Dj Mag Malaysia #003

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Exclusive: Meet the music director of W Bali Lift up with

Trance #motm winner 1 2th anniversary 3 days celebration

KL's very own hype man Through the festivals with Simply G Introducing AREA21 aka

Exclusive insight into Joey G's journey

The only way is up for RM 9.00

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PP 18496/052014 ( 033873)




Editor's Note EDITORIAL Writer

YASMEEN

yasmeen@djmag.my Graphic Designer

AMIR SHARIFUDDIN amir@djmag.my

Editorial Coordinator

FEERA ZAFIRA feera@djmag.my

MANAGERIAL Chairman

ISKANDAR OTHMAN Director of DJ Mag Malaysia

NORAZILAWATI Another new month, as mentioned in our previous issue we love to interact with our readers and get more personal. Our team is e x c i t e d t o a n n o u n c e o u r o f f i c i a l C l u b To u r commencing on May! Also another exciting news to share, we are launching DJ MAG membership cards for exclusives privelages to D J M AG m e m b e r s . We’ r e a l w ay s c o m i n g u p w i t h new ways to interact and provide better music experiences for our readers. See you next issue!

CEO DJ Mag Malaysia

KAMARUL ARIFFIN

SALES & MARKETING LUQMAN (Peninsular)

luqman@globalsoundmasters.com

ALVEEN (Borneo) alveen@djmag.my

Published By

YA S M E E N

DJ MAG ASIA ( 002489032 - T ) C-5-33A, 10 BOULEVARD, LEBUHRAYA SPRINT, PJU 6A, 47400 PETALING JAYA, SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA.

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Fresh Quotes 6 Dance Safe 10 Quicktake 12 Cover Story 16 Emcee of The Month 22 Artist and Career 24 DJ of The Month 26 Top 100 DJs 32 Who’s in Town 36 Club of The Month 42 Bar of The Month 46 What Went Down 48 Party Picture 52 Mixtape of The Month 60 Event Listing 62 Best of Sandakan 64 Discussion 66


Speak Up 68 EDM Producer 70 Gig Life Asia 72 Industry Insider 76 Through The Lens Tour Diary 80 Macau International Clubbing Show

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International Buzz 84


Fresh Quotes

I always have a great time in Asia, especially in Malaysia because they’re one the first in Asia to support me, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to be specific. -Hardwell, page 16

I could be working a 9 to 5 job and going home every single day but I’m like, ‘Oh, I was in K u a l a L u m p u r, I w a s i n T h a i l a n d , I w a s i n E u r o p e or something… - MAKJ, page 34

House is the best underground music - Marshall Jefferson, page 38

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Fresh Quotes

(Asia) one of my favourite places in the world, looking forward to sharing some new beats with you guys and partying! - Dyro, page 32

The Grammy nomination alone is insane, it was a huge shock to me. I was happy that it happened in the r e m i x c a t e g o r y, i t ’ s s o m e t h i n g I ’ v e dedicated my whole life to. - RAC, page 40

In the process, it’s a lot of fun interacting with my fans, seeing them excited gives me motivation. -Headhunterz, page 36

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MIXTAPE OF THE MONTH For the month of MAY, the selected genre is TECHNO. From 1st - 13th MAY

For more info :

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#djmagmalaysia #motm


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Dance Safe

An Event Producer’s Guide to Health and Safety Best Practices

The use of alcohol and other drugs is the norm at almost all events, and can have a very big impact on the health and safety of your patrons and even the success of the e v e n t i t s e l f.

arrest – keeps event producers in compliance with the law, places the emphasis on patron health, and allows enforcement to focus instead on stopping violent or dangerous b e h a v i o r.

While alcohol is legal and can be managed a n d d i s c u s s e d i n a s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d m a n n e r, addressing other drug use can be challenging for an event producer who does not want to be seen as encouraging or condoning drug use.

Medical

The fact is, a pragmatic approach to managing drug use at events can save lives. Not only this, but integrating thoughtful, comprehensive services for alcohol and other drug use will be appreciated by your patrons and, with the right communication, y o u r h o s t c o m m u n i t y. Improving Standard Services Enforcement Drug law enforcement at events is complicated. Police must enforce the law, but arrests do not prevent the majority of use or even sales. Meanwhile a drug arrest can have devastating consequences, negatively impacting an individual’s ability to keep or gain employment, housing or financial aid. Strong emphasis on enforcement can often lead to patrons consuming all their drugs b e f o r e e n t r y, a d a n g e r o u s p r a c t i c e . Events that make use of amnesty bins, where attendees have the option to surrender their d r u g s b e f o r e e n t r y, a r e a s t e p i n t h e r i g h t direction. Applying this philosophy at point of entry searches – where if a substance is found, the per- son has the option to surrender it rather than facing ejection or

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Good event preparation includes having advanced medical services onsite. Medical personnel should have festival medical experience and receive training on the variety of drugs used in party settings and their effects, including new psychoactive substances. Medical personnel should be aware of other support services and able to refer patrons to the right place within the event. An important contribution a well-trained medical team can offer is their ability to integrate seamlessly with drug education and onsite mental health services. Adding Needed Health Services Onsite Mental Health Medical teams are often asked to handle patrons requiring mental health support services. For example, someone who has had too much alcohol may become lost or separated from friends. Someone who has taken a psychedelic drug or MDMA may be disoriented or may be experiencing an emotional crisis. For patrons who are having a difficult experience, but are medically stable, an optimal practice is to incorporate trained mental health counselors, therapists or peers to sit with these individuals and p r o v i d e c o m p a s s i o n a t e c a r e . I d e a l l y, t h i s


Dance Safe should take place in a dedicated safe space separate from but located near the medical area. This enables medical teams to provide critical care for those who are actually in need. It also reduces unnecessary hospital transfers, arrests, and potentially additional trauma to patrons having difficulties. Education A responsible event producer reminds his or her patrons the possible risks of a l c o h o l a n d o t h e r d r u g u s e . Yo u n g p e o p l e i n particular are often poorly informed about b a s i c a l c o h o l a n d d r u g e f f e c t s a n d s a f e t y. Partnering with a nonprofit or local public health agency can help provide accurate information. Implementing peer-to- peer outreach services is also an effective evidence-based practice. Another practice that has been effective at reducing deaths and hospitalizations is drug checking for adulterants (also known as “pill testing”). This process allows people who use drugs to identify and avoid ingesting unknown substances to protect themselves. Drug checking results can be shared with patrons, medical and mental health workers, hospitals, and law enforcement to educate them about local trends and potentially harmful drug combinations. Help Navigating Relationships The most important thing you can do as you begin to integrate these services is to make sure you have supportive allies in your host community: city officials and law e n f o r c e m e n t i n p a r t i c u l a r. The organizations listed here have experience advocating for and implementing drug use management best practices and would be happy to help facilitate new relationships or help build on existing relationships.

access should not simply be “preferred” but r e q u i r e d s a f e t y s t a n d a r d s . S i m i l a r l y, t h e event layout itself should be assessed to designate a space away from stages where patrons can comfortably sit to allow for rest a n d r e c o v e r y. S i n c e b o t h l e g a l a n d i l l e g a l substances can increase heart rate and raise body temperature, event producers should consider voluntarily selling under set capacity limits and going beyond basic r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r f a n s a n d c o o l i n g . Ta k i n g actions like these will greatly reduce the incidence of medical emergencies, hospitalizations and deaths.

A Chance to Save Lives and Remove Barriers to Effective Drug Use Management While it is possible for some event producers to implement the services in this guide now, they would be better able to do so with key changes in national and state-level drug p o l i c y. A n i n c r e a s i n g n u m b e r o f p e o p l e outside of the event industry recognize this, including some who have been most tragically impacted by the event industry’s limitations on addressing drug use health a n d s a f e t y. Dede Goldsmith, a mother whose daughter died after taking MDMA and attending an event, is leading a campaign to Amend t h e R AV E A c t , f e d e r a l l e g i s l a t i o n t h a t has inadvertently prevented many event producers from taking steps to address drug use with maximum health and safety concerns in mind. If successful, this amendment would clear an even broader path for the services described in this guide. Please visit www.amendtheraveact.org to learn more about this campaign and how to lend your support.

Establishing Safe Settings Event producers already follow detailed procedures and event safety standards set by fire departments, licensing and permitting agencies, and industry groups like the E v e n t S a f e t y A l l i a n c e . H o w e v e r, a l c o h o l a n d other drug use adds additional risks these procedures and standards do not always take into account. Given that alcohol and many other drugs cause dehydration, services like free water

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Quicktake

the toraiz sp-16 sampler Pioneer DJ release their most ambitious product yet in collaboration with electronic maestro D a v e S m i t h - t h e T O R A I Z S P – 1 6 s a m p l e r. T h e T O R A I Z S P - 1 6 s a m p l e r a n d s t e p s e q u e n c e r i s featured music production tools for DJs and producers. Pioneer partnered with the legendary synth creator Dave Smith to add his Prophet-6 analogue filters, so you can give your creations a l i m i t l e s s , a n a l o g u e f l o w a n d p r e s e n c e . TO R A I Z S P - 1 6 ’ s s i m p l e l ay o u t a n d l a r g e t o u c h s c r e e n made easy for producing, or use it as a standalone unit in the DJ booth just load samples, create patterns, add FX, loops, and toggle their parameters to make your envisioned music alive.

M U LT I C O L O R P E R F O R M A N C E PA D S W I T H V E LO C I T Y M O D E Load up to 16 samples to the large rubber pads, then finger drum freely to layer sounds o n - t h e - f l y. The multicolour LEDs show what s a m p l e s a r e i n p l a y, w h i l e Ve l o c i t y M o d e a l l o w s y o u t o control the sample volume with the amount of pressure y o u a p p l y. 8 G B O F F L A S H M E M O R Y, REAL TIME PROCESSING ENGINE Yo u g e t m a x i m i s e p o w e r you need to play with 16 samples simultaneously – even when you’re using time stretch, pitch bend or the amp envelope. And with 8GB of flash memory you have enough space to use the TO R A I Z S P - 1 6 a s a s t a n d alone unit, with no need to take a laptop into the booth. 16 STEP SEQUENCER A 16-step sequencer lets you create up to 256 different patterns. Save and play back your loops in an instant, and use the dials to modulate the sounds. Plus the backlit buttons will reflect the colours assigned to each sound for a visual guide.

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P RO D J L I N K A N D M I D I C LO C K A d d t h e TO R A I Z S P - 1 6 t o y o u r C D J o r X D J s e t - u p u s i n g P r o D J Link and the sampler will snap your one-shots and loops to the b e a t o f t h e m a s t e r d e c k . Yo u c a n l a y e r m u l t i p l e s o u n d s o v e r your tracks and they will be in sync. The MIDI clock works so you can connect other devices via USB and stay in sync. Pioneer w i l l b e a d d i n g c o n n e c t i v i t y w i t h DAWs a n d s y n t h s s o o n ! D AV E S M I T H A N A L O G U E F I LT E R S

F U L L- C O L O U R T O U C H SCREEN

T h e TO R A I Z S P - 1 6 h a s t h e same analogue filters as Dave Smith’s renowned P r o p h e t - 6 s y n t h e s i s e r. U s e the dials to sculpt your sound by manipulating Drive, C u t O f f, R e s o n a n c e a n d a d d true analogue.

The 7-inch, full-colour touch display gives you instant access to all the info you need. Browse, select and colourcode samples i n t u i t i v e l y, while manipulating their parameters with the rotary dials just below the screen.


Quicktake

Retina Flash - enable the screen t o f l a s h t h r e e t i m e s b r i g h t e r.

240fps Slo-mo - super-smooth slow-motion video at 240fps (720p) and regular 120fps slowmotion (1080p)

M9 motion coprocessor with untethered “Hey Siri”

12-megapixel iSight Camera and ƒ/2.2 aperture. Redesigned chamfered edges Live Photos - animate as you swipe through y o u r p h o t o l i b r a r y.

2GB RAM 4K Video (3840 by 2160) at 30 fps

Better battery life for Internet usage and video playback. -13 hours of video playback, and 13 h o u r s o f I n t e r n e t u s e o n LT E and Wi-Fi.

Apple Pay - NFC chip and secure enclave allow Apple pay to be used on device.

Latest Bluetooth, version 4.2

A9 chip features an M9 motion coprocessor

Pure processor performance perspective - essentially an iPhone 6s in a smaller formfactor

Faster network speed - supports 802.11ac for Wi-Fi and features 19 LT E b a n d s w i t h a m a x i m u m s p e e d o f up to 150 Mps

iphone SE 13


Quicktake

serato pyro S e ra t o’ s l a t e s t m o b i l e a p p i s h e r e , P y r o i s a n a u t o m a t i c D J t h a t s e a m l e s s l y b e a t matches tracks on a playlist. The app combine your existing playlists, drag to reorder songs, and instantly send a song to the top of the queue, where it’ll begin to smoothly transition to the next song regardless of how different they sound. Easily find playlists sorted by genre to find the right music to suit your mood. Play all your saved playlists or stream over 30 million songs in Pyro with your Spotify Premium account. Spotify Premium users can enjoy Pyro playlists on Heat tab, handpicked by artists and labels across the globe. If you’re not sure w h a t t o l i s t e n t o n ex t , t r y o u t P y r o’ s i n t e l l i g e n t s u g g e s t i o n s t o ke e p t h e m u s i c playing continuously based on your music taste. When I look at those DJ apps, they’re still kind of complicated and still have a l e a r n i n g c u r v e , ” A J B e r t e n s h a w , S e r a t o ’ s C E O a n d c o - f o u n d e r. “ I w a n t e d t o create a true consumer product, something that anyone can use. It’s definitely dance music, hip hop, top 40s, and that kinda music that really this app is d e s i g n e d f o r a n d d o e s a n a m a z i n g j o b o f, ” s a y s B e r t e n s h a w . “ T h a t ’ s t h e k i n d o f m u s i c yo u ’d ex p e c t t o h e a r m i xe d b y a D J . It isn’t exactly DJing, but it’s purpose is to help you pick the right songs at the right moment with less hassle. “If you think this is taking the job of a DJ, then y o u d o n ’ t r e a l l y k n o w w h a t a D J d o e s ,” h e s a y s . I n s t e a d , h e s a y s , i t ’ s f o r w h e n you have a few friends over and “no one wants to be the guy up there DJing to f i v e p e o p l e .” Pyro is available on all iOS platforms including iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Apple Wa t c h o r f r e e f r o m t h e A p p S t o r e . A n A n d r o i d v e r s i o n s h o u l d a r r i v e s o o n t h e f u t u r e .

