- where / Tauranga
- what / Tech, DJ
- likes / Trance, Techno, Rock, Progressive, Minimal, House, Electro, Breaks
Hey all, Hoki here.
I was the Resident DJ at ROMA inTauranga for 5 years before I headed over to London to see if I could crack the Dj world here without compromising my ideals or selling myself out. I have been DJing since I was 15 years old, starting with school dances and then doing mobile until I was 21. I started Club DJing from then and haven't stopped.
My best DJ moments up 'til now have been playing to 5000 people for NY gig in Wairakei at 19 yrs old, my 5 year Residency at ROMA, Tga and my 1st big UK gig at Camden Palace exactly 1 year after arriving here.
Currently I am in the process of organising gigs in Europe, which seems a more attractive option than having to compete and kiss too much ass here in London.
As the Resident in Tga, if there was no Guest DJ - i would have to play from beginning to end - anything from 6 - 9 hours a night ... I would start funky and housey and work my way up through Progressive, Trance and end up banging it at the end. Consequently my DJ style and taste is all over the place, but i do play promotion-appropriate. I do really love deep, chunky progressive and tribal.
I have always kept on eye on Obscure pretty much from the beginning of the site, so now i've checked back and am enjoying a modicum of success in London, i felt it was time to push my profile in New Zealand and hope that I can come home and play sometime soon ( and a paid trip home would rock ;-) )
Thanks for checking my profile, believe in the beat !!!
DEC 2006
Well after almost 4 yrs in london, it was time to come home.
London was a huge learning experience and I can safely say I don't ever want to live there again.
Met some fantastic people, made some true friends, but the place is just a bit mad .... and I needed to reconnect with my country.
Safe to say it's a big change coming back, but oh my god - the food, the people, the country - so so so nice to have real things back in my life.
DJing became a bit of a chore when having to deal with the UK promoters, as if kissing ass wasn't bad enough - under-paid or no payment started to become the offered norm, and I wasn't going to play that game.
I concentrated more on my other job of Lighting Engineer and when I was about to leave, my employer told me he didn't want me to leave, but if I had to then I had a job anytime I wanted - was nice to know that I hadn't wasted my time in London.
Only took 1 holiday while I was there - Ibiza of course - i had to see what the fuss was about.
Ibiza is beautiful, a place that still has many traces of it's past. If you ever want to go there, do it - but don't stay in the main tourist area - San Antonio - it's full of poms and thats where most of the shit happens, stay away - contact James Villas on the 'net and book a villa up in the valley's, away from the idiots, where you can chill and pick up some real nice Ibiza vibe. ..... oh, make sure you get one with a pool cos the Mediterranean is like really warm - if the summer sun is about 35-40C, then the water is only 10C behind - so a pool is essential. It's best if you go with a crew of about 8 people (you actually like)to split up the costs and gives you all the chance to split up and wander the island.
recommended places are KM5 ( cool, chilled bar restaurant ), Amnesia ( Thurs night for the trance'y vibe), San Josep ( wicked nice area to stay in ), Old Ibiza Town ( nice, cosmopolitan, check the castle at night and find all the people who still live in the castle ), any beach where there are no english - as they tend to just make asses of themselves, Pacha and Space ( cos they are the shit ).
Any kiwis going to do the 2yr O.E. ... go do a bit more than the usual Kontiki, stoned in Holland, drunk at Oktoberfest, sangria'd in Spain ... go do something bloody different and actually have a good story to come home with.
But ... for clubs in London .... for the average Joe - Fabric, Turnmills, Koko @ Camden Palace, Fire, The Fridge, Brixton Academy, The Cross, Hidden, The Key and Canvas, Egg, Pacha, The End and AKA.
You will find little gems hidden away which disappear as quick as they came as well.
Anyway enough , i'm back, living in Tauranga, started a radio show 1 week after I arrived and have already been in the Studio and started producing - One thing I did realise from my time in London, I can do it better and do it more back here.
Laters
