THE TRIBE

#TheTribeExclusive featuring DJ Dreas

DJ Dreas has carefully mapped out his musical journey as a producer and DJ over the years, and lately he is reaping the results of his calculated entry into the Namibian music industry.

In 2018 he dropped his debut EP Pluto, which garnered an astonishing 10 000streams online. In 2019 he graced the Red Bull studios in South Africa, getting to network with a host of proficient music personalities, some of whom he worked with on his Tangerine project. Dreas has become a cultural icon amongst the Namibian youth, who shower him with adoration for every new project that he releases.

In this interview with #TheTribeExclusive, he gives an insight into his creative process and talks about his first official release, Tangerine.

Tell us about your EP Tangerine...

Tangerine is a feeling. I see sound in colour and the vibes that I was getting from the sounds in this project were of a tangerine feel, and for me the colour speaks about summer – that’s why I dropped it in December.

How did Namibians receive the EP?

Quite well. I’m actually surprised that it’s doing that well because another thing is that compared to Pluto it has more listeners. Tangerine reached people who don’t even know me. There are just more ears now.

Describe your Red Bull Studios experience?

It was surreal and overwhelming at the same time. I learnt a lot. I had to dumb myself down to absorb as much as I could from the professionals.

Do you infuse your music with that of other Namibian musicians during your DJ sets?

I had to talk to myself just to find out what type of DJ I want to become. I definitely play my own music because I’m on the journey of finding an identity, so when you go to a DJ Dreas show you know what you are going to get. You’re going to get a certain type of sound and although I do play other Namibian music, it always depends on the setting.

For festivals or club gigs I’m usually playing either my own sounds or sounds that are similar to mine.

I see sound in colour and the vibes that I was getting from the sounds in this project were of a tangerine feel, and for me the colour speaks about summer – that’s why I dropped it in December.

What makes your DJ sets unique, what elements of the computer scientist in you do you use to make your sets stand out?

Explaining won’t do it justice. You have to be in the moment, you have to see how I do my thing to be able to understand. But just to give you some understanding, my music in itself makes my set different and I also infuse music that I haven’t even released yet.

Since recording this interview, DJ Dreas has gained more popularity with fans. His lockdown special, the #5MinFinesse, attracted thousands of viewers who tuned into his Instagram Live for the midnight show which featured mostly impromptu performances. The online series, which has since been discontinued, was graced by the likes of Namibian rapper Skrypt and South African star Moonchild Sanelly.

DJ Dreas has also been cooking in the studio and recently dropped his latest serving of quality sounds: Delusions Of Grandeur. He describes the single as “an amazingly dense, mid-tempo track that feels like a warm clasp.”

Want to keep up with DJ Dreas? Follow him on Instagram and on Twitter @djdreas_na.

Watch The Tribe on One Africa TV (GoTV 90, DStv 284, DStv Now, TV2Africa.com) every Friday at 21h30 and repeat shows on Wednesdays at 07h00 and on Saturdays at 17h30. Alternatively, listen to The Tribe on 99FM every Friday at 19h00, and follow The Tribe on Instagram @thetribenamibia and on Facebook @TheTribeNamibia.