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THE LAUNCH OF

O F F I C I A L PA R T N E R

OFFICIAL VENUE

Hyped by: MC Krab SEAN BEAZZIE FRIDAY 13TH MAY

Line up : DJK LISSA QASH PENNIE NFJ KEITH MINTZ TRVP.Us YIKZZ 15


Cover Story

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Cover Story

There is no denying the mark this DJ and Producer has made in the dance music scene since he embarked on this musical journey in 2 0 0 5 . A d e c a d e l a t e r, t h e m e r e m e n t i o n o f H a r d w e l l ’ s n a m e b r i n g s a n eruption of thunderous applause and primal screams. In an industry saturated with talent, Robbert van de Corput stands a head above his peers, earning himself a position amongst the upper echelons o f d a n c e m u s i c h i s t o r y. H a r d w e l l h a s b e e n p u s h i n g h i s m u s i c t o t h e absolute limit as he discovers unexplored territory in his dance music playground. His trademark style is unquestionable as he pulls in throngs of fans, conquering clubs, arenas and airwaves. Although some may think his endeavors in various genres are far-fetched, he continues to slay as he churns out hit after hit. Ve r y f e w a r t i s t s i n t h e w o r l d h a v e a m a s s e d t h e c r e d e n t i a l s a n d accomplishments this Dutch superstar In such a short span of time i n t h e i n d u s t r y. H i s a c c e l e r a t e d r i s e t o s u p e r s t a r d o m i s t h e r e s u l t o f p u r e h a r d w o r k , d e d i c a t i o n a n d a b u r n i n g p a s s i o n f o r t h e i n d u s t r y. What started out as a fascination for electronica after watching a d o c u m e n t a r y a b o u t D J s o n D u t c h M T V, s o o n t u r n e d i n t o a n a m b i t i o n once enrolling into music oriented school. It wasn’t long before he was signed to his first record label and began DJing at clubs in and around The Netherlands. Hailing from Breda, it’s no surprise that Hardwell notes his biggest inspiration and mentor to be Tiesto who is a Breda native as well. A f t e r g a i n i n g r e c o g n i t i o n f r o m h i s b o o t l e g o f “ S h o w M e L o v e v s . B e ”, Hardwell took the leap and formed his own label, Revealed Recordings a y e a r l a t e r i n 2 0 1 0 . T h e f o l l o w i n g y e a r, H a r d w e l l l a u n c h e d h i s r a d i o s h o w a n d p o d c a s t H a r d w e l l O n A i r t h a t e a r n e d i t s s p o t o n i Tu n e s To p 10 Podcasts. It was also that very year that Hardwell rechristened the airwaves with “Zero 76” a collaboration with his mentor Tiesto that catapulted him into the ranks of industry hard-hitters. 2013 was a phenomenal year for the Dutch DJ who climbed to the much d e s e r v e d n u m b e r o n e s p o t o n D J M a g ’ s To p 1 0 0 R a n k i n g . T h e r a n k i n g made him the youngest DJ ever to grace the top of the list. Hardwell also launched his I Am Hardwell world tour alongside premiering his I Am Hardwell documentary at Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). The years following, Hardwell organized a massive event at Mumbai that had one of the biggest guestlist in the world, with all the proceeds of the event going to his United We Are Foundation that provides education to children in India, and he hopes to be able to expand this foundation to children around the world. In 2015, he released Revealed Recordings 200th track, ‘Mad World’ featuring Jake Reese and following a year in 2016, he released ‘Hollywood’ a dancefloor anthem with Afrojack.

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Cover Story DJ Mag ASEAN caught up with this superstar during the Malaysian l e g o f h i s ‘G o H a r d w e l l o r G o H o m e’ s h o w. E ve n a f t e r c l o c k i n g h u g e s u c c e s s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d , a n d e n d u r i n g o v e r 2 5 0 f l i g h t s p e r y e a r, H a r d w e l l w a s n o t h i n g s h o r t o f h u m b l e a n d o o z e d p o s i t i v i t y. I t w a s e v i d e n t h o w p a s s i o n a t e t h i s 2 8 y e a r o l d i s a b o u t t h e i n d u s t r y, h i s music and the young generation of the world. This dance music dynamo keeps hitting the home run and is paving the way for a new batch of artists and producers in his wake. With only 4 months into 2 0 1 6 , H a r d w e l l i s o n t h e v e r g e o f y e t a n o t h e r m a s s i v e y e a r. W i t h t h e r e l e a s e o f v a r i o u s n e w t r a c k s , a w o r l d t o u r, a n d r e s i d e n c i e s a n d quite possibly the beginning of another album, this Dutchman is on a fast paced journey to world domination and we can only stand on the sidelines and watch this star blaze.

1. Hi there! 2016 is looking to be yet another big year for you. 3 months into the year and you’ve released loads of new music, been on a tour bus, threw it down at Miami Music week and so many more. What more do you have planned for the rest of the year? I have a lot of plans for this year! I have a lot of new music; I’ve been really busy in the s t u d i o c r e a t i n g n e w s t u f f, w h i c h I ’ m r e a l l y exc i t e d a b o u t . T h e r e’ s a l s o my r e s i d e n c y i s I b i z a t h i s s u m m e r a g a i n . B a c k o n Tu e s d a y i n Ushuai Ibiza with a new concept, “Hardwell D N A”, e v e r y Tu e s d a y f r o m t h e 2 6 t h o f J u n e t i l l S e p t e m b e r. A n d b e s i d e s t h a t I ’ m s t i l l i n the middle of “I Am Hardwell, United We Are W o r l d To u r ”, w e ’ r e g o i n g t o c l o s e a f t e r t h e s u m m e r. I t h i n k a f t e r t h e S u m m e r I ’ m g o i n g to maybe start working on a new album. And l e t s s ay s i t ’ s b e e n t h r e e m o n t h s a n d w e’ ve g o t four releases and that would like continue on t i l l t h e e n d o f t h e y e a r.

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2 . Yo u ’ v e t e a s e d q u i t e a f e w c o l l a b s a n d a hardstyle solo. What direction do you see yourself heading to musically? E v e r y w h e r e ! A n d y o u k n o w w h y, I t h i n k d a n c e music has never been as interesting as it is right now. Everybody is super open-minded and the whole world is watching the EDM scene and everything is possible. I think you could tell if you watch the Ultra Miami Lineup, you have guys from Kygo to Jack U who are completely different and you have Carnage who was playing Hardstyle to my music to A r m i n V a n B u u r e n w h o p l a y s Tr a n c e m u s i c a n d it’s going all the way now. And as I mentioned, people are so open minded that you can e x p l o r e e v e r y g e n r e , c o m b i n e d i f f e r e n t s t u f f. The underground is getting more popular now and is getting more recognition, like the deep h o u s e a n d t e c h h o u s e s t u f f. I t h i n k e v e r y t h i n g is possible in 2016 and let’s see how the DJ’s and Producers will develop their sounds.


Cover Story

Because as a Producer I think we shouldn’t be scared about making one particular genre, for myself I’m going to explore all the different s t y l e s . A s y o u m e n t i o n e d a l r e a d y, H a r d s t y l e t r a c k , a n d I m e a n t o m e i t ’ s “ W h y n o t ? ”, t h a t ’ s the question, you can do everything you want right now. 3. Like you said, you’re exploring everything and you’re known for never doing the same thing twice. So where or how do you get inspired? Ye a , n e v e r. I t h i n k i t ’ s j u s t m y l o v e f o r m u s i c and my biggest inspiration is definitely my fans. When I play a show and see how fans react to my music, react to new music they n e v e r h e a r d b e f o r e . Yo u k n o w I t h i n k i t ’ s just love for music and going in the studio and not being afraid of trying new things. And of course you have die-hard fans that will not always be ready for change in your music but then again I will never let my fans down. I always go back to what I am known f o r. E v e r y t h i n g I d o , f o r e x a m p l e a h i p h o p track or EDM track, and you will always hear my signature in it. I believe in good music. Good music is good music no matter which genre it is. 4 . Yo u s p e n d s o m u c h t i m e o n t h e r o a d , where do you find the down time to create new music and what goes into the curating process? Well when I’m off I’m basically in the studio, when I’m not touring, I’m back in the studio working on new music and for me it’s not working. It’s a creative process you know, somebody is watching Netflix and I’m being in the studio making music. That’s what I love so much. It’s my favorite thing to do, so I never see it as work. 5. Speaking of down time, you’re constantly working or on the road touring and we even heard you design your own album art apart from owning and running your own label. How do you balance it all? Well, I think somebody once told me that if you love what you do and you love your work, you never have to work. I don’t see it as work. If I look at what I do, with all the flights I do, the time I travel, the time in the studio, my record label, my radio show, I work like 80 hours a week. But it’s not work for me because I love it so much. It’s just who I am, I love being surrounded by new talents, working with music and that’s not a secret, it’s what I love to do.

6. Congratulations on winning 6 awards at t h e I D M A’ s ! D o y o u t h i n k t h a t t h e s e a w a r d s and accolades come with a certain amount of pressure to constant produce bigger and better things? T h e r e’ s n o t r e a l l y p r e s s u r e . I k i n d o f h a d pressure initially when I became the number 1 for the first time under DJ Mag and after that I was so focused on the pressure and all the success that at that point I forgot about enjoying the beautiful moments that I’m into. I’m grateful that I can travel around the world and all my fans support me. Its not about focusing on awards or positions, it’s about life in general and enjoy what you’re d o i n g y o u k n o w . I t ’ s n o t g o i n g t o l a s t f o r e v e r, especially at this level. At this point im just enjoying what I’m doing and maybe that’s why I’m not afraid anymore of trying different things because you know what, Its my life I can do what I want! My die-hard fans will definitely support me. I’m in a really good position right now like I feel great, I’m happy with shows I can do, I’m happy with traveling the world, I’m happy with all that’s going on in the studio so yeah no pressure. I’m just enjoying it to the fullest. 7 . W i t h Av i c i i ’ s r e c e n t s u d d e n a n n o u n c e m e n t of retiring from the touring circuit and other DJ’s coming out to talk about their anxiety there certainly is more to what meets the e y e w i t h t h e i n d u s t r y. I t c l e a r l y i s n ’ t a l w a y s parties and fun. Do you have any advice for all the long nights and travels and the downs of the industry? Well, I can give a lot of tips of course but I think you should ask yourself what you really want you know. Do you want to become a world famous DJ and travel continuously around the world? And as you mention have those long days and long nights, like almost no sleep and a lot of traveling. For example, s o m e p e o p l e a r e a f r a i d t o f l y, h o w t h e n a r e you going to be a world famous DJ, you know I d o 2 5 0 f l i g h t s a y e a r. I ’ m n o t s a y i n g i t ’ s e a s y but sometimes it’s a tough job. But I love what I do; you will never hear me complaining about whatever I do.

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Cover Story I k n o w T i m ( Av i c i i ) a n d h e r e a l l y l ove s t o b e in the studio, but when you’re constantly traveling and traveling you don’t have the time to spend in the studio. And I really think his heart is in the studio so I get his decision. I think he just wants to spend more time in the studio doing what he loves and make music instead of constantly being on the road with no sleep. And the thing is if you sleep like two hours a night for a week and you then you come back to the studio and you finally want to make some music but you’re actually too tired. So I get his decision. The biggest tip I can give is to be satisfied with what you’ve achieved, and if your goal is really becoming a world famous DJ, then yeah it’s going to be hard. People always see the bright side like “Oh you’re always partying” and it’s hard, I can’t tell you, it’s really hard. 8 . Yo u ’ v e h a d q u i t e a w h i r l w i n d j o u r n e y i n t h e i n d u s t r y, t a l k t o u s a b o u t y o u r m o s t memorable moments. O h , i n m y c a r e e r, i t ’ s r e a l l y h a r d t o j u s t p i c k one though. I will definitely say becoming the number 1 DJ in the world in 2013, one of my most memorable moments. Because it was always like a goal for me to achieve that but on the other hand starting my own concerts, the I Am Hardwell shows. Even like the previous ones, its super weird, I’m just a DJ and all of the sudden people are going to buy tickets to see me? Especially the closing in M a d i s o n S q u a r e G a r d e n , N e w Yo r k , t h a t w a s d e f i n i t e l y o n e o f t h e h i g h l i g h t s o f m y c a r e e r, l i k e e v e r. E v e n t h e s e c o n d t i m e b u t t h e f i r s t time will be like super special you know. I think the documentaries are a highlight in m y c a r e e r, a n d I w o u l d s a y s t a r t i n g m y o w n foundation. The United We Are Foundation with the show we did in India, it’s definitely o n e o f t h e b i g h i g h l i g h t s i n m y c a r e e r. 9 . Ta l k t o u s a b o u t t h e i d e a b e h i n d s t a r t i n g United We Are Foundation. What really pushed me to start it was definitely India in the first place. When I did my I Am Hardwell show in India, it was p o u r i n g r a i n a n d i t w a s r e a l l y b a d w e a t h e r. When we drove to the festival site, I saw homeless kids seeking shelter underneath my billboard, it was like a big fancy billboard promoting the concert and it broke my heart. I had to go on stage and I was supposed to be happy and party with everybody but my heart broke you know, seeing those homeless kids under the billboard and it felt wrong. So I a l w a y s s a i d w h e n I c o m e b a c k t o t h i s c o u n t r y, I want to give something back and almost a

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year later I started my foundation. It’s great yo u k n o w, w e’ ve h e l p e d a l m o s t 2 0 , 0 0 0 k i d s getting education now and it’s something really beautiful that you can do with music. B e s i d e s r a i s i n g m o n e y, m u s i c u n i t e s s o m a n y people around the world and I think more DJs should use that unity to give something back t o t h e w o r l d . N o t o n l y e d u c a t i o n , t h e r e’ s s o many problems going on in the world and we can unite so many people all together and I think we should do some like that in the future. I’m going to continue my foundation, and not only in India but all around the world. And I think I want to use my success, my name and the power of music to do special things to the world. 1 0 . Yo u ’ v e b e e n i m m o r t a l i z e d a s a n a c t i o n figure in the US, did you ever think that would be something that would happen to you? No! Well Dillon Francis and Calvin Harris a r e b i g f a n s o f i t t h o u g h , h a h a h a ! Ye a h w e l l , actually it was never my idea to do that but I ’ m h a p p y. A s t h e y t o l d m e i t ’ s a r e a l l y b i g honor to make an action figure out of you so I ’ m h o n o r e d . B u t ye a h , n eve r t h o u g h t I ’d b e here. 1 1 . Yo u t r u l y s t a y v e r y c o n n e c t e d t o y o u r fans; do you think that that has played a huge role in cementing yourself in the upper echelons of dance music history? 100%, I always see my fans as my second f a m i l y. I d o n ’ t s e e m y f a m i l y t h a t o f t e n because I’m always traveling but I see my fans almost on a daily basis so it’s almost like a second family without my fans I would be a n o b o d y. M y f a n s a r e s u p p o r t i n g m y m u s i c , they are the reason I can travel around the world, and they see me at shows. It’s really i m p o r t a n t t o t r e a t t h e m l i k e a s e c o n d f a m i l y. I listen to my fans and that a different thing. A lot of DJs just post stuff on their Facebook promoting stuff but I think it’s important to be a ear for you fans as well. What do they want you know. For example my radio show, I l e t m y f a n s d e c i d e w h a t I ’ m g o i n g t o p l a y. But of course I’m going to play music they don’t know yet but even with my website. We kind of have our community and I listen to my fans, it’s always like giving something back. F o r e x a m p l e w i t h m y b i r t h d a y, I g a v e t h e m a free track. Just because they’re always supporting me, you know you have to treat y o u r f a n s i f i t ’ s y o u r b i r t h d a y. I a l w a y s t r y to help people, like 3 months ago, in Holland w e h a d D a n c e F a i r, I d i d a w o r k s h o p f o r upcoming producers, not only fans but there


Cover Story

are so many questions from producers and i t ’ s i m p o s s i b l e f o r m e t o a n s w e r e v e r y b o d y. So that’s why I do workshops and my label Revealed did workshops in Miami. And I think that’s how it should be you know, always about giving something back. Same as with the foundation, we have to give back, you can take a lot and the world is treating you nice but it’s about sharing that.

thing for dance music, 100%. Of course, there are a lot of countries really big in dance music but like Indonesia is getting really big, C h i n a a n d J a p a n r e a l l y c a t c h i n g u p . Yo u s e e the big festivals traveling over there right now so yeah, it’s beautiful to see that.

1 2 . Yo u ’ r e c u r r e n t l y o n t o u r i n t h e r e g i o n , how do you think fans in Asia compare to fans in other parts of the world?

100%! Within now and two years, people will forget everything and it’s all about Asia.

Asia has definitely one of the best fanbase around the world, they’re super dedicated. And they’ve been here since the very beginning especially Malaysia, I played here for the first time in 2009 or 2010, and I never played 7 years ago in the States. They’ve been supporting me since the very beginning and that’s what I like, that’s why I’m here tonight doing two shows instead of one. I always have a great time in Asia, especially in Malaysia because you’re the first in Asia to support me, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to be specific. And Asia is definitely the next big

13. So you think Asia is the next hub for dance music?

1 4 . I f y o u w e r e a g l a d i a t o r, w h a t w o u l d b e your theme song as you enter the gladiator arena? The Rocky anthem definitely! 15. What is your favorite Malaysian food? I d o n ’ t k n o w a c t u a l l y. I e a t a l o t o f R e n d a n g and other Indonesian cuisine, since 90% of my friends are Indonesian.

