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DJ 720 Interview
January 27th, 2010
By: La Cutie
BIO
DJ 720 believes that for every action, there’s a reaction. This simple trade-off should represent a little more than a DJ playing a song and someone dancing to it. It’s the challenge of making you get out of your element and feel comfortable and rage out in his. That’s the reaction 720 is looking for.
DJ 720s first battle was at the 2000 Streetcar Showoff and he has been battling ever since. His competition highlight came in 2002 when he won the B-Boy Reunion DJ Champion title. He has since gotten back into training to perfect what he has learned and is now seeking out new scratch techniques. He got in to the art of mixing in 2001 and has been pushing to perfect his technique since then.
DJ 720, though founded in the new school of Hip-Hop's DJ element, reaches forward through the DJ realm, with his heart staying true to the old-school DJ proficiencies. "I started off learning technical scratching techniques. Then I saw Q-Bert and DJ Elite session and it blew my mind! The best way I can explain it, is that is was just way too funky! Here I was concentrating on fader handling and they were going off with that *plus* unbelievable vinyl manipulation. Right then and there, I just knew I had a lot more studying to do." Not only is he noted for his turntablist skills, but also for his creative and original remixes, often incorporating Asian-pop music. |
La Cutie: So my first question is where did the name DJ 720 come from?
720: Well, in 1999, I was thinking of a cool and unique name, but it seems whatever "cool" word I wanted to use, someone had that name. So, I thought, hey! I'll use a number. I kept staring at my turntables, then it hits me, the records are circles or 360 degrees. Since I use 2 records, add them together to get the DJ in the middle: 720. I’ve never had to change it since.
La Cutie: I like that, genius!
720: Ha ha I'm a nerd, what can I say?
La Cutie: What made you decide to become a nerd DJ?
720: Oh man, well I’ve always loved music for as long as I can remember. From singing in a choir when I was young, to playing the piano and ukulele to dancing in a Polynesian revue, I just couldn’t get enough music. I’d be glued to the radio every chance I could get, then I fell in love with hip hop. I heard the DJs and told myself, that’s what I want to do. Spin the music, and have people just vibe out or get down to what I love to play.
La Cutie: You sing too?
720: Not very well.
La Cutie: Ha ha. What was the first event you ever spun at?
720: Well I believe it was 2001 streetcar showoff DJ battle? I was nervous as hell. I think my hands were shaking so bad I made the records skip like crazy but it was a great high at the same time. To be up there doing your set, have people bob their heads and appreciate what you're doing.
La Cutie: Wow, a battle before spinning at an event? How long had you been spinning for?
720: Before I could mix or blend two songs, I was into the turntables scene. Battling was the next progression from practicing in my bedroom all day long. I believe I was only spinning for a year and half? Maybe 2 years?
La Cutie: Nice, tell me you won.
720: I don't think I made passed the first round. Ha.
La Cutie: Awww, I bet the experience was amazing though. So what was your first gig?
720: First gig was deejaying a Suga Suga, an all ages event when I was still an instructor at the UDJ [United DJ] school.
La Cutie: All ages huh? How is the younger crowd different from say, the 21+ crowd?
720: It is very different, the younger crowd is really keen to the radio, and therefore, it’s more of a top 40/hits crowd. There is a small deviation from that, but the majority of that age group are radio addicts.
La Cutie: Wait, you mentioned that you are a DJ instructor? Elaborate please.
720: I used to teach deejaying at one point, but I stopped a year ago.
La Cutie: Will you teach me?
720: Ha ha sure!
La Cutie: What is the first rule you teach all of your students?
720: Hmmm that would be Deejaying is customer service.
La Cutie: Who are the customers? The promoter, the crowd, or both?
720: The crowd I’m only a bedroom DJ without the people.
La Cutie: Ha ha, I like that. Who taught you how to spin?
720: It was a combination of people, but my mentor is DJ Elite. He taught me a lot about the DJ game, inside and outside of the club.
La Cutie: When you play is it a pre planned set?
720: Not pre planned, just sets I’m comfortable with and with the knowledge that it'll work across the board for most audiences. I like to get a feel of the venue and the vibe of the crowd before I spin, so I can make my adjustments as I DJ.
La Cutie: Out of all the tracks you have, which one never fails?
720: Cupid Shuffle!!! LOL nah, um, pretty much any track that the ladies are feeling these days. Right now, anything that Pitbull touches such as ‘Calle Ocho’ or ‘Hotel Room’ then again, depending on the crowd, B.E.P. I got a feeling, or Sexy Bitch - David Guetta feat. Akon.
La Cutie: And what's your favorite song of all time?
720: For me, variety is the spice of life, so I don't have an all time favorite one, but the most memorable tune/album is RUN DMC Raising Hell. First time I was ever exposed to hip hop, but didn’t know what it was till 8-9 years later.
La Cutie: Back then it was all records, was that your first record and if not what was your first record you bought?
720: First record I was given was Salt n Peppa Push It 12", first records I bought were Super Duck Breaks and Toasted Marshmellow breaks, all before I even owned my own turntables.
La Cutie: Do you remember how much you paid for it?
720: Hmmmm I think they were 12 something a record?
La Cutie: How big is your vinyl collection?
720: Not massive anymore, maybe under a thousand vinyls?
La Cutie: A thousand seems like a lot! I think I only have 5 vinyl records now ha ha, and tons of cassettes.
720: I wish I still had my cassettes…
La Cutie: You use vinyls, cds, serato, and I heard a rumor that you are now doing video mixing and some MC’ing.
720: I use as many mediums as I can, I’m still in the infant stages of video, I just like to make the video mash ups and send them out to other DJs.
La Cutie: I want to see one! Which DJs do you send them out too, your DJ friends, local DJs?
720: Local DJs and I post them up for download on various DJ forums on the web.
La Cutie: What do you do outside of the nightlife scene and when all the partying is over? How do you like to chill out?
720: I like to chill out at home with my girlfriend and just make remixes, mash ups or hang out with good friends and enjoy a great BBQ or chill restaurant.
La Cutie: Its shout out time. Have at it.
720: I'd like to send out shouts to DJ Elite for being my mentor and teaching me to use the tools that were given to me, James Coles for letting me pass on the knowledge to our future generation as well as teaching me about the DJ game, Mike D for taking a chance on me and showing me how its done in the club (I still watch my levels..lol), DJ Blake for giving me my first professionally paid gigs and for all the help and support throughout the years, DJ Idle for helping me breakout of the waikiki mold and helping me out when I needed it, Ana and the dosomethingtonight.com fam for featuring me on their site and taking the wonderful pictures, Kavet, Juando and the Katchafire DJs...OVF!!!, to all of Hawaii's DJs and Turntablists..lets show the world what a strong community we have here in the islands..so much talent and creativity, its our time to show and prove and last but certainly not least, to my wonderful gf Leanne for all the support, motivation and being my number 1 fan and critic to make me a better DJ and person, love you!
~Catch DJ 720 performing live at Manifest, Friday, January 29th!
Follow DJ 720 at:
http://dj720.blogspot.com
http://facebook.com/dj720
http://twitter.com/dj720
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