Interview: D.O.D

D.O.D is a 22 year old self-confessed Pioneer Pro DJ addict whose energy, turntable wizardy and partying antics will tear the roof off wherever he plays.

After recently being crowned as the ‘Mixmag & Blackberry DJ 2010′ and receiving a full two page spread in the world’s biggest dance music magazine Mixmag, things look promising for the young rising star.

D.O.D’s precise but inventive use of CDJs really does set him apart from other DJs. His creative abilities and imaginative style always shine through when he hits the decks, and before every show he digs out the finest acapellas, bootlegs and instrumentals to bridge the gap for switching genres of music, a sound which is untouchable.

“I like to be experimental and creative, not only on the CDJs but also with my music selection. The large majority of my DJ sets are based around Electro, but I’m not afraid to drop random tunes and I feel my technical ability allows me to do this seamlessly. I put the fun back into DJing, simple as that!”
D.O.D’s unique sound can only be described as ‘Jump-Up Electro with the Unexpected’.

His energy, style, charisma and CDJ wizardry is something that simply cannot be missed. He has just recorded a set for Kissy Sellout on Radio 1 and on NYE will be warming up for Pendulum.  Now is the perfect time to check in with this rising talent, if you haven’t already.

Can you remember the first time you heard electronic music? Remember what you liked about it?

Yes, it was in my brother’s room when I was about eight years old. I think he had bought a dance music compilation CD. I loved it so much that I was trying to steal his CDs when he had gone out to listen to. It was something completely new for me, growing up I had to listen to my Mum and Dad’s music, which was predominantly Motown based. The sounds involved were amazing, like nothing I had ever heard before!
 

When did you first get into DJing and producing?

I first got into DJing when I was around 12 years old. I had been nagging my parents to get me a set of decks for a long time. Back then, I thought it was a cool thing to have, I never imagined that it would become my profession years later. Production just kind of came with the DJing really. I was DJing a lot in local bars in my hometown Bury and thought it was the right choice to make when deciding what to do at college. I studied music technology for 2 years at Bury College then 3 years at Lancaster University.

How has your year been? What has taken up most of your time?

This year has been unbelievable! Six months ago I would have never predicted how far I have got, it’s insane how quickly things progress. Winning the Mixmag competition has massively raised my profile as an artist. Most of my time gets taken up with days in the studio, DJing, making edits, curating my own clubnights and looking for new music - the perfect job really!
 

And how has your musical taste evolved this year? What has inspired you?
 
My musical taste is constantly evolving. I could never just stick to one specific genre of music, that’s not what I am about as a DJ. Obviously my heart is still with electro but artists like Chase & Status, Magnetic Man etc have made dubstep and drum & bass so much more accessible to the masses. This has made my DJ sets more interesting. Two years ago it was quite difficult to get a positive reaction out of the crowd when you played a dubstep track, now people go mental. I will play anything that works on the dance floor, that’s what I love about my style of DJing. Again, most of my DJ sets are based around electro but I throw a little bit of everything else in there too just to shake things up. All genres of music inspire me, especially when I am in the studio making my own tracks. There are so many different sub genres breaking into the dance music scene at the minute and I think it’s fucking brilliant! 

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How has life changed since winning the Mixmag comp?

It has changed massively! I am very grateful for Mixmag choosing me, I wouldn’t be in the position I am in now if it wasn’t for them. It’s great too because I have made some really good friends form the people that work for Mixmag, I just feel very fortunate that they enjoy what I am about as a DJ. Things really progressed after becoming the Mixmag Ibiza resident. I have signed to a very respectful agency, PFAgency and now I am on the same books as the likes of Eddie Haliwell etc. Again, these guys have helped push me to a whole new level, we are both working our socks off to try and achieve new targets, it’s great.

And what was life like in Ibiza this Summer as their resident?

Amazing, I love Ibiza so much and going over there to become a resident for one of the world’s biggest dance music magazines was just insane. I played some great DJ sets, met a lot of cool people and saw some amazing DJs. I could easily get used to the Ibiza lifestyle, hopefully I will do next year!

Why do you think you won it? What sets you apart?

I think I won it by being creative and doing something that other DJs aren’t. I try to be as technical as possible when DJing. I use a lot of acapellas to bridge the gap between switching genres of music and make everything flow nicely. I always like to be a little daring, try out new tricks and generally be a little bit of an animal behind the decks, the crowd buzz of you so much when they know that you are into what you are doing just as much as they are.

How prepared are each of your sets or are they all done on the fly?

A lot of it is done on the fly, it really just depends on how the crowd are reacting to what I am doing behind the decks. I do a lot of preparation beforehand, making edits, digging out bootlegs, acapellas and discovering old classics that I know will definitely work on the dance floor. If I were to plan out exactly what I am doing and it doesn’t work then I’m pretty much fucked - the main aspect of being a good DJ for me is knowing what the crowd want to hear next and putting your own, technical style on that.

Do you play to a crowd when you DJ or just play what you want?

I play to the crowd. I think the first few tracks are imperative, you need to capture the audience’s attention immediately. If you do that then the majority of the time you can progress with the DJ set, drop underground music and still get the same reaction. DJing, for me, is all about being creative. There are so many other DJs that do the same old shit - I work very hard before my DJ sets to figure out what I can do to make the DJ set better than the last one. I am my own biggest critic, I find it very difficult to be completely happy with what I do. I guess if I was happy with everything then something would be very wrong. There are always areas that you can improve on, I like to discover the areas then improve on something else I’m not entirely happy with.
What’s more important – good tracks or a good flow to a set – and why?

I think both are very important. Obviously, for myself it depends on where I am DJing but if I were to play and electro based mash-up set, it is nice to strip tracks down to its bare elements (mainly just acapellas) and then build it back up by layering several tracks over the top of that. I like to bring people up and down in a DJ set, the element of surprise can really keep people focused on the dance floor and make them understand what you are trying to do behind the decks. There’s nothing better than seeing a thousand people in front of you and having them in the palm of your hand - The sky is the limit with DJing, if you think you can get away with dropping a random track, then fuck it, drop the track and wait for the reaction. You have to be daring in DJ sets, if you don’t then you will be just like every other DJ trying to make something of themselves.

What’s your own process in the studio – do you have rules?

I mainly create a 8 bar loop of what the main drop in the track would be, then work either side of that to create the structure, it’s the way I have always done things. Apart from that, anything goes! If it is working on the day then just flow with it.

And which bits of your job are your favourite?

DJing, travelling, listening to new music, meeting new people, working hard in the studio and everything else that comes with it...I love everything about my job!

What else have you got coming up?

I just did a Radio 1 guestmix for Kissy Sell out which was aired on Thursday 18th November - jump on my soundcloud to listen to the mix. The mix consists of tracks that influenced me when I was growing up, a couple of new tracks and my own music. I have some really high profile gigs coming up over Christmas which I am very excited about. NYE at the UK’s biggest club, The Syndicate warming up for Pendulum should be lots of fun! I have an EP that is hopefully going to be released by the end of the year too, but again as I am my own biggest critic I want it to be perfect for my first major release. Basically just lots of great shows all over the UK, it’s all very exciting! There are some very big shows that I am playing for which I can’t release just yet, I am looking forward to what’s to come.

D.O.D - KLASSROOM MIX FOR KISSY SELL OUT - BBC RADIO 1 - 18/11/10 by D.O.D

D.O.D plays at Preston's 53 degrees on December 10th with Grooverider. Get your tickets through Skiddle below: 

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