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Emcee of The Month

Sean Beazzie, better know by his stage name MC Beazzie, i s a h y p e m a n i n t h e p a r t y s c e n e . C u r r e n t l y, b e i n g a p a r t of his new group called, Spacestere. Beazzie is currently holding the residency spot in Fuze Club and Zion yet has c o l l a b o r a t e d w i t h d i f f e r e n t D J s t h r o u g h o u t h i s c a r e e r, p a r t n e r i n g w i t h D J E v a T, a n d a l s o p e r f o r m i n g a l o n g s i d e D J C h a c h i , N a s t y & G u r u , B AT E , a n d m a n y m o r e .

f a c e b o o k . c o m /s e a n b e a z z i e instagram.com/beazzie s o u n d c l o u d . c o m /s p a c e s t e r e o

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Emcee of The Month

1 . Te l l u s y o u r j o u r n e y t o w a r d s b e c o m i n g a n emcee. It has been half a decade since I stepped into this industry as an Emcee. Started o f f i n 2 0 1 0 w h e n I m e t m y m e n t o r Te r r y T who also a great Emcee that opened up the gate of opportunity for me, and brought me i n t o M i s t C l u b . H o w e v e r, a s a P e n a n g b o y, I used to travel up and down to KL every weekend just to get into club and see how Te r r y g e t s t h e j o b d o n e o n t h e m i c r o p h o n e . As time goes, what I have been doing is just seeking for opportunity to jam with different Djs whenever or wherever they p l a y, m o n e y w a s n ’ t t h e f i r s t m o t i v a t i o n back in those days but the passion that burn within got me pushing and keep improving e v e r y s i n g l e d a y. A l o n g t h e w a y, I ’ v e m e t Djs and Emcees that gave me tips on Mc-ing such as Hill Fung, Alvin J, Altimet and many more to be named. I would say the journey becoming an Emcee is not easy as it seems as I remembered back then I started off as a “Backup hypeman” , which means I only get t o t o u c h t h e m i c r o p h o n e w h e n Te r r y t o o k his washroom break and only if he allow me to take over the mic for one or two songs else I would not touch the mic without any permission as I believe it is a respect the Djs and Emcee who are on duty for that night.

party has inspired me the most before I was e v e n a n E m c e e . I n t e r n a t i o n a l l y, I l o o k u p t o MC Gee from UK who is one of the biggest MC in the electronic dance music scene. 5. Do you have a routine before a show to prepare yourself for a big performance? Ye s , d e f i n i t e l y a m u s t . A w a r m u p f o r m y vocal, which usually I’ll do it in my room, hotel rooms or in my car because people m i g h t t h i n k I ’ m w e i r d i f I d o i t p u b l i c l y. I t sounds somewhat like a choir vocal and I would usually do some freestyle with some p a r t y l i n e s t o o . S e c o n d l y, s t r e t c h i n g e x e r c i s e is a must to get myself ready physically as I usually move and jump a lot especially when it comes to big stage performances. 6. Which relatively new local emcee have you been eyeing? There is one guy I have been always aware of his come up. MC Ashtin because I believe h e h a s t h e w h o l e p a c k a g e , h i s v o c a l , e n e r g y, the capability to freestyle and his ability to adapt to any kind of music. 7. What’s your favourite milestone in your career?

My plan for 2016 is to focus on my very o w n c r e w “ S PA C E S T E R E O ” t o g e t h e r w i t h Punjabeatz and Big john as we are moving into productions and hopefully we could have the opportunity to perform by the e n d o f t h e y e a r. S e c o n d l y, I a m f o c u s i n g on getting back on tour with my very own p a r t n e r D J E VA T w h o i s m a k i n g a c o m e b a c k t h i s y e a r.

My favourite milestone would be the 2012 which is the year I started my weekly r e s i d e n c y i n Ve r t i g o K L e v e r y Fr i d a y w h e r e I believe this club gave me a platform to be known and it has led me to many other opportunity such as gigs in different cities like Penang, Malacca, Ipoh, Johor and East Malaysia. Another reason I would claim 2012 was the best milestone for me is because I get to be on tour for Hennessy shows and given a chance to perform in Hennessey artistry with Dj Nasty and Guru.

3. How would you describe your emcee experience?

8. Any tips for new and upcoming aspiring emcees?

T h e e x p e r i e n c e w a s f u n , f r o m c i t y t o c i t y, clubs to small festivals where I could have the opportunity to meet a lot of great people, great artists in the industry and better yet, I’ve learnt a lot from mc-ing such as crowd observation, hosting and most i m p o r t a n t l y, i t r e a l l y h e l p s a l o t o n b u i l d i n g self-confidence.

The first and most important tip I would like to advice the upcoming emcees is to be humble when you’re rising up. Be open minded to learn, as the trends are everc h a n g i n g i n t h e i n d u s t r y, t h i s c o u l d a l l o w you to be versatile and sustain longer in y o u r c a r e e r. G e t o u t f r o m y o u r c o m f o r t z o n e and make changes to your performance from time to time.

2. What’s your plans for 2016?

4. Who has inspired you the most in the industry?

9 . T h r e e t h i n g s yo u c a n’ t l i ve w i t h o u t .

L o c a l l y, d e f i n i t e l y w o u l d b e M C Te r r y T. W h e n I f i r s t m e t h i m , h i s e n e r g y, h i s v o c a l and the showmanship that he brought to the

1 . F a m i l y i s a l w a y s m y p r i o r i t y. 2 . M o n e y, l e t s b e r e a l , w e a l l n e e d i t . 3. Music, it is like the rhythm to my soul.

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Artist & Career

F r o m t h e r o y a l c i t y o f A m p a n g , b r i n g i n g f r e s h Te c h n o , P r o g r e s s i v e , Tr a n c e & B i g R o o m beats, Hard Sham made a name for himself by his award achievements, DJ Battle Grand F i n a l e P o p T h e B e a t ( K L TO W E R ) i n 2 0 1 3 a n d U b e r m a n D J C o m p e t i t i o n TO P 5 a t ZO U K C L U B K L . H e ’ s a l s o a j u n i o r p r o t r a i n e r i n t h e f i t n e s s i n d u s t r y. R e a d t o g e t t o k n o w m o r e about his breakthrough.

1 . Te l l u s y o u r j o u r n e y t o w a r d s b e c o m i n g a DJ. I started my adventure when I was 17 as an EDM fan. I learned about DJing on Yo u t u b e a n d t h r o u g h f r i e n d s . I n 2 0 1 0 I spin at a few parties just using Virtual Dj, few months after that I upgraded to CDJ. My track list is inspired most by Dash Berlin, king of vocal trance. My journey just started, you will see more from me. 2. What’s keeping you busy in 2016? T h i s y e a r, l a m m o r e f o c u s o n m y o w n career as a personal t r a i n e r, gym instructor and fitness ambassador for a few fitness brand, As to what I’m doing now, I train and consult people who want to live in healthy life, weight loss, body building and women’s sculpting. I’m also busy doing my own diet class and shooting for video and be as an ambassador for a Fitness Product. 3. Are you working on any tracks for the time being? Not yet but more on mashup and re-work. I’m more busy on my fitness work and I don’t have time to produce at the moment b u t p l a n n i n g t o b y t h e e n d o f t h i s y e a r. 4. How long does it take to produce a track? Depends on how much time you spend o n i t . F o c u s i s k e y, i f y o u ’ r e o u t o f i d e a s . In my opinion, its hard to find the right m e l o d y.

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5. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never attended your gigs? Since back then I’m more focused on vocal trance but nowadays the demand from crowd is more hard beats and dancing. So I decided to change my vibe and sound to big room and electro progressive but still keep the trance element in every each track. 6. Which DJ/Producer inspired you the most? Dash Berlin, I re-edit a few tracks and did some reworks on it on one of Dash Berlin track. Better Half of Me. 7. Which relatively new local DJ’s have you been listening to or enjoying recently? MisterAriffin, Samuel Dan, Chukiess & W h a c k b o i , C a s s i e D a n d H a r d B o y. 8. What do you think about the EDM scene in Malaysia? A few years ago, the edm scene was incredible but after the crowd started to attend the festival and consumption of illegal substance, everything is corrupted. A lot of people died during the festival. Even our local events is canceled by the government and all politicians start to get involved. We as Malaysians who love the edm scene should never give up and we still work together to save the rave. We look forward to take our scene back, c l e a n a n d a l i v e w i t h a n e w j o u r n e y.


Artist & Career

facebook.com/hardsham instagram.com/hardsham soundcloud.com/hardsham t w i t t e r. c o m / h a r d s h a m

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DJ of The Month

GENRE : House Music

facebook.com/joeyghaz instagram.com/joeyghaz soundcloud.com/joeyghaz mixcloud.com/jghazlan t w i t t e r. c o m / j o e y g h a z w w w .y o u t u b e . c o m / c h a n n e l g h a z z i

J o e y G a f i g u r e w i t h o u t s t a n d i n g b a c k g r o u n d i n T V, m u s i c , r a d i o a n d live performances combined with a career spanning more than a decade in corporate, lifestyle and music events. We reckon Joey has achieved possibly everything he can yet he is not slowing down anytime soon. We had a nice chat with Joey G as he shares his personal experiences.

1 . Te l l u s y o u r j o u r n e y t o w a r d s b e c o m i n g a D J . My journey towards becoming a DJ started in London during the early 90’s. I learnt how to DJ when I was 13 with belt drive turntables called Soundlabs. I spent months in frustration trying to get a mix right, I only knew of two other people that knew how to mix and there was no such t h i n g a s Yo u t u b e b a c k t h e n . I m a n a g e d t o f i n a l l y f i g u r e i t o u t a n d t a u g h t myself beat matching, which then led to playing in bar’s across the west e n d o f L o n d o n b e f o r e i w a s e v e n o l d e n o u g h t o b e i n a b a r. L o l . I m o v e d t o Malaysia and continued to pursue my passion... That was 20 years ago on A u g u s t 2 n d o f t h i s y e a r. 2 . W h a t ’ s ke e p i n g yo u b u s y i n 2 0 1 6 ? A ny exc l u s i ve s yo u ’d l i ke t o s h a r e ? T h e r e a r e m a n y g r e a t t h i n g s h a p p e n i n g t h i s y e a r. A F O R a d i o i s l o o k i n g into expanding with a second studio to be located in KL . The team is really excited about that. There are some new things in the works however I don’t think it’s a good time to share anything but I’ll be sure to update DJ Mag when its time.

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DJ of The Month

3. What else keeps you busy these days? Events, hosting and performing... Patricia and I have a 3 month mini series e v e n t k i c k i n g o f f i n M a y. I t w i l l t a k e p l a c e o n c e a m o n t h t i l l J u l y a t t h e n e w e s t h o t s p o t i n t o w n , M a n t r a R o o f To p B a r. T h a t ’ s a b o u t a l l I c a n s a y on that at the moment, hope to see DJ Mag for the launch party happening on May 10th. 4. How long does it take to produce a track? Anything from 1 hour to a couple of days. Some days you can be on a roll and it will seem like everything you do sounds good, other days your ears can be completely tuned off and nothing sounds good at all. I prefer the l a t t e r. M o s t o f m y o w n p r o d u c t i o n s j u s t c o m e o u t o f n o w h e r e . . . I t s l i k e f e e l i n g s o m e s o r t o f v i b e a n d b o o m , y o u g o t a t r a c k o r, w h a t y o u t h i n k i s a track. 5. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never attended your gigs? I like to play music that has groove and makes you wanna nod your head and shake your ass. Sometimes it depends on the environment. If I was playing outdoor or a big room then I would play more of a festival set. If I was playing a launch event or a fashion event I would play more nu disco, funk, deep house and maybe some chill house. If I’m playing at a venue known to be an underground club then I would most likely play a set of tech house and techno. I like and play a wide range of dance music. 6. Which DJ/Producer inspired you the most? I think that title has to go to the one and only Carl Cox, I have always l ove d t h e v i b e h e b r i n g s t o a r o o m w h e n h e’ s p e r f o r m i n g . H e h a s b e e n a n d will always be my favourite DJ. Its hard to pick a single producer that inspires me because there are so many across different genres of music. I could sit here and write a list as long as this page. 7. What are the biggest influences in the tracks you produced? I t s h a r d t o s a y r e a l l y, s o m e t i m e s I m i g h t b e i n s p i r e d b y a c e r t a i n s o u n d , r i f f o r m e l o d y. I t h i n k I a m i n s p i r e d b y t h e s o u n d s f r o m m y s o f t w a r e . I l i k e to just scroll through my plug ins until I hear a sound that sticks out to me and then i get working on it. 8. What do you think about the EDM scene in Malaysia? There are two sides to the EDM scene in Malaysia. I wish it was easier for local festivals organised by local people for local artists. On the other hand certain quarters in the local EDM scene are doing very well and they are doing their best at bringing the most exciting international DJ’s to Kuala Lumpur which is awesome. 9. If you were to lose your hearing tomorrow, what would be the last 3 tracks you would want to hear? O h m a n , t h a t i s r e a l l y h a r d t o a n s w e r. I t m o s t l i k e l y w o u l d n ’ t b e a n y t h i n g dance music. 10. What’s your secret talent? I can’t tell you that or it wouldn’t be a secret.

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DJ of The Month

GENRE : Electro House / Deep House F u t u r e H o u s e / B o u n c e / Tr a p

f a c e b o o k . c o m / D j .T i g e r M i n g mixcloud.com/tiger-ming

Tiger Ming is an up and coming DJ in the local dance music scene. His thriving passion for his music and his unique blend of sound has garnered him quite a following in the club circuits. K n o w n f o r h u r l i n g h i s a u d i e n c e i n t o a r h y t h m i c f r e n z y, T i g e r M i n g i s d e f i n i t e l y o n e t o l o o k o u t f o r. 1 . Te l l u s y o u r j o u r n e y t o w a r d s b e c o m i n g a D J I t a l l s t a r t e d w h e n I w a s 1 7 , I w a s a k i d w h o h a d s o m u c h o f p a s s i o n a n d l ove f o r d a n c e m u s i c . O n e d a y I w a s t o l d b y a g o o d f r i e n d o f m i n e , “ W h y d o n ’ t y o u t r y t o b e a D J ? Yo u h a v e g o o d t a s t e i n m u s i c , a n d t h e r e i s g r e a t p o t e n t i a l i n y o u . M y b a r i s h i r i n g .” S o I d e c i d e d t o g i v e i t a t r y, a n d h e r e I a m ! I f o u n d m y s e l f. I n t h i s j o u r n e y, I h a d m a n y t r y i n g t i m e s b u t I d i d n o t g i v e u p . I ’ v e l e a r n e d t h a t p r a c t i c e m a k e s p e r f e c t a n d h a r d w o r k p a y s o f f. F o r m e b e i n g a D J i s n o t about trying to get a title or fame, I’m just doing it for the love of music. 2. Are you working on any tracks for the time being? Not at the moment, but I will very soon. I’m working something out with some of our local producers, and produce a collaboration. Hopefully we can showcase it soon! 3. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never attended your gigs? E n e r g e t i c f l a v o u r f u l , a n d e x t r a o r d i n a r y. T h e s e a r e t h e w o r d s I a l w a y s h e a r f r o m p e o p l e w h o a t t e n d m y g i g s . Yo u c a n e x p e c t a l o t o f Tr a p a n d B a s s i n m y s e t s . I ’ m a l s o d r a w n t o d e e p a n d underground sounds. I play a lot of my own mash-ups and edits as well, and I think that’s what makes my sets different. 4. Which DJ/Producer inspired you the most? There are few DJs I always listen to like Diplo, Porter Robinson, Deadmau5, Jauz.. But the one inspired me the most is Skrillex. This guy is a genius, and the energy he has is superb. He does not care about what people thinks about him, he just do whatever he likes and yet r e m a i n h u m b l e . 5. What do you think about the EDM scene in Malaysia? In my honest opinion, the industry was doing well up until 2014 before tragedy struck at F M FA . S i n c e t h e n t h e E D M s c e n e i n M a l a y s i a h a s f a c e d s o m e s e t b a c k s b u t I t h i n k i t i s s t a r t i n g t o p i c k u p a g a i n . M y o n l y h o p e i s t h a t i n t h e f u t u r e w e o n l y g e t b i g g e r a n d b e t t e r. M y m e s s a g e to my fellow Malaysians is to please support your locals acts because that would mean the world to us!

