice prominent nightclubs. I knew after those initial steps in the beginning of my experience that I would love to do DJ-ing for a very long time. 5. What advice do you give to new DJ's who are pursuing a career, that you wish you had received when starting out? My first advice is to always be humble and respectful. You never know who you will come across in this industry or who you may be in the presence of; so it's always good to be professional and cool with everybody. Also getting what you are worth. Most DJ's don't realize how vital they are to the music industry and get stiffed for their efforts. Lastly, it's important to make yourself happy as a DJ, and go after what you feel will make you, YOU. Create your vision or dream and go after it. For me it was being an MP3J. I knew that since music would be moving into a full digital platform, that being a MP3J would eventually be accepted. More and more DJ's are now using computers for their live shows; so it shows that if you stick to what you believe in you can make it a reality. 6. What are you currently working on? Right now I have a mixshow every Wednesday on Swurvradio (soon to be syndicated) entitled the "Gigzster Mix" which comes on at 7PM. I'm also heavily involved in a few mixtape projects including one of the hottest artists out of the Great New West – "Nonstop." "Clint Dempsey," yes, the soccer player who scored the only soccer goal in the World Cup; and yes, a very talented rap artist at that. "Kanjia" the future of regg-hop!!! "Balance" the Bay Area's Mixtape King, "Kaila Yu," the most popular female pop star on Myspace and a bunch of other stuff I can't talk about just yet =). 7. When can they see you live? What clubs coming up? You will catch me at all the Whips and Ice Magazine sponsored events which will start to take place in cities such as Portland, San Francisco and Las Vegas. My first event with them will be Oct. 11th at the Aura in Portland Oregon. Make sure to check out my page to see what else is going to be popping up =). 8. Tell us about your local music scene. Who are the top local artists? The top local artist in the Portland area would first have to start with NonStop. He's in his own class when it comes to being an artist/producer. Once you hear the mixtape we are dropping, you will soon understand why he's that good. Some other artists I've had a chance to work with that are also top local acts are "Hurshey," "Six," "Mikey Vegas," "S. Loyal," and "Monkmike." Much love and respect goes to "Coolnutz" who has helped paved the way for Portland's music. 9. What is a song that you hate to love? (Guilty pleasure) I'll play anything as long as it's hot; hey if they women love it, you gotta do it, right? 10. As a street marketing professional on the promotion side of the music industry, what suggestions do you have for independent or new artists in creating a buzz for themselves? And how can they get to you? As an independent artist it is very important that your product stands up to the world's competition. Everything from cover design to the quality of production has to be flawless, eye-catching and original in order to gain the respect and continues buzz you need to survive in this music game. Once that' is complete, you really need to do everything you can to get your music out. It doesn't matter how big or small the person is (ESPECIALLY DJS), you really need to touch as many people as you can to gain that street recognition. Most artists I come across usually do not understand how much time and effort you need to put into your projects, even after the product is complete. You can have the hottest record in your neighborhood, but can you make it anywhere else? You also want to be pushing a product that will stand out; I try to encourage artists I work with to really focus on the quality of their production. It's tough to get your music heard by the right person and if that first impression isn't perfect you may have lost out on a potential fan and/or investor, which you need as an independent artist. 11. What is the biggest obstacle you have overcome? For me being a MP3J has been a tough for the fact that I don't DJ on two turntables, but at the same time I've gained a lot of respect for sticking to what I do and I have overcome this. 12. Who were your influences growing up? The Bumsquad DJs', DJ Rectangle, Kid Capri, Tony Touch, DJ Vice, Z- Trip, DJ A-Track, DJ Revolution, Craze, Babu and of course Q-bert. 13. Who would you like to share the stage with? Who have you shared the stage with? I'd love to share the stage with all the DJ's I've listed above. I've shared the stage with all the top artists from Portland, in the Northwest, along with all the top DJ's in the Portland region; including DJ Juggernaught, DJ OG One, DJ Reckless, DJ Deathtouch, DJ Evil One, DJ Cy Style, and DJ Playtime. 14. Websites? www.vinylbreakers.com, www.bumsquaddjz.com, www.djghz.com, www.swurvradio.com 15. What else do you do besides DJ? And what are your typical working hours? I run a consultant firm and record pool with Vinylbreakers, where we focus on bringing new ultra-exclusive music to DJ's, artists/business development, and radio promotions. I also help manage the online activities for the Bumsquad DJz as they have been a huge part of making up who I am as a DJ. My average work day will usually start off from about 9 am until 2am; and yes I do sleep! 16. What has your experience on Myspace been like so far? How did you first hear of Myspace? Is there any individual or group of people that you would like to re-connect with; if so, who? I'm a Myspace addict! I can't live without it; as it's helped me grow tremendously as a DJ. It has been a huge promotional outlet and networking tool for my music and business. When I first started playing with Myspace I thought it would never get me anywhere, but at least with me, it's been a huge part of my DJing career. Hopefully I can get in touch with some of my DJ friends from Riverside, CA…hit yah boy up if you see this!! =)
www.myspace.com/djgigahurtz
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