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DJ of The Month

facebook.com/flikswitch soundcloud.com/flikswitch c l a s s i c . b e a t p o r t . c o m /a r t i s t / f l i k s w i t c h t r a x s o u r c e . c o m /a r t i s t / 6 7 1 2 7 / f l i k s w i t c h r e s i d e n t a d v i s o r. n e t / d j / f l i k s w i t c h

GENRE : D e e p h o u s e / Te c h H o u s e / Te c h n o

B o r n a n d b r e d i n t h e d y n a m i c c i t y o f K u a l a L u m p u r, F l i k s w i t c h m a d e h i s r o u n d s i n t h e t h r i v i n g c l u b b i n g c i r c u i t i n t h e K L c i t y, s c o r i n g a n u m b e r o f g i g s a t c o v e t e d c l u b s l i k e N a g a b a K L , M a r k e t p l a c e a n d m a n y m o r e . Yo u c a n b e t h e h a s m o r e t h a n j u s t a b a g o f t r i c k s u p h i s s l e e v e . 1 . Te l l u s y o u r j o u r n e y t o w a r d s b e c o m i n g a D J . Growing up, I always aspired to be a maker of music. I was schooled in classical music, exposed from young and I was encouraged by my old folks to pursue my passion. I fell in love with house music and decided I want to express myself in this soulful style. I studied audio engineering as an opportunity to make that come true. Started playing at small gigs and warmup at parties. My career as a DJ/Producer didn’t really kick off until I was awarded by C H O O N S 2 0 1 0 P r o d u c e r o f T h e Ye a r. A f t e r t h a t , t h e r e s t , a s t h e y s a y i s h i s t o r y. N o w i t s t h e boys and I at House Department, doing what we do best. 2. Which DJ/Producer inspired you the most? I always find these kind of questions interesting and almost impossible to answer because t h e r e a r e w a y t o o m a n y a n d t h e r e c a n n e v e r b e o n l y o n e . I f d i s c u s s i n g l o c a l l y, I h a v e a l w a y s l o o k e d u p t o D J a n d b u d d i e s , D J H i g h t e c h , V i c t o r G , A l a m , R a y s o o a n d Te r e n c e C w h o h a v e always encourage my music. They inspire me the most. However if I were to pick one, I would h a v e t o s a y J o r i s Vo o r n , h a n d s d o w n , p u r e c l a s s . I a s p i r e t o b e l i ke h i m a n d h e h a s i n f l u e n c e d m e i n s h a p i n g m y s t y l e a n d m u s i c a l i t y. 3. Are you working on any tracks for the time being? Oh yes, I’m making new music all the time. I’m always on beast mode, and most of the time I’ll be in the studio with music buddy DJ Hightech. As of now, I’m working on a few things at the time being, some originals, others are remixes and collabs. My last release ’Suatu Senja’ with D J H i g h t e c h m a n a g e d t o c h a r t o n t h e Tr a x s o u r c e D e e p H o u s e To p 1 0 0 r e c e n t l y a n d w e h a v e more music scheduled to be released very soon. I have big hope for all the on-going music projects I am involved in right now so stay tuned! 4. Which relatively new local DJ’s have you been listening to or enjoying recently? I can definitely say without a doubt, there have been some exciting dance acts emerging in t h e l o c a l s c e n e l a t e l y. T h e r e s l i k e a b o o m i n - t e r m s o f n e w t a l e n t i n t h e l o c a l u n d e r g r o u n d dance scene, coming up with good music all the time. I’m not sure whether these names is particularly new as DJs, but as a producer I really like the new music by our local guys like H a d i i d , A r z u k a n d e s p e c i a l l y I Z T. T h e y r e p r e s e n t a n e w m o v e m e n t i n t o p q u a l i t y p r o d u c e d deep house, progressive house and techno music. Check em out. 5 . T h r e e t h i n g s yo u c a n’ t l i ve w i t h o u t . Always my favourite question, the answer is always going to be the same: I can’t live without m y l a p t o p f u l l o f m y e n t i r e m u s i c , m y w i f i a n d m y w h a c k y t a b a c k y.

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DJ of The Month

i n s t a g r a m . c o m /d j b r i a n b 1 2 3 t w i t t e r. c o m / k i l l e r z o m b i e 1 2 3 mixcloud.com/brianooi123

GENRE : EDM / R&B

Another uprising DJ making a name for himself in the local scene, from Langkawi. DJ MAG Malaysia had a quick chat on his recent undertakings. He has been consistent in fulfilling offers from many well-known clubs, recently he had an international offer to perform at Cambodia and that just proves that he is on the right track to a strong career portfolio. He s h o w s h i s v e r s a t i l i t y a s a n e n t e r t a i n e r, h e i s c u r r e n t l y a c t i v e l y i n v o l v e d a s a VJ t o a b r a n d new online TV program Starlive Malaysia. Read on to get personal with Brian B. 1 . Te l l u s y o u r j o u r n e y t o w a r d s b e c o m i n g a D J . W h e n I w a s 1 6 , I d e c i d e d t h i s i s m y c a r e e r s o I a p p l i e d a n d j o i n a D J A c a d e m y. M y i n s t r u c t o r was DJ Fuzz, #1 HipHop Artist/DJ in Malaysia and it was a pleasure learning from someone who has been in the industry for many years. After that I went back to Langkawi for some g i g s a n d e v e n t s . M y f i r s t r e s i d e n c y w a s i n S a b a h Ta w a u i n 2 0 1 4 . A f t e r b e i n g a D J f o r 3 y e a r s , I have performed at 21 clubs in Malaysia, including international as well. My goal as a DJ is t o ex p r e s s my m u s i c t o t h e w o r l d a n d I ’d l ove t o t rave l t h e w o r l d t o m e e t n e w k i n d s o f p e o p l e and gain more experience. 2. Which DJ/Producer inspired you the most? T h e r e ’ s s o m a n y, I ’ d s a y M a r t i n G a r i x , H a r d w e l l , T j r a n d D V B B S . 3. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never attended your gigs? My sound makes people dance and I believe my music brings energy to the dance floor! My sound has mixed genre, regardless it makes people go wild and party hard. 4. Which relatively new local DJ’s have you been listening to or enjoying recently? GoldFish & Blink is by far my favourite DJ. 5 . T h r e e t h i n g s yo u c a n’ t l i ve w i t h o u t . 1. My phone. 2 . M y m o n e y. 3. My party people that supports me.

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asiaartistagency@gmail.com

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#27

This Dutch DJ exploded onto the dance music scene three years ago and in that short span of time he has definitely outdone h i m s e l f. W i t h a s t a g g e r i n g r a n k i n g o f 2 7 o n t h e D J M a g To p 1 0 0 list, Dyro is making hits and taking names. Helming his own i n d e p e n d e n t r e c o r d l a b e l , W O LV R e c o r d s , b e c o m i n g a m a i n s t a g e m a i n s t a y, p r o d u c i n g c h a r t t o p p i n g h i t s a l l w h i l e t o u r i n g t h e world, this DJ is on his way to world domination. We at DJ Mag ASEAN recently caught up with Dyro to talk about juggling his work and what’s his secret to his early success.

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1 . H i t h e r e ! L e t ’ s t a l k a b o u t y o u r c a r e e r, h o w did it all start out? We hear you originally studied design, at what point did you decide that music was the path for you? I was making beats in my bedroom for a long time back in Holland, experimenting and putting them on Soundcloud before one of them found their way to Hardwell and was p l a y e d a t E l e c t r i c Z o o i n N e w Yo r k . I s t a r t e d taking it a lot more serious then, realising t h a t I c o u l d d o t h i s a s a c a r e e r. 2. How has 2016 been treating you so far? What can fans expect from you this coming year?

Signing, mastering, distributing, premieres, interviews – there is a lot that goes on without even scratching the surface, that has definitely made me even more informed about the industry even though I’ve been producing for a few years, you know? 7. How would you describe your sound to someone who has yet to hear it? Energetic, dark, non-conformist

It’s been crazy! I played my debut show on the U LT R A m a i n s t a g e l a s t m o n t h a t M u s i c W e e k which was insane and I’ve been concentrating o n m y l a b e l W O LV, l i n i n g u p t h e n e x t r e l e a s e s and plans for the future of that. A lot of new festivals I’m excited to be playing at like Sziget in Budapest, line-up looks sick! 3 . Yo u e x p l o d e d o n t o t h e s c e n e i n 2 0 1 3 a n d three years on, you’ve already got your own l a b e l W O LV R e c o r d s u p a n d r u n n i n g . W h a t made you want to start up the independent label? I was basically getting bored of the same sounds, the same BPM’s all following these certain conventions in the scene. I wanted to experiment with new sounds and styles a n d s e t t i n g u p m y l a b e l W O LV g a v e m e t h e freedom to do that, but I could also discover these sick new artists with tracks that I want to sign. 4. With mainstage mainstays, global tours, chart topping hits and your own label, all at 24, how do you manage to juggle them all? It’s important to have a good team around you but most importantly I have goals, work hard and have fun whilst doing it. 5. Following up on the above, what is your secret to success at such a young age? Again, work hard and have fun, believe in what you’re putting out into the world. 6. Has owning your own independent label changed the way you work as an artist or the way you view the industry? Ye s , d e f i n i t e l y. T h e r e i s a l o t o f b e h i n d t h e scenes admin and work that goes on for a long time before a track even makes it online.

8. What direction are you planning on taking your music in in 2016? I’m going to keep experimenting on more r e l e a s e s d u e t o c o m e o u t t h i s y e a r, m a y b e a n EP and a few more collaborations… 9 . Ta l k u s t h r o u g h t h e c r e a t i v e p r o c e s s o f producing one of your hits. What goes into the making of your tracks? There are so many different aspects that it v a r i e s f o r e a c h t r a c k r e a l l y, b u t r e f i n i n g i t all down in the studio is important to me as the foundation. Then I can take a track for remixes, live edits, whatever I feel. 10. What would you say are the three most important things every producer should know? Know what kind of music you want to make. Yo u k n o w , i t ’ s l i k e I h a v e e x p e r i m e n t e d w i t h d a r k e r, g r i t t i e r s o u n d s t h a t m a y h a v e i s o l a t e d a few of my earlier fans that were into that more progressive sound, but I know I want to make and what direction I want to go in, that’s important. 11. If you could form the ultimate DJ trio with two other DJs, who would they be? Conro and Martin Garrix, one artist bubbling through and one still exploding within our scene… 12. Do you have anything final to say to your fans in Asia? One of my favourite places in the world, looking forward to sharing some new beats with you guys and partying!

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#83

#83

All the way from California, Mackenzie Johnson popularly known as MAKJ is making more than just mixes and has a well-known presence on social media. Once upon a time, he was racing cars professionally in China and t o d a y h e i s r a n k e d # 8 3 o n t h e D J M a g To p 1 0 0 p o l l t h i s y e a r. B u t , h e doesn’t just stop right there! We caught up with MAKJ recently so read our interview for more.

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1. Hi Mack, you started your DJing at 15 which is such an early age, how did you get into DJing and mixing back then? N o w , i f y o u t h i n k a b o u t i t , i t ’ s n o t t h a t e a r l y. I mean we can see Martin Garrix right? I was actually living in Macau, so like 15, 16 and 17 I would like go out to the clubs and I really found a passion through the nightlife in Macau. People know Macau like the Las Ve g a s o f A s i a . T h a t ’ s k i n d o f h o w i t s t a r t e d , it ended up with me going back to The States and I became a DJ. 2. Now that you are always busy travelling and touring, what do you miss the most about California? 100% my family and my girlfriend. It’s one of those things, where nowadays I only work for 10 days and I go home because I really take value of my family and I used to not – which sucks – I used to do these really long tours where I used to be on the road for like 30-40 days straight. Now, this one is only 7 days. It really keeps your mind set to not go insane I guess, because I’m always spending time with m y t o u r m a n a g e r, i t ’ s f u n , i t ’ s t h e l i f e b u t y o u gotta balance it with family and friends. 3. What do you feel has been your biggest achievement so far in your musical career? Working with a lot of good artists, meeting a lot of cool people and definitely playing in a lot of clubs. But I really think taking that whole aspect of working with a lot of people and travelling around the world I feel like that is achievement for me. I’m able to DJ, travel around the world and meet so many people a r o u n d t h e w o r l d . To m e , t h a t i s a c h i e v e m e n t b y i t s e l f. I c o u l d b e w o r k i n g a 9 - 5 j o b a n d going home every single day but I’m like, ‘Oh, I w a s i n K u a l a L u m p u r, I w a s i n T h a i l a n d , I w a s i n E u r o p e o r s o m e t h i n g … ” To m e , t h a t ’ s m y biggest achievement for sure!

A festival isn’t just a place for DJ’s to just go p l a y, I r e a l l y l i k e t o l e a r n .

5. Where do you see the future of dance music? Maybe I would like to see more intimate vibe events, but the festivals are still amazing. 6 So, apart from electronic dance music, what else entertains you in your free time? I exercise a lot! I try have my fitness come before a lot of things. Where I live in C a l i f o r n i a i t ’ s v e r y o u r d o o r - s y, s o I ’ m a l w a y s out a lot and that’s what takes up most of my time. Of course sitting behind the computer and doing music so I try balancing those things with fitness and sitting behind the computer and not getting fat. 7. Yo u collaborated with Suavecito l a s t S e p t e m b e r, t e l l u s m o r e a b o u t t h i s collaboration and why you decided to put your name on hair pomade? Those guys are really cool, they’re based out of Santa Ana, California and it’s a really cool culture you know, like the whole kind of low r i d e r, H i s p a n i c , r e a l l y s l e e k h a i r c u t . W h e n I w e n t t o To k y o I s a w a l o t o f g u y s w e a r i n g Suavecito, an artist was like, “let me design your can for you and we can put it out as your o w n c a n .” I t h o u g h t i t w a s r e a l l y c o o l , I u s e the product and it smells really good. I like knowing that I have my own hair pomade.

4. With recent news of major festivals being cancelled, what do you think is the next big thing for dance music?

8. If you could only end your sets with one s a m e t r a c k f o r t h e r e s t o f y o u r c a r e e r, w h a t would it be and why?

I honestly do not know. A festival isn’t just a p l a c e f o r D J ’ s t o j u s t g o p l a y, I r e a l l y l i k e t o learn. But, it’s just one of those things that you don’t know what’s next because EDM just grew so fast.

I usually play a lot of wired enders, like classic rock enders. But I’m probably gonna have to go with… that’s a hard one… Hmmm, some Bob M a r l ey o r s o m e r e g g a e t h e k i n d a “d r i ve s a f e , g e t h o m e s a f e” k i n d a t h i n g , yo u k n o w ?

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Who's in Town

Hardstyle pioneer HeadHunterz has featured at essentially every major hardstyle festival Qlimax, Defqon.1 and Q-Base just to name a few, he has also p l a y e d a t E D C Ve g a s a n d C o a c h e l l a . 2 0 1 5 s e t a c h a n g e i n s t y l e H e a d h u n t e r z switched from hardstyle to progressive house.

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Who's in Town

1. What are your plans for 2016?

6. How do you manage while on tour?

I usually don’t talk a lot about my plans, I prefer just doing it and showing the results to people. I don’t like creating expectations t o o t h e r p e o p l e a n d a l s o m y s e l f. M y g o a l s a r e k e p t t o m y s e l f, b u t t h e l e a s t I c a n s a y i s t h e r e are a lot of new music coming out soon to look o u t f o r.

I take care of myself in the best way possible. I listen to my body and pay attention to rest when I need to. I don’t push to myself to the limit but on tour it does get the best of me. So then, I recover before working back in the studio. I do meditations and take time off to relax my mind. I know what to do since I’ve grown accustomed to it over the years. T h e r e’ s n o r e a l t r i c k , j u s t l i s t e n i n g t o yo u r b o d y.

2 . Te l l u s y o u r i n t e n t i o n o f Wednesday on your Instagram.

Work

Flow

I practiced making over the years, to grow as a person I had the urge to help people. The thing I know best is music, trying to do something without expecting anything in return. I made more my social media more personal and giving tips combine with photos. In the process, it’s a lot of fun interacting with people, seeing them excited gives me motivation.

7. What tracks personality?

best

describe

your

Lift me up. That’s the way I see myself right now, more laid back. I’m very energetic on stage but I’m actually a sensitive person, or y o u c o u l d s a y I h a v e s o f t p e r s o n a l i t y.

3. How’s the producing process like for you? Producing music is a really difficult thing, it took me many years to get a grip of how to do it. Over the years, I divide the process i n t o p a r t s . E v e n t u a l l y, I c a m e a b o u t t o a w o r k flow that suits me with the least possibility of getting stuck. That’s what you can find in my WorkFlowWednesday posts where it explain mainly about a mindset on how to go about making music in general. 4. Any upcoming collaborations? Not at the moment, I’m focusing on solo projects because I’ve done a lot of c o l l a b o r a t i o n s i n t h e l a s t y e a r. 5 . Te l l u s y o u r i n s p i r a t i o n b e h i n d y o u r t r a c k “ L i f t m e u p ” f e a t u r i n g M i k e Ta y l o r. Last year my sound was Progressive house and EDM, that was good practice to translate my hardstyle sound into something new. With the new skills I learned, Lift me up was the first track I created. It was my first attempt to make something different, less club oriented and leaning more towards Spotify vibe. I enjoyed making the track and the rest of my other tracks are done as well. It was very natural but a whole new experience for me. I finished the track in 2 days. I let it rest and got back to it after 2 weeks and decided it was perfect the way it is. It’s out now!

8. On your Instagram, you did a throwback picture of yourself when you were a kid in a karate photo. Did you get black belt in the end? It was actually judo but my caption was karate kid in reference to the movie. I stopped at yellow belt because I got scared. It was my first competition up against a big kid, he crushed me. Haha.

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Who's in Town

M a r s h a l l J e f f e r s o n i s o n e o f t h e f o u n d i n g f a t h e r s o f h o u s e m u s i c a s i t i s k n o w n t o d a y. E v e n a f t e r a l m o s t t h r e e d e c a d e s i n t h e i n d u s t r y, M a r s h a l l i s s t i l l b u s y a s e v e r a n d m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y, constantly cementing his stellar reputation while still evolving as both an artist and an e n t e r t a i n e r. 1. What are your plans for 2016?

5 . Te l l u s a b o u t y o u r n i c k n a m e V i r g o .

To l i v e t h r o u g h t h e y e a r. H a h a . I ’ m w o r k i n g on a triple album with Sleezy B. First house r e c o r d w a s w i t h S l e e z y B . H o w e v e r, t h e r e w o n ’ t b e a n y r e m i x e s t h i s y e a r, t h o u g h a l o t o f f l y i n g t h i s y e a r. T h i s h a s b e e n m y b u s i e s t y e a r, I h a v e n o t h a d a b r e a k . O h ! I h a v e t o g e t back to Chicago, to visit my mom which is in April, then I have more gigs.

It got changed for me. Move your body came out and it was supposed to be produced by Virgo. He rushed it out. Everyone called me Virgo, I love that nickname. In one swoop, it became Marshall Jefferson. I’ve always wanted to be known as a Virgo, I’m a Virgo sign. The record company didn’t want to put o u t m o v e y o u r b o d y, r e c o r d i n S e p t e m b e r 1985. It got played 6 to 10 times at night. 20 UK reporters came to Chicago to find out about House music. I payed him to put out the song from my label but he didn’t like the s o n g . E v e r y s i n g l e c l u b , M o v e Yo u r B o d y w a s p l a y e d o n c a s s e t t e . T h e n e x t d a y, h e p u t o u t M o v e Yo u r B o d y a n d M a r s h a l l J e f f e r s o n w a s the artist. That’s how my nickname is ruined c a u s e h e r u s h t o p u t i t o u t t h e n e x t d a y.

2. What’s your new comeback? A n a l b u m w i t h S l e e z y B . H e’ s my c h i l d h o o d friend. He came to me and ask to make a new album. 23 songs coming out from my new label Freakin909, coming out around September or O c t o b e r t h i s y e a r. 3. How would you describe House music to people? House music is the best underground music. The best underground music is my definition. It’s not separated by genre, it has to be the b e s t o f g e n r e o n o n e d a n c e f l o o r. I t c a n ’ t b e commercial or pop, it’s got to be underground music. Some DJ play the same beat all night long, I try to make every sure every record sounds different, put on a new record on.

7. Do you think this generation is starting to appreciate House music? Ye s , I t h i n k t h e y a r e . H o u s e m u s i c i s t h e best underground music. It can be any kind o f H o u s e m u s i c . W h e n I f i r s t d i d M o v e Yo u r b o d y, t h e y t o l d m e i t w a s n ’ t h o u s e m u s i c cause there were piano in it but they were playing in all the House clubs. What I did turn into something different without doing the s a m e t h i n g o v e r a n d o v e r.

4. Any tips for DJ or Producers? 8. What tracks that best describes you? It’s much harder now with the available formats. If you’re booked as a specific genre, then it’s hard for them to play something different. All I can say is get your own club. Haha. The promoters should give one DJ a club like they used to, one DJ a night. That DJ will naturally play different stuff because they don’t want to play the something every weekend. That’s how you get creative.

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1 . A l l D ay M u s i c by Wa r 2. Misty Mountain Hop by Led Zeppelin 3 . L o v e d B y T h e S u n b y Ye s 9. What’s your performing?

memorable

moment

while

There was this street parade in Switzerland. 600,000 people, I threw out this song and the c r o w d g o e s c r a z y.


Who's in Town

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Who's in Town

RAC (Remix Artist Collective) is a project founded by AndrĂŠ Allen Anjos almost a decade ago as an international collection of remix artists. With more than 200 remixes and originals and a recent Grammy Nomination under his belt, hear what this talented folk have to say about it.

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Who's in Town

1. How has 2016 been for you so far and what do you have plans for this year? It’s been great! I’m going to backtrack a bit, in 2015 I’ve been doing a lot of singles. In 2016, things started to come together to do eps or even an album, not just singles. I’m t h i n k i n g a b o u t p u t t i n g a r e c o r d t o g e t h e r, i s mostly what I’m focused on though still in a long process of figuring it out. I’ve also been on tour here and there around Asia and US. R e c e n t l y, I ’ m m o s t l y i n t h e s t u d i o . 2. Congratulations on your recent Grammy n o m i n a t i o n f o r O D E S Z A “ S ay my n a m e” r e m i x . Thank you! The nomination alone is insane, it was a huge shock to me. I was happy that it h a p p e n e d i n t h e r e m i x c a t e g o r y, i t ’ s s o m e t h i n g I’ve dedicated my whole life to. It’s not like I e x p e c t e d a n y t h i n g y e t i t s s u c h g a m e c h a n g e r. My manager was saying it’s something you m e n t i o n a s a n o b i t u a r y. H a h a . I t f o l l o w s y o u through your life, it’s a big deal. 3 . Te l l u s h o w ’ s y o u r p r o d u c t i o n p r o c e s s l i k e ? It varies from projects I’m working on. I have ready templates sorta like a start up kit. I honestly spend too much time in my studio. H a h a . S o w i t h e v e r y t h i n g r e a d y, I j u s t w a l k in and start making music without worrying about anything else. If it’s a remix, I’ll listen to the stems and writing my own parts u n d e r n e a t h i t , i t h a p p e n s p r e t t y q u i c k l y. I ’ v e got a method that works for me. 4. At SWSX, Audience Reactive Compilation was the key show piece by Deloitte Digital. Te l l u s m o r e a b o u t i t . It was a cool project, I wanted to be more involved in art projects and installation. They wanted to do a music interactive and w a s i n n e e d o f a c o m p o s e r, I g o t i n v o l v e d then. They created an interactive system, it’s a table of 5 different stations, completely new instruments. We built it to interact in real time. No one knows how to play this instrument, you could play it with a random person on the other side, it would effect both parties as well. I built the system where the music was generated, I built the system that writes music. It was a different way to approach music. I was thinking about it structurally and less about the music.

5 . I k n o w f o r a f a c t y o u ’ r e a b i g g a m e r, h o w did making a Soundtrack for Masterspy came about? That was a lot of fun, I’m very into games. Soundtracks are a big part of my life. The first time I heard Prodigy was on Playstation. I’ve always wanted to experiment with it. I have a friend who was working on a game and his composer ditched him, he asked if I wanted to do it and I said yes!I’m addicted to the game but it’s really hard to beat, I get cheat codes from my friend. Haha. 6. What artistic challenges do you face? The more you do it, you develop this musical l a n g u a g e . Tr a n s l a t i n g w h a t ’ s g o i n g i n y o u r head into the physical world. It just come naturally for me. I’ve been doing it long enough, I see it as a skill as well and I work on that to keep improving it. The challenge is keeping things interesting. I put out a lot of music, I constantly need to get it out and it’s fun. The challenge is to keep the whole experience and experimenting with more genres. 7. What’s your proudest track to date? In 2012, I did this Bob Marley remix. When I get hired to do a remix, the label will send the audio files but they only had these demos that has never been heard, it was old and completely different, from the track. All the vocal parts weren’t even there. It was a completely alternate version. Though Bob Marley couldn’t hear it but his family did and I guess that’s fair enough. 8. How do you find balance between producing, touring and personal time? My studio is at home, and my cats are always a r o u n d . I t r e a t i t a s a j o b . Yo u c a n ’ t c o n t r o l the touring, you just have to make the most of i t . A f t e r a t o u r, I n e e d 3 o r 4 d a y s t o g e t b a c k i n t o a c r e a t i v e s p a c e . To u r i n g h a s a b i g i m p a c t on writing music, you have to deal with that as being an artist. 9 . W h a t w o u l d yo u d o i f yo u w e r e n’ t a D J ? I almost went to school for design, I would have enjoyed it. So, I would have been a g r a p h i c d e s i g n e r o r g e t i n t o p h o t o g r a p h y.

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Club of The Month

Fuze Club

-Kuala Lumpur

Tr u e t o i t s n a m e s a k e , F U Z E K u a l a L u m p u r i s a b o u t t o i g n i t e t h e p a r t y s c e n e i n t h e c i t y ’ s G o l d e n Tr i a n g l e . B e i n g t u c k e d away along the glamorous Jalan Kia Peng hasn’t dimmed the l u s t r e o f t h e i m p o s i n g e n t r a n c e w a y. The balcony-styled double storey space allows for patrons to get the best view of the action on stage. FUZE Kuala Lumpur’s newly-renovated space is DJ-centric and fully equipped to handle up to 1600 party-goers who can look forward to international acts gracing the stage. Dance music aside, the laser lights and LEDs hold their own against headliners; an all-in-all explosive experience. An ode to spirits and a haven for its aficionados, the club boasts three bars conveniently located: two on the lower floor and one on the balustrade above. The club aims to bridge the gap between dance and music by upping the ante on nightlife at large. T H U R S D AY Thursday Ladies Night Special only at Fuze Club KL has got K y o r i , H K , Tc h u n o , M C A n t K o o t a k e s o v e r t h e d e c k s ! L a d i e s don’t forget to join cause it’s free entry all night for you as w e l l a s c o m p l i m e n t a r y d r i n k s b y t h e b a r. F R I D AY F R I D AY N I G H T PA R T Y S Q U A D ! O u r F r i d a y n i g h t p a r t y s q u a d is back again this Friday to pump up your weekends with NastyGuru and MC VIBE. FREE ENTRY for the ladies till 12am. S AT U R D AY S AT U R D AY S U P E R S TA R S ! H a v e n ’ t m a d e p l a n s f o r y o u r Saturday? Come party and get lit with superstar line up, featuring DJ Wicked, Ernest C along with Emcee Sean Beazzie!!

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Courtesy of Fuze

Club of The Month

1 J a l a n K i a P e n g , 5 0 4 5 0 K u a l a L u m p u r, 50450, Malaysia

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Club of The Month

Glo Club -Penang

W E D N E S D AY Ladies night specially dedicated to all the beautiful ladies in town. Free cocktails all night long and free bottle of absolut vodka for a group of 5 ladies. The night becomes more fun when the hot diva dance competition begins where 5 random ladies will be picked from the crowd and have a dance battle where the sexiest n best dancer will walk away with cash money prize. Music by resident DJ’s Seelan and Zerro. F R I D AY A N D S AT U R D AY Glo Revival Dance Club runs the show based on events. All young and local upcoming DJ’s are given a chance to show off their talent on the decks all night long. E v e r y l a s t S AT U R D AY o f t h e m o n t h Glo Revival Dance Club and Dj Ramsey Westwood brings to you Dance 2 Life (D2L) event featuring all the best selected local DJ’s and Ramsey Westwood himself in the spinning slot.

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Club of The Month

Dance 2 Life (D2L) is a night dedicated to the purest of dance. It is a night where people free their minds of restless and worries, whilst infusing it with music strictly to dance. Headliner act & host Ramsey Westwood, backed by star formation of upcoming & talented DJs are eager to quench the thirst of those who fancies powerful bass pumping tracks, guaranteeing to minister a pure dance experience, leaving them with nothing but pure satisfaction and of course, the need for more. Dance 2 Life runs on the last Saturday of every month at the a l l - n e w G LO R ev i v a l D a n c e C l u b in Penang, with exciting lineups as well performances. Be sure to check it out if you’re in town!

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Bar of The Month

- Kuala Lumpur MANTRA, a new rooftop bar and lounge on the fourthl e v e l r o o f t o p o f B a n g s a r V i l l a g e I I , K u a l a L u m p u r. P e r c h e d overlooking a panoramic view of the city skyline, it’s the perfect sun down spot for cocktails to unwind after a long day or a hang out on the weekend. Surrender your senses to an immersive tranquil and social experience of sight, sound, taste and scent. Interior features a long bar set in a modern-tropical inspired sanctuary of plush lounging with Asian touches. This transitions out to our alfresco dining deck and social space of couches, day beds and private cabanas. Creative explosions of crafted cocktails by our mixologists offer both bespoke classics and unique creations fusing local flavours with modernist twists. Showcasing exciting and unusual tastes and textures from local fruits, herbs and spices through our own infused spirits, syrups and foams. Paired along side our vibrant culinary tapas menu showcasing our innovative and modern play on classic favourites fused with flavours from around South East Asia.

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Courtesy of Mantra

Bar of The Month

B a n g s a r V i l l a g e I I , J a l a n Te l a w i S a t u , B a n g s a r B a r u , 5 9 1 0 0 K u a l a L u m p u r, M a l a y s i a

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What Went Down

zouk 12th anniversary

This has been a truly inspiring year for us and we look forward to the exciting future that lies ahead. - Zouk Kuala Lumpur

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What Went Down

Zouk Club KL celebrated its 12th Anniversary with a three-day all out clubbing bash f e a t u r i n g D J l i n e u p’ s i n c l u d i n g H a r d w e l l , D J Mag Allstars and all ZOUK KL residence DJ at the new home - TREC. T h e c e l e b r a t i o n k i c k e d o f f o n T h u r s d a y, M a r c h 31st, Zouk KL with a luxurious evening at the outdoor - TREC Quad area where honoured guests and VIPS mingle while indulging their free flow cocktail session. The night started where guests were presented with a line up of performances, followed by a few words from Zouk KL and TREC’S founder Mr Cher Ng sharing his success story with his upcoming visionaries of Zouk KL . On the night immense, Zouk officially revealed the new ranking in t h e p r e s t i g i o u s D J M AG TO P 1 0 0 c l u b s 2 0 1 6 polls ranking #26 club in the world. It is the first time that Zouk KL has break through into the top 30 ranking seeing huge success by leaping 12 positions ahead of its previous ranking. The two hours of official openings ended with a spectacular firework display before the party began.

Z o u k K L’ s 1 2 t h A n n i v e r s a r y i s a s i g n i f i c a n t o n e . We h a v e m u c h t o c e l e b r a t e a s i t ’ s t h e s u p e r c l u b f i r s t anniversary at TREC, timed to the results of DJ MAG global rankings where Zouk KL is now at the 26th spot, l e a p i n g 1 2 s p o t s . We w i l l w o r k t o w a r d s l e a d i n g Z o u k K L t o t h e t o p 2 0 s p o t n e x t y e a r. ” - C h e r N g , E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r, C o - F o u n d e r o f Z o u k K u a l a L u m p u r.

T h e p a r t y b l e w u p t h e n e x t d a y, o n F r i d a y, April 1st. Hardwell, an International DJ who was voted 2 times in a row World #1 (2013 & 2 0 1 4 ) o n D J M A G To p 1 0 0 , m a d e h i s s p e c i a l appearance and performed live as part of the second day of celebration. The crowd was highly anticipating his well-known energetic performance and indeed Hardwell delivered. The night was supported by our local talents, Kill The Buzz, Goldfish and Blink and Bate at t h e o f f i c i a l a f t e r p a r t y. Z o u k ’ s s p e c i a l w e e k e n d e n d e d o n S a t u r d a y, April 2nd. DJ MAG Allstars member Adam Saville, Goldfish & Blink and HypeEmBeats take over the DJ booth bringing the signature big room sounds to the main room.

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What Went Down

live your music launches with go hardwell or go home Heineken is internationally renowned for portraying richness in every music e x p e r i e n c e s . H e i n e k e n L i v e Yo u r M u s i c is the latest music platform built on the collective passion for experiencing all types of music interest. A global movement curated out of different music styles but w i t h a s h a r e d l o v e f o r m u s i c i t s e l f. H e i n e k e n L i v e Yo u r M u s i c i s e x p e c t e d to feature ear-bending innovations, experimental collaborations and unparalleled access to live music experiences across the World of Heineken. L i v e Yo u r M u s i c t a k e a c c o u n t o f f a n ’ s perspectives of the music that is a part of our lives. Malaysia’s music fans got t h e i r f i r s t s i p o f H e i n e k e n L i v e Yo u r Music on Friday 1st of April at KL Live, the anticipated DJ global phenomenon Hardwell presents his Go Hardwell or Go Home live show.

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What Went Down

The 2,800 crowd present at KL Live were ready for twice ranked World #1 DJ in t h e a c c l a i m e d D J M a g To p 1 0 0 D J P o l l , Hardwell. A line up that included Malaysian t a l e n t s H y p e E m B e a t s , B . A .T. E a n d r e g i o n a l l y acclaimed DJ duo Goldfish & Blink and electro house wonder Kill The Buzz. Hardwell, the 25year old Dutchman said: “It’s really important to stay on point and to come up with something n e w. At my n i g h t o f G o H a rd w e l l o r G o H o m e , w e g o a l l t h e w a y. N o t j u s t f r o m m y p a r t m u s i c wise, but all the show elements, the visuals, and everything. It’ll definitely be one of your nights t o r e m e m b e r. ” The hard-hitting music was accented by highoctane visuals taking the hyped up Malaysian f a n s o n a b r e a t h - t a k i n g j o u r n e y. E a c h g u e s t had LED encrusted silicon wristbands that simultaneously flash in green during the Heineken Green Moment, creating a wave of wristband pixels that illuminated the whole 2 - s t o r e y d a n c e f l o o r. T h e c r o w d a c t i v a t i o n set a sea of fans light up in-sync in flashes of green and white to the beats of Blink & G o l d f i s h ’ s t r a c k “ B a c k A g a i n ”. H e i n e k e n L i v e Yo u r M u s i c m a r k s t h e m o m e n t o u s M a l a y s i a n launch of Heineken’s latest music platform which places fans front and centre in a wave of upcoming progressive music experiences t h a t t h e y h a v e y e t t o o f f e r. “ H e i n e k e n L i v e Yo u r M u s i c i s a p r o s p e c t t h a t we are extremely excited about and one that is very close to our hearts. It’s a global music platform that puts music fans centre-stage and brings their stories to life, sharing their experiences and ideas with other music fans. We’ r e l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o k n o w i n g m o r e a b o u t the ways our consumers enjoy music and using that knowledge as a way for the brand to elevate those experiences and redefine the way they see, hear and access music in the world around t h e m ,” s a i d L o h E e L i n , M a r ke t i n g M a n a g e r o f Heineken Malaysia. For more information and announcements, visit w w w. h e i n e ke n . c o m . my o r f o l l o w @ h e i n e ke n my on Instagram.

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Party Picture

HEADHUNTERZ AT ZOUK Date :25th March 2016 Location : Main Room, Zouk Club KL

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Party Picture

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Party Picture

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Party Picture

ZOUK 12TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY Date : 31st March - 2nd April 2016 Location : Zouk Club, Kuala Lumpur

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Party Picture

RAC AT ZOUK Date : 9th April 2016 Location : Ace, Zouk Club KL

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Party Picture

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Party Picture

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Party Picture

MAKJ AT FUZE Date : 14th April 2016 Location : Fuze Club, Kuala Lumpur

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Mixtape of The Month

MIXTAPE OF THE MONTH DJ MAG Malaysia constantly strives to balance out the order by pushing new and exciting underground artists alongside to established more superstars in Malaysia. With the launch o f t h e D J C o m p e t i t i o n : M i x t a p e o f T h e M o n t h ( # M OT M ) , more bedroom warriors will be unearthed and break them into superstardom! The winners will be showcased in one of the DJ MAG M a l a y s i a ’ s C l u b To u r i n t h e f o l l o w i n g m o n t h . A t t h e e n d o f t h e y e a r, w e w i l l p i t t h e s e m o n t h l y w i n n e r s a n d g o h e a d t o h e a d t o w i n t h e D J M A G M a l a y s i a Ye a r M i x 2 0 1 6 A w a r d . Our first mixtape competition was well received and highly amazed at the potential of each submission. We hope to reach out to more talents through this friendly competition where local artists can come together and support one another in t h i s j o u r n e y. T h i s i s o u r s e c o n d D J M A G M a l a y s i a ’ s “ M i x t a p e of The Month” competition started on 1st April 2016 and ended on 13th April 2016. Contestants were given 13 days to storm up an impressive TRANCE inspired mixtape, which goes up to 30 minutes - 60 minutes. Within the 13 days as well, contestant has to garner 200 plays and at least 20 genuine comments for their mixtape to be qualifies in the judging round. Winner was announced on 20th April and we would like to congratulate the winner again.

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Mixtape of The Month

Insight Code are a Malaysian DJ/Producer duo made up of Sanjjiv Kumar and Harvind Ganase. The duo hail from D a m a n s a r a , K u a l a L u m p u r, a n d s e e k t o b r e a k d o w n t h e w a l l s that confines and divides music into genres. All in the quest to find their unique, constantly evolving sound. Adept at DJing & music production, Insight Code has their sights set on bringing their own brand of sound to the electronic music scene through their releases of mashups, remixes, original tracks and full-blown DJ mixes. What started as a love for electronic music has turned into an intense passion for music production and live performances. Each Insight Code set will take you on a journey throughout t h e m u s i c a l s p e c t r u m . T h e r e’ s n o t e l l i n g w h a t t h e f u t u r e holds for this vibrant duo. Wherever they go; good music will follow. facebook.co/InsightCode t w i t t e r. c o m / i n s i g h t c o d e soundcloud.com/insightcodemusic

C h e c k o u t t h e i r # M O T M - Tr a n c e M i x t a p e o n S o u n d c l o u d :

s o u n d c l o u d . c o m / i n s i g h t c o d e m u s i c /d j - m a g - m a l a y s i a mixtape-of-the-month-april-trance-insight-code

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Event Listing

4TH MAY

Yellow Claw Live @ Main Room, Zouk Club KL

5TH MAY

Fuze Club Presents Deorro

5TH MAY

Ace Ramos (PH) Live @ Zouk Club

6TH MAY

Fuze Club Presents MASHD N KUTCHER

7TH MAY

COMO Presents Nico Puscht

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Event Listing

13TH MAY

Chopstick & Johnjon @ COMO KL

20TH MAY

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano @ Zouk KL

20TH MAY

Sonny Wharton (UK) Live in KL @ COMO

26TH MAY

WANKELMUT featuring Axel Groove & Anders Thage @ Pisco

27TH MAY

DVBBS @ KL Live, Kuala Lumpur

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Best of Sandakan

vibes Situated in the middle of Bandar Indah Jaya, Sandakan. Vibes is one of the well known nightspot among locals. Whether you are looking into spending time with your group of friends, drink the night away or just dancing all night, Vibes is the place for the local party-goers. The pub/bar is a great place to hang out and you may want to book a table on the weekends especially if you are going in a group. With our very own r e s i d e n t d i s k j o c k e y, V D J N i c o l a i , w h o i s k n o w n f o r playing the most upbeat and latest music in town, you are guaranteed to have a fun filled night. Look out for promotions especially for the ladies on every Wednesday – Ladies Night. Yo u c a n c a t c h s o m e l i v e a c t s p e r f o r m e r s h i r e d b y t h e bar or listen to the DJ on duty while sipping your drinks. Vibes is definitely an emerging nightspot f o r t h e u r b a n c o o l k i d s o f t h e c i t y.

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Discussion

avicii's journey continues on The dance music industry started 2016 with a bang as many artists announced tours, new albums, new tracks and many were enthralled with yet another Deadmau5 conundrum. But Tim Berglings announcement came as a shock to most and the scene came to a screeching halt with many discussing the various effects of a career in dance music. Tim Bergling or better known by his stage name Av i c i i a n n o u n c e d h i s r e t i r e m e n t f r o m l i ve t o u r i n g with an emotional letter penned to his website and social media platforms. The somber note started with him thanking his fans, “Thank you for letting me fulfill so many of my dreams. I will be forever grateful to have experienced and accomplished all that I have with the help of the team around me a n d m y b e l o v e d f a n s .” I t w a s e v i d e n t t o m a n y t h a t bad news was to follow, and it did. Many fans and industry players alike had already seen this coming b u t i t t o o k a r o a d t r i p a c r o s s t h e U. S . f o r Av i c i i t o come to the realization that he needed to make a change in his life. His journey in the industry has been nothing short of amazing. Starting out at merely 18, this talented Swedish teen is a self-taught artist who has amassed quite the credentials in the few years since his debut. He has achieved what many strive for in their lifetime. After successfully putting out hits like Seek Bromance, Levels and Faded in Darkness, this talented youngster has soared to new heights. But it all started with a meeting with Ash Pournouri who elevated the teen into the s e n s a t i o n h e i s t o d a y. Ash Pournouri is known to have an ear for the industry and when he spotted Tim, he just about knew this DJ had what it takes to shine. Once A v i c i i s i g n e d t o A s h ’ s m a n a g e m e n t a g e n c y, t h e r e s t w a s h i s t o r y. I t w a s a l m o s t a s i f h e w a s a n overnight sensation, from bedroom DJ to a dance music sensation. This partnership flourished and Av i c i i c o n t i n u e t o h o n e h i s s k i l l s . I t w a s n’ t l o n g before chart topping hits, festivals bills and top DJ Rankings came flooding in. It was a very exciting t i m e i n T i m ’ s c a r e e r, a n d i t s e e m l i k e t h e o n l y w a y was up.

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Unfortunately the hectic schedules, late nights and c o n s t a n t t r a v e l l i n g t o o k a t o l l o n t h i s y o u n g s t e r. From being forced to cancel a series of shows to t o u r s , Av i c i i ’ s h e a l t h b e c a m e a h o t t o p i c t o m a s s media. His very public health problems brought about various speculations but the DJ and Producer kept pushing on. In 2015, he released his new album “Stories” which was a redefining moment for his c a r e e r. H i s t r a c k s r e c h r i s t e n e d a i r w a v e s t h e w o r l d o v e r, g a i n i n g o v e r 1 3 5 m i l l i o n s t r e a m s o n S p o t i f y leading to him becoming the 10th most streamed a r t i s t o n t h e m u s i c p l a t f o r m . To f a n s , i t a l l s e e m e d right again and they were gearing up for a fullf l e d g e d w o r l d t o u r. With a few more cancelled shows and some touring l a t e r, A v i c i i d e c i d e d t h a t r e t i r i n g f r o m t o u r i n g w a s something that he had to do for his health. “The scene was not for me. It was not the shows and not the music. It was always the other stuff surrounding it that never came naturally to me. All the other parts of being an artist. I’m more of an introverted person in general. It was always very hard for me. I t o o k o n b o a r d t o o m u c h n e g a t i v e e n e r g y, I t h i n k ” Although this was one of the hardest decisions in h i s l i f e , Av i c i i i s h a p py a n d i s h av i n g t h e t i m e t o focus on himself again. The Swedish DJ does not deny every playing a show again but hopes to not want to go back to the touring life. With a few more d a t e s l e f t o n h i s 2 0 1 6 t o u r, A v i c i i i s a l s o w o r k i n g on finishing his new album. This year may be the end to touring life for him but it’s only the start of something new. His retirement is destined to produce more tracks for fans and allowing him to work on more projects and songwriting which is well and truly where he belongs.

With the announcement of his retirement, the folks at Universal Music Malaysia are g i v i n g u s s o m e g o o d i e s t o g i ve o u t t o a l l yo u Av i c i i f a n s o u t t h e r e . B e t h e f i r s t f i ve to send an email to lydia@djmagasean.com and tell us which is your favourite song of A v i c i i a n d w h y w i t h t h e t i t l e D J M A G A S E A N X AV I C I I a l o n g s i d e y o u r f u l l n a m e , c o n t a c t number and address. It’s just that simple! Grand Prize A v i c i i T- s h i r t + S n a p b a c k + To t e B a g + S t o r i e s a l b u m x 2 w i n n e r s Consolation Prize A v i c i i T- s h i r t + S t o r i e s a l b u m x 3 w i n n e r s

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1 . H i t h e r e ! Ta l k t o u s a b o u t y o u r j o u r n e y i n t h e i n d u s t r y. H o w d i d i t a l l s t a r t o u t ?

A AIIN NT T A AP PA AR RT TY Y W WIIT TH HO OU UT T H HA AR RR RIIS SO ON N This multitalented artist is definitely on a fast track to stardom as he paves the way for a new generation of producers who are not only DJs but also vocalists. Harrisons distinct sound and gritty vocals have garnered him various collaborations with the likes of Thomas Gold, Steve Aoki, David Guetta and more. This rising star is definitely building a name for himself and we at DJ Mag ASEAN caught up with him to talk about the industry and how DJ Chuckie changed his life.

It all started out with me singing and recording some tracks. It then got a bit more business like and emails were being sent etc, a n d I g o t a r e p l y f r o m C h u c k i e’ s t e a m , w h o w e r e i n t e r e s t e d i n s o m e o f m y s t u f f, I t h e n began hanging out with him in and out of the studio and at shows and realized that was something I wanted to do myself as well one d a y. H e l e t m e p l a y a r o u n d w i t h a t r a c k h e m a d e a n d b e f o r e y o u k n o w i t i s n o w ‘A i n t a Party’ with David Guetta and that’s where it all started. 2 . Yo u r t r a c k ‘A i n ’ t A P a r t y ’ w i t h D a v i d Guetta catapulted you to fame almost overnight. How did things change for you after that breakout track? It changed for me very quickly and other famous DJs in the industry started to recognize who I was and especially recognized my voice and I got many demos and tracks sent for collaborations and it all just really escalated from there. 3. How would you describe your sound to someone who has yet to hear of you? I would describe it as quite loud, uplifting yet catchy and feel good / rock vibes 4 . Yo u ’ r e a t r i p l e t h r e a t , y o u D J , P r o d u c e and sing vocals. How do you balance each aspect of your career? Ye s h a h a , w e l l t h e y g o h a n d i n h a n d r i g h t , s o I ’ l l e x p l a i n i t b r i e f l y. P r o d u c t i o n s t a r t s with some live instruments in the studio and they then get played around with on logic, that’s the production stage. I then listen to the production and come up with lyric ideas and a possible them, from here I get in the vocal booth, then its back to a bit of producing and finalizing, and then after this is all completed it gets put onto the memory stick and ready to be mixed in to my DJ sets. So all three aspects really work together and I have been doing it for a few years now to understand the best system to make it all work out. The time it gets tricky I would say is when t h e r e’ s a l o t o f s h o w s a n d t o u r s , t h e n i t s hard to produce and record my vocal, but as long as I have my laptop it never stops me from working on ideas and possible lyrics and new sounds.

Photos: Ryan Dinham

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5. We hear you also write your own songs. Do all your tracks come from a personal place or based on personal experiences and your travels? Ye s I d o , a n d m o s t o f m y t r a c k s I w o u l d s a y come from a personal place but there are definitely a few as well which are also based not on myself but rather on my fans and how I can engage and trying to incorporate what they want as well (e.g. Sit Down or The Wave) . 6 . Yo u ’ v e c o l l a b o r a t e d w i t h s o m a n y industry heavy weights, Steve Aoki, Dannic, David Guetta and many more. How do these collaborations come about? I t a l l s t a r t e d w i t h ‘A i n t a P a r t y ’ t h r o u g h Chuckie (as mentioned previously) but the good thing is all these guys have a sound which works with my vocal and I have been fortunate enough to have been in the right place at the right time and the honor to have a show at the same gig as some of these guys which is sort of the first step to actually meet these guys, get to know t h e m , a n d t h e n a f e w m o n t h s l a t e r t h e r e’ s a message that comes in from these guys and its normally got an attachment with a track and a message asking if I can get a vocal o n i t , a n d t h a t ’ s h o w i t a l l s t a r t e d r e a l l y. But now that I’m doing more production as well things have slightly changed and I am actually a part of the track as well and some of my tracks in the future may not feature my own voice either but just my production, which will be cool.

9. What has been the most memorable moment in your career thus far? Performing at the Ziggo Dome at the debut o f H a r d w e l l ’ s a l b u m “ U n i t e d w e a r e” a n d p e r f o r m i n g S a l l y, a s w e l l a s S a l l y a c t u a l l y going Gold, is more than I could have ever h o p e d f o r. 10. What advice would you give up and coming artists in the industry? Find your sound and don’t follow everyone e l s e’ s , b e c a u s e i f yo u g o w i t h w h a t yo u f e e l comfortable with or what you believe will work then you will stand out compared to everyone else! And always respect those w h o h a v e b e e n t h e r e a l o n g t h e w a y. 11. Anything you would like to say to your fans in Asia? Get ready for some insane shows coming up i n A s i a YO U W O N ’ T WA N N A M I S S I T !

7. Speaking of collaborations, we hear that you’ve been working on one with Kill The Buzz. What’s the story behind the track and when can we hear it? Kill The Buzz and I are good friends and we created this very feel-good track that has so much energy and happiness to it that really ideas for it ust kept rolling out and before we knew it we had a track ready to go. It is due to be released in May some time, it’s all still being sorted but check my social media to get some more updates on that within the next few weeks. 8. 2016 is looking to be a great year for dance music, what do you have planned for this year? For this year there is loads of Harrison shows in Asia, and Europe and we are hoping to hit the Americas and Canada as well.

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EDM Producer 1. Hi Marc, you were one of the biggest selling house artist on Beatport in 2014/15. What’s been keeping you busy so far in 2016? I t ’ s b e e n a g r e a t y e a r, I j u s t h a d m y s e c o n d baby son so enjoying more time at home with m y n e w b a b y. I t ’ s t h e f i r s t y e a r i n m a n y y e a r s I have taken sometime off from touring to focus m o r e i n t h e o f f i c e , s t u d i o a n d f a m i l y. I h a v e been working very hard the past few months on some new exciting music, with a slightly new musical direction. The first EP has just come out last week on Urbana Records and is N 1 i n t h e U K C l u b c h a r t s , N 4 i n Tr a x s o u r c e and N15 on Beatport within the first week so this is amazing news to see the new sound getting such positive feedback. My new sound this year has a certain maturity I have been trying to achieve for many years but I finally feel like I have cracked it with the new material. 2 . Te l l u s m o r e a b o u t K o o l w a t e r s . W h a t d o e s it mean to you?

DJ Mag world tour resident

Koolwaters is one of the main foundations of my success to date. I started Koolwaters alongside my DJ career back in the UK 15 years ago straight out of school. I set it up so I could play alongside some of the biggest DJ’s of the era and get my name recognised. The nights went from 150 people turning up on the first party to becoming one of the best nights in the UK, voted by Mixmag and DJ MAG. This really helped me develop my DJ career and brought much media attention propelling my name outside of the UK. This was the basis of my international career getting off the ground so Koolwaters is m y f i r s t b a b y. T h e c o m p a n y i s n o w a g l o b a l a g e n c y, w e r e p r e s e n t o v e r 2 0 + i n t e r n a t i o n a l a r t i s t s , i n c l u d i n g 7 To p 1 0 0 D j s i n t h e w o r l d and many iconic names such as Roger Sanchez, Lost Frequencies, Juicy M amongst others. We still run select parties around the globe and run a successful record label. 3. We hear Koolwaters recording will be c e l e b r a t i n g i t s 5 0 t h r e l e a s e t h i s y e a r, d o y o u have anything special planned for this? This for me is another landmark as running a record label is not a simple process! It’s taken me years to understand the market, get the music right, the design of the artwork and build the reputation of the label for quality house music. It feels like I have turned a corner with the label now, we are getting some amazing new music coming through from emerging talent and managed to reach the landmark 50th release. I have done a special 2 track EP for this one which is out now on a l l g o o d d o w n l o a d s t o r e s c a l l e d “ H e r e’ s t h e M a n E P ”.

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4. How did you start getting into the scene and what made you decide to go into house music? I started getting into the scene when I was at school, listening to bands like The Prodigy when they first started, The Orb, The Shamen, KLF and many other UK dance groups. My favourite DJs where Sasha and Digweed back to back and Carl Cox, that’s when I really g o t i n t o H o u s e , P r o g r e s s i v e H o u s e , Te c h n o , Happyhardcore, drum&bass and started going to Festivals around the UK and illegal rave parties in fields. It was totally new and different at the time and I loved the whole emerging House scene from the US with DJ’s such as Erick Morilo, Sanchez, DJ Sneak so my musical tastes were very broad. I started off being known in the UK for playing trance and had residencies and big super clubs like S l i n k y, N a u g h t y B u t N i c e a n d w a s p l a y i n g r e g u l a r l y f o r G o d ’ s K i t c h e n a n d G a t e c r a s h e r. I also had a residency at a really famous club called Miss Moneypennies, the equivalent of Hed Kandi these days. As I got older I ended up settling with house music and now I couldn’t see myself playing anything else, I like all styles but love House music.

6. Where do you get most of your ideas and inspirations to produce in general? Ideas and inspiration come from anywhere at any time. It’s very hard to put a marker down for this, it might be a moment, it might be another song you hear on the radio, it might be a new musical direction you decide to take. A vocal can set off a track idea or a riff can give you inspiration for a vocal, there is not set formula! 7. Where do you see house music in the next five years? I see House Music stronger and better than ever before. It’s where electronic music came from and is still going strong. All the new sounds like Dubstep, Drum&bass, EDM, trance all have their day in the spotlight but eventually drop off from mainstream, I think House music is the one sound that has always b e e n t h e r e a n d s t i l l i s a s s t r o n g a s e v e r. I f y o u look at new artists like Kygo, Duke Dumont, Gorgon City and many others that are leading t h e w a y. H o u s e m u s i c c a n b e p l a y e d i n c l u b s , bars, beaches, radio and main stages of Festivals.

5 . Yo u r e c e n t l y r e l e a s e “ I w a n n a k n o w ” a n d “ R i g h t t h e r e ”, w h a t w a s y o u r m a i n i n s p i r a t i o n when you produced these tracks? The idea of “I wanna know” track was to do a cool vocal track that had a radio cross over appeal but still kept that cutting edge, big bassline and deep house vibe. I think these are the hardest type of tracks to make so when I finished “I wanna know” I was really pleased with the outcome. It sounded great but still had the radio feel. The single got played all over the world on the radio, including Radio 1 in the UK which is a real test of how good your m u s i c i s . Yo u k n o w y o u h a v e d o n e s o m e t h i n g special if Radio 1 play it. I am currently working on a new project similar to “I wanna know” so hopefully I will have something new t o p l ay t h e w o r l d . “ R i g h t t h e r e” w a s m e a n t f o r the clubs and has a real bouncy club feel to it. Its already doing really well and surprising to be getting as much national radio play as it is g e t t i n g . Yo u j u s t n e v e r k n o w w h o y o u r m u s i c is going to appeal to these days so I just try and so something I love and is the best I can produce.

I see House Music stronger and better than ever before. It’s where electronic music came from and is still going strong.

8. If you could live in Asia where would it be and why? Thought question- I have travelled all over Asia over the last few years. I would probably have to say I would live in Singapore. I have many school friends from the UK that have moved to Singapore and they love living there. It’s very clean, safe and has good opportunities and connections with the entire region.

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Gig Life Asia

This month we go from a garden festival in the Garden City of Singapore to some jazzy beats in Seoul, the city that never sleeps. #GLARecommends features some secret treasures that will give new spirit to your next visit. X Priya Dewan

Photos: Garden Beats

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Just Missed: Garden Beats, Singapore, March 19, 2016 Featured Artists: D J K F C , B r e n d o n P, J a n B l o m q v i s t Drink: 28 HongKong Street was one of the first bars I experienced when I moved to Singapore and remains one of my favorites. Besides incredibly crafted cocktails t h a t w o n t h e m a n I n t e r n a t i o n a l B a r o f t h e Ye a r a w a r d , their snacks are ridiculous – mini Rueben sandwiches, truffled Macaroni & Cheese balls to name a few. Not the easiest place to find, they rarely have space for walk-ins so definitely try to “find them” first to make a reservation. Eat: Located in neighboring Boat Quay is another hidden delight: Our Village. The fascinating menu features food from opposite ends of the Indian Subcontinent: Punjabi and Sri Lankan. The combination is a phenominal feast of naans, appams, chaat and curries. Tr a v e l T i p : Public transportation in Singapore is cheap, organized a n d e a s y t o n a v i g a t e . M R Ts a n d b u s e s c a n g e t y o u t o pretty much anywhere sometimes quicker than cabs. Grab and Uber are great alternate options, as well, o u t s i d e r u s h h o u r.

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Gig Life Asia

Photos: Cakeshop, Pistil

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Gig Life Asia

Dont Miss: Seoul Jazz Festival, Seoul, South Korea, May 28-29, 2016 Featured Artists: Bahngbek, Ronson

Esperanza

Spalding,

Flying

Lotus,

Mark

Drink: Every visit to Seoul demands a night running between Cakeshop and it’s little brother Pistil in Itaewon. Any night you’ll discover the best local and international talent behind the decks – anything from Ryan H e m s w o r t h t o 1 8 0 0 - D i n o s a u r. C a k e s h o p ’ s s m o k y r e d aura invites you to the massive dancefloor filling the s p a c e b e t w e e n t h e D J b o o t h a n d t h e b a r. P i s t i l p r o v i d e s a more intimate lounge atmosphere with delicious fusion bar snacks to satiate late night cravings. Explore: Seoul is the city of spas, many open for 24 hours, offering a range of services for every budget. My favorite for a full day of relaxation is Dragon Hill Spa. Offering heat, ice, massage and food, it is not hard to spend hours in this 6-story building, making the most of the very affordable 12,000 – 14,000 entrance fee. Tr a v e l T i p : Ta k e t h e A i r p o r t L i m o u s i n e B u s e s o r K o r e a n A i r B u s e s f r o m I n c h e o n A i r p o r t t o t h e c i t y. T h e y g o b a s i c a l l y everywhere with stops at numerous hotels and cost a fraction of a taxi (15,000 won vs min 70,000 won)

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Industry Insider

The entertainment director behind the legendary W Bali lets us i n o n h i s g r e a t m o v e s t h a t h e h a s t a k e n t o w h e r e h e i s t o d a y. Being based in Bali now, Damian dominates the upper class party scene and frequently shows off his skills on the decks. If you haven’t heard, Damian has travelled all the way from the UK a n d h a s h a d a s p l e n d i d j o u r n e y, w e t a l k e d t o h i m t o u n d e r s t a n d the industry through his eyes.

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Industry Insider 1. Hi Damian, so we hear you left the UK at the age of 21 to be resident DJ at Ministry of Sound Bangkok. How was the dance music scene in the UK back then?

interesting experience. One day I think I’ll write about it. 5. Now that you are based in Bali, how has the party island been treating you so far?

Ye a h i t f e e l s l i k e i t w a s a l i f e t i m e a g o ! T h e scene back then (early 2000). I remember i t b e i n g v e r y Tr a n c e d r i v e n b a c k t h e n . G a t e c r a s h e r, C r e a m a n d M i n i s t r y o f S o u n d has huge trance events. Garage was having it m o m e n t t o o . I u s e d t o l i s t e n t o R a d i o 1 A L O T. I w a s j u s t s t a r t i n g o u t s o P e t e To n g a n d J u d g e Jules were my heroes… hahah!

Bali had treated me very well since arriving here in 2008. I started in the really dodgy part of Kuta and somehow managed to work my way up to where I am now. The parties... Ye a h , I t h i n k w e a l l s l o w d o w n a l i t t l e w i t h age but you can go out almost any night of the week and find something to do.

2. What made you move to Asia at such a young age?

6. Can you share with us your main roles in W Bali and what your day looks like?

Well as you said in you previous question it w a s f o r M i n i s t r y o f S o u n d B a n g ko k . I ’d a c t u a l l y never been abroad before. Through a few connections that were made I was fortunate to be offered a residency for Ministry after only being a DJ for a couple of years. It was a huge leap to take but I didn’t have much to lose. There wasn’t much of a future for me in the town where I’m from so… I took the leap and went into Bangkok head first. It only lasted just short of two years but I enjoyed it a lot and without that experience I wouldn’t be where I am now... Bali.

Sure. So my roles here at The W Bali are both Music Curator (Entertainment Director) and one of the resident DJ’s. I have a team of eight D J ’ s i n c l u d i n g m y s e l f. I u s u a l l y a r r i v e b e t w e e n 10 and 11am and start going through emails, contracts, bookings for guest DJ’s. This can t a k e a l l d a y. T h e n I ’ l l e i t h e r D J b e t w e e n 4 p m 7pm, 7pm - 10pm or 10pm - 1am. If we have a g u e s t D J t h e n w e’ l l o p e n t h e c l u b a n d t h a t c a n g o u n t i l 4 a m . I t ’ s a v e r y l o n g d a y. . .

3. How did you feel when you had the chance to be a tour manager for Sébastien Léger as well as be his opening DJ for the world-wide tour? Wo r k i n g w i t h S e b w a s g r e a t . We’d b e e n c l o s e friends for several years before he invited tour alongside him. I’ve never flown so much in my whole life. We did 300 flights that year and what a journey it all was. Most of the gigs were amazing but there were a handful of dodgy not so amazing ones too. I got to s e e p l a c e s I n eve r t h o u g h t I ’d g o . A r g e n t i n a , Colombia, all over Europe which was new for m e a s I ’d m ove d t o A s i a a t s u c h a yo u n g a g e . I ’d n eve r s e e n a ny o f t h e c o u n t r i e s t h a t w e r e right next door to the UK. So yes, it fun but after a year I missed being in Bali so I came b a c k . I n o w w o r k a l o n g s i d e P e t e To n g a s h i s To u r M a n a g e r f o r A s i a . 4. What do you think is the most valuable experience (that you can learn) when you are given the privilege of travelling around the world? So many things. From great food, new clubs, new people but you also learn how to handle bad situations too. Dodgy promoters that d o n ’ t w a n t t o p a y, g i g s w e d o n ’ t w a n t t o p l a y when we arrive, missing flight connections and being stuck in strange places where you don’t speak the language. It was a very

7. What keeps you in the industry for so long? I think everybody in this industry does it b e c a u s e i t c o m e s f r o m b e i n g a m u s i c l o v e r, a D J , e v e n t o r g a n i s e r. P e o p l e i n t h i s b u s i n e s s are passionate about music and when you can also turn that into a career it’s amazing. 8. Where do you see yourself retiring and why? I’ve not thought that far ahead but I am keen t o s e e C a l i f o r n i a . . . I h a v e n o i d e a w h y. I ’ v e never been to the states but the west coast has some kind of pull. Bali will always be home and my base. I don’t know... let’s see. 9. What’s your most loved Asian food? Are you really going to make me choose 1 dish? There so much to love. I’ve been in Asia for close to sixteen years so my diet is 99.9% Asian food. Thai, Indian, Indonesian, Singaporean, Chinese... All of it. 10. If you could go back to 2010, what tracks would you open with for a gig? W hy 2 0 1 0 ? I d o n’ t k n o w w h a t I ’d o p e n a s e t w i t h b u t I k n o w f o r s u r e d u r i n g t h e s e t I ’d play Tim Green - Lone Time, Cirez D - On Off (Sebastien Leger Remix), Idiotproof vs Eats E v e r y t h i n g - C a n Yo u J u m p , F o r m a t B - G o s p e l (Super Flu’s Antichrist remix) and Justin Martin and Ardalan - Mr Spock!!! There you go :)

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Through The Lens

1 . H i t h e r e ! Ta l k t o u s a b o u t y o u r j o u r n e y i n t h e p h o t o g r a p h y i n d u s t r y. H o w d i d i t a l l start out?

3. Are they any special techniques that you use or is there a signature style that sets you apart from other photographers?

For me it all began with house parties. I would go out with friends and we would get reckless but the following morning no one would have any pictures of what happened the night before. At the time, I was working at Chipotle( which I hated) so I bought a camera and started taking it everywhere with me. Everyone always wanted to see their picture a f t e r t h e p a r t i e s w e r e o v e r, a n d h a v i n g b e e n a f a n o f L a s t N i g h t s Pa r t y a n d K i r i l l Wa s H e r e , I s t a r t e d m y o w n w e b s i t e . . . w w w . S i m p l y. photo . Shortly after I met a friend who was a blogger for DailyB ­ eat and asked me to go shoot the Buygore charity showcase for t h e m a t t h e Yo s t t h e a t e r i n S a n t a A n a . I w a s instantly hooked. I would request to shoot every single show. For about 6 months I was shooting about 4 shows per week because I was never satisfied with my work; I wanted to be the best.

I n e v e r t u r n m y c a m e r a o f f. W h e n y o u ’ r e b a c k s t a g e , yo u n eve r k n o w w h o’ s g o i n g to pop in and say hi; you have to be ready for anything. I also never let my camera’s limitation stop me from getting a shot. A lot of photographer’s are scared of pushing t h e i r I S O ; I ’d ra t h e r g e t a n o i s ey s h o t t h a n no shot at all.

2. What brought about the interest to p u r s u e f e s t i v a l p h o t o g ra p hy/ d a n c e m u s i c photography? I’m all about creating goals and doing whatever it takes to achieve them. In 2014 I went to EDC just as a normal festival a t t e n d e e a n d I i n s t a n t l y f e l l i n l o v e . Yo u literally have the largest party in North America, hundreds of thousands of people, partying from dusk to dawn. I was like a kid at disneyland for the first time; this is what I wanted to do. I had a passing conversation with one of the photographers there and set a goal for myself; that I would do whatever it takes to be back there working the following y e a r. 3 6 5 d a y s l a t e r, I w a s b a c k a t t h e L a s V e g a s S p e e d w a y, s h o o t i n g f o r V e n a C a v a ( s h o u t o u t t o H e n r y, O l l i e , a n d N o a h f o r having me).

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4. What have been your most memorable moments as a photographer? My most memorable is definitely getting flown out to shoot Flosstradamus at Red R o c k s . A f t e r h a v i n g s h o t t h e i r s e t a t E D C LV, I D M ’d J o s h a n d C u r t o n I n s t a g ra m . T h ey loved the shots so much that a couple of D M ’ s l a t e r, a n d I w a s o n m y w a y t o C o l o r a d o to shoot for them. Also, 12th Planet giving me a shout out on the mic after one of his s e t s a t a Ve g a s p o o l p a r t y w a s p r e t t y r a d . 5. What are some of the challenges that come from being a photographer? One of the biggest challenges definitely has to be the long hours. These artist walk off t h e s t a g e a n d t h e i r j o b i s o v e r. O u r j o b a s a photographer is just barely getting started. W h i l e eve r yo n e’ s o u t p a r t y i n g o r h i t t i n g t h e h a y, w e ’ v e g o t t a s i f t t h r o u g h e v e r y t h i n g we just shot and be able to have it on our client’s phone by the time they wake up the n ex t m o r n i n g . A l o t o f t i m e s w e’ r e b a r e l y wrapping up our work at the same time the artist is waking up the following morning. 6. Do you have any tips for up and coming photographers? Yo u ’ l l n e v e r b e s o g o o d t h a t y o u c a n ’ t l e a r n anything new. People always ask me “ Whats been your best shoot?” And I always respond w i t h “ w h a t e v e r I s h o t l a s t ”. I ’ m a l w a y s learning, constantly trying new things, always adapting.


Through The Lens

7. What’s the story behind your chosen favourite picture? M y f a v o r i t e p i c t u r e d e f i n i t e l y h a s t o b e t h i s c r o w d s h o t o f F l o s s t r a d a m u s a t E D C LV. I t was day 3 and I was completely drained after having shot the previous 2 days of EDC. I went all the way up to the top of the bleachers at Cosmic Meadow and just posted up and started firing off shots during Floss’s set. I knew I had some fire but didn’t realize HOW good that shot was until I brought it into Lightroom. Floss loved it and posted it. Pasquale loved the shot so much, he posted the shot on his personal instagram. This is definitely one of the shots that I can attribute to my current success.

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Tour Diary

A S I A - PA C I F I C N E W S [ B A N G K O K , T H A I L A N D ] A P R I L 2 1 2 0 1 6 – S o m e 4 2 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e attended the three-day S2O, the world’s biggest Songkran Music Festival in Bangkok, held at party central Show DC Oasis Arena. This is a spike of 8,000 revellers and last year’s debut drew 34,000 people. Event day tickets to S2O were snapped up for all three days at the festival ground from April 13-15. Global acts Afrojack, R3Hab and Nicky Romero put on the best shows the Thai audience had ever seen, while S2O was the first festival in Thailand for Deorro, who played an energetic set. The second edition of S2O drew 30% or nearly 13,000 foreign visitors of the festival’s overall attendance, from around the region. This is a 10% increase in foreign attendance compared to 2015.

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Tour Diary

Photos: S20

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Macau International Clubbing Show

leading companies see MICS macau as powerful marketing channel as participation rises M a c a u , 1 5 M a r c h 2 0 1 6 - R e e d E x h i b i t i o n s , t h e w o r l d ’ s l e a d i n g e v e n t o r g a n i z e r, t o d a y announced that a high number of registered buyers, exhibitors and visitors are expected to a t t e n d t h e i n a u g u r a l e d i t i o n o f M I C S M a c a u f r o m 1 8 – 2 0 M a y a t t h e Ve n e t i a n M a c a o .

Best-in-Class Macau 2016

Brands

to

Exhibit

at

MICS

Eighty companies and brands are expected on the MICS Macau show floor to profile their latest offerings and help create a whole new experience for Asian nightlife and entertainment. MICS Macau continues to show a steady increase in registered buyers and visitors from across Asia. Reed’s energetic promotion of the event is clearly being reflected in early registration numbers. Some of the most famous names in sound and lighting equipment, champagne, spirits and event management will be at MICS Macau. On the beverage side, the offerings of the likes of AF Partners, Chateau La Martinette, Chilled Wine, Hermes Spirits, Imperial Wine Cellar and La Brasserie de Monaco, will be sure crowd pleasers. Events Agencies like alivenotdead.com will also promote their ability to connect hundreds of artists from film, music, fashion and performance.

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Complementary E n h a n c e d Va l u e

Side

Events

Promise

Reed will run 150+ business speed dates between exhibitors and 100 hosted buyers from Asia’s leading clubs, bars, distributors, event agencies and artists, with the promise of business connections and networking opportunities galore. Among numerous activities lined up for the show is a conference to explore marketing strategies, new technologies and operational challenges prevailing in nightlife and e n t e r t a i n m e n t t o d a y. O n s i t e , p a r t i c i p a n t s will also enjoy live demos, with tasting, of cocktail making. Creative dance and music performances will also add to the event’s buzz. “This trade show has the potential to become critical to the overall marketing strategy of ambitious nightlife and entertainment b u s i n e s s e s i n A s i a ,” a f f i r m e d J o s e p h i n e L e e , Executive Vice President of Reed Exhibitions Greater China. “ We’ r e excited by the opportunity to build MICS Macau into a show that is head and shoulders above anything e l s e i n A s i a .”


Macau International Clubbing Show

Competition Winners to be Announced

About Reed Exhibitions Greater China

At the show, winners of the first Asian Club and Bar Awards, chosen from over 160 Asian clubs and bars from 11 countries and regions in Southeast Asia will be revealed. Competition entrants will compete for a n u m b e r o f a c c o l a d e s , i n c l u d i n g “A s i a ’ s B e s t 1 5 C l u b s ”, “A s i a ’ s B e s t 1 5 B a r s ”, “ B e s t O v e r a l l C l u b E x p e r i e n c e ”, “ B e s t O v e r a l l B a r E x p e r i e n c e ”, “ B e s t C l u b ” a n d “ B e s t B a r ” i n a p a r t i c u l a r C o u n t r y/ R e g i o n . Vo t e s f o r “ M o s t Po p u l a r C l u b” a n d “ M o s t Po p u l a r B a r ” w i l l b e cast on social media.

Reed Exhibitions Greater China is a part of Reed Exhibitions that has over 500 events i n 4 3 c o u n t r i e s . G l o b a l l y, R e e d ’ s p o r t f o l i o of exhibitions and conferences serves 43 industry sectors across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Africa. The company employs 3,700 people worldwide. In 2014, Reed Exhibitions brought together over seven million event participants from around the world, generating billions of dollars in business for its customers. Reed Exhibitions is part of the RELX Group plc, a provider of professional information solutions to the science, medical, legal, risk management, and business to business sectors.

The DJ Festival at MICS Macau will feature elite DJs Megan Daniels, Sonny Wharton and ARTY playing throbbing tunes across three amazing nights. The festival will add a bold dynamism to the event.

For more information, reedexpo.com.cn

please

visit:

www.

To r e g i s t e r f o r M I C S M a c a u , v i s i t h t t p : // www.macauinternationalclubbingshow.com. Companies interested in exhibiting at MICS M a c a u c a n c o n t a c t Ve r a N g a t v e r a . n g @ reedexpo.com.hk.

About MICS Macau MICS Macau will be the first trade show in Asia with a dedicated focus on the nightlife a n d e n t e r t a i n m e n t i n d u s t r y, p r o v i d i n g t h e best marketing platform on which suppliers can demonstrate the latest in entertainment and event management products and trends such as lighting, pro-audio equipment, food & b e v e r a g e s , b a r e q u i p m e n t , d e s i g n , d é c o r, hospitality technology & solutions, and more, to the buyers and decision makers representing trendy restaurants, cafes, night clubs, bars, pubs and hotels. Its inaugural edition will be h e l d f r o m 1 8 – 2 0 M a y 2 0 1 6 a t t h e Ve n e t i a n Macau. For more information, please visit: www.macauinternationalclubbingshow.com

Media Contatcs Agnes Leung Senior Project Director Reed Exhibitions Te l : + 8 6 7 5 5 2 3 8 3 4 5 5 1 Email: agnes.leung@reedexpo.com.cn Peggy Chen Assistant Marketing Manager Reed Exhibitions Te l : + 8 6 7 5 5 2 3 8 3 4 5 5 7 E m a i l : p e g g y. c h e n @ r e e d e x p o . c o m . h k

About MICS Monaco The Monaco International Clubbing Show (MICS) is the first European trade show d e d i c a t e d t o t h e n i g h t l i f e’ s a n d e n t e r t a i n m e n t i n d u s t r y. C r e a t e d i n 2 0 1 0 , t h e c o n c e p t i s t o o f f e r t o i n t e r n a t i o n a l n i g h t l i f e’ s p r o f e s s i o n a l s to meet and to get together in Monaco in November and in Macau in May during 3 days and 4 nights in a privileged setting. For more information, please visit: www.mics.mc

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International Buzz

INTRODUCING THE NEW MARTIN GARRIX One of our favourite guys in dance music has recently revealed his new alias during Miami Music Week, Yo u r E D M h a s c o n f i r m e d t h a t A R E A 2 1 i s , i n f a c t , a Martin Garrix alias. Garrix also revealed in an interview w i t h Yo u r E D M t h a t w e c a n e x p e c t r a p p e r s a n d h i p - h o p to indie pop, trap music to electronic house music from his new record label named STMPD. Are you all excited to hear more of his new sound? We sure are!

AVICII MAKES MAJOR ANNOUCEMENT N o w t h a t h e h a s i t o f f h i s s h o u l d e r s , Av i c i i s e e m s more relaxed than he previously was. He stated, “I was nervous when I made the announcement, mainly that I would look ungrateful. But I’ve gotten so many s u p p o r t i v e t e x t s f r o m f r i e n d s i n t h e i n d u s t r y, o t h e r D J s , other artists. The fan response has been incredible. And even the press response has been incredible. So y e a h , i t ’ s b e e n a l o t b e t t e r t h a n I e x p e c t e d .”

LIVE STREAMING IS AVAILABLE WIDELY We have all seen that Periscope, Snapchat and now even Facebook have made it possible for us to enjoy the live streaming feature – something that we all want – w h i c h w i l l s o o n b e a v a i l a b l e o n Yo u Tu b e . T h e l i t t l e updates like this may seem like a giant leap for some of us who have total dedication and need to keep up with everything in the scene, with more updates such as live streaming we will surely be more connected with our favourites artists.

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International Buzz

ZEDD BRINGS OUT KESHA AND WE LOVE IT Ye t a g a i n , Z E D D b r o k e t h e i n t e r n e t t h i s t i m e d u e t o b r i n g i n g o u t K e s h a o n s t a g e at Coachella for a performance of the title song from his album and accompanying production. This was one of the best performances during Coachella and had many fans touched due to the recent news regarding Kesha, let’s wait and see what else they have planned for us. Fingers crossed.

TRANSMISSION TAKES ON AUSTRALIA A l l t h e w a y f r o m P r a g u e , Tr a n s m i s s i o n i s a p h e n o m e n a l indoor trance music event based in Prague at the o2 Arena and has made it’s way to Slovakia in 2014 and now for the first time ever in Melbourne, Australia. This is the first time ever that the trance family will b e a b l e t o e n j o y Tr a n s m i s s i o n o u t o f E u r o p e , w h a t does this mean for trance junkies? We just have to w a i t t i l l 2 J u l y t o s e e w h a t M a r k u s S c h u l z , B e n N i c k y, Vini Vici, Will Atkinson, Allen & Envy and Sam Jones have for TRANSMISSION - The Spiritual Gateway in the dance music capital of Australia

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Distribution List

Kinokuniya - K L C C ( E N G L I S H D E PA R T M E N T ) Pansing Bookstore -

H A R TA M A S S H O P P I N G C E N T R E S U N W AY G I Z A S H O P P I N G M A L L PA V I L I O N BANGSAR SHOPPING CENTRE

MPH -

BANGSAR VILLAGE SHOPPING NU SENTRAL MALL M I D VA L L E Y M E G A M A L L G I A N T S TA D I U M S H A H A L A M S U B A N G PA R A D E SHAH ALAM CITY CENTRE MALL SETIA CITY MALL B O O K M A R K AT T M N M A L U R I B A N G I G AT E W AY S H O P P I N G C O M P L E X KLIA 2 1 U TA M A P H A S E 2 PUBLIKA ALPHA ANGLE CHERAS SENTRAL P U T R A J AYA A L A M A N D A D P U L Z E C Y B E R J AYA S H O P P I N G C E N T R E

Popular - S U N W AY P U T R A M A L L - PEARL POINT SHOPPING CTR - PA R A D I G M K E L A N A J AYA - BUKIT RA JA - S U N W AY P Y R A M I D - BUKIT TINGGI KLANG - D A M E N , S U B A N G J AYA - IKANO DAMANSARA - S E L AYA N G M A L L

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