Interview: Reiki

[ActuallyMag] For more than a decade, Jean Tay aka Reiki has gone to the furthest corners of electronic dance music. From dishing out the earlier sounds of breakbeat to threading through the stripped versions of dubstep, and playing in countless of gigs to getting her hands dirty on advance DJing equipment, the pimpstress of sound has undoubtedly earned her stripes. As a guest lecturer in this year’s FFF Girl DJ Bootcamp, we met up with the DJ-producer as she talks about the local dance music scene, leaving scratches in the minds of punters and being a HTTP 404 type of character.

Interview: KoFlow

[ActuallyMag] Singapore’s turntabalist extraordinaire has been plying his mad skills on some the biggest stage across Asia climaxing to a recent sold out solo concert at the Esplanade. If you ever plan to burglarize the 2003 DMC champion’s home, be sure to aim for his rare collections of vinyls. Constantly taking his scratch mastery to another level, Wayne Liu aka KoFlow (also known as Ninja in some circles) will be sharing his secret skills with the participants of the 2011 FFF Girl DJ Bootcamp. We speak to the artist hailed as the Grandmaster of Flash as he shares his thoughts on skateboarding, resident DJs, being an artist and DMC.

Interview: FFF Girl DJ Bootcamp Founders

[ActuallyMag] With a party at Zouk’s Wine Bar on October 27, this year’s FFF Girl DJ Bootcamp is about to come to a close. ActuallyMag talks to founders Cherry Chan, Debbie Chia, Natalie Tan and latest inclusion Pamm Hong about how it is like being a woman in a predominantly male industry, cupcakes and tea, and building a music culture.

Interview: Ungku

[ActuallyMag] Surrounded by inebriated inspired behaviour, a succulent mix of sweaty men and scantily clad women, blaring music, hot strobe lights and risks of feet-on-feet crushes is all part of a day’s work for Ungku. The 30-year-old photographer has been covering events at Zouk, Home Club and other party centrals, music festivals and gigs for over 5 years. You can’t miss the big guy and if you’re looking to go from one point of the packed club to the other, he doubles up as an excellent frontman. ActuallyMag finds out more about the gentle giant behind the lenses.

The FFF Girl DJ Bootcamp 2011 | More Than Music…

[ActuallyMag] Discussed over frozen margaritas, Debbie Chia approached both Cherry Chan and Natalie Tan aka Pixiedub after their residency at an alfresco bar in 2008 with an idea that (unknown to them) will change Singapore’s DJing landscape.

These three ladies were already holding their own back then. Debbie was a resident at KPO, was about to kick off a dance music event organization called the Midnight Shift on the same year, and was Asia’s first participant at the 2005 Red Bull Music Academy in Seatle. Cherry has being going around pushing Intelligent Dance Music from London to Asia back then, started the first ever all-girls night PopMyCherry!, and was in the midst of building audio-visual collective Syndicate.

Having been DJing since 2001, Natalie is synonymous in nightlife circles having played at numerous parties including The Official After Party for rock band Muse and Stereophonics and at venues such as Stereolab, Hacienda, House, Blu Jaz Cafe, and Home Club. Her eclectic taste for music and her knack for picking out discerning niches have also seen her successfully shaped events from Art Stage Singapore VIP Opening to Singapore Writers Festival and Singfest 2008.

Three years on and the ladies have gained a wealth of experiences from their respective endeavours. And as lecturers of the FFF Girl DJ Bootcamp, they have grown on their own through the basis they wish to impart to future female DJs. The basis of the bootcamp is simple: educate women about electronic dance music and DJing while creating a community of local female DJs.

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Interview: Jana Jelovac

[ActuallyMag] Having being surrounded by tall grey buildings, violence and economic uncertainties for most of her life, 32-year-old digital artist Jana Jelovac perhaps epitomizes the embodiment of a struggling artist. But it is in the work of the Serbian that serves as a reminder that creativity prevails no matter the environment. Born in Belgrade, amidst crisis and turmoil, ActuallyMag speaks to the outspoken artist about her principles, ideas, and beliefs that resonates in her artistic expression.

Interview: DJ Lucky Lou

[ActuallyMag] Making his Singapore debut, New Yorker DJ Lucky Lou headed straight up 57 floors to Ku De Ta and dropped his massive selection of party rocking beats. Not a stranger to party rocking, Lucky is the official DJ for the increasingly popular electro and hip hop band LMFAO, and is part of the Party Rock Crew.

With mainstream chart-toppers like “Shots ft Lil Jon” and “Party Rocking Anthem ft. Lauren” hitting repeat on the airwaves, Lucky knows how the party can get messy. ActuallyMag speaks to the down-to-earth DJ prior to the impending dancefloor mayhem.

Interview: EJ Missy

[ActuallyMag] Known for her essential selections of techno and minimal house tunes, EJ Missy has been helming decks around Singapore from Ku De Ta to Home Club and Zouk to Zirca. A Juice DJ Quest 2008 champion, her techno night Loop has been causing a fine frenzy among local dance music lovers. ActuallyMag speaks to the multi-talented lady about her music, the nightlife scene and going on loop.

Interview: Danial Enemiko

[ActuallyMag] Enemiko is not just a photographer and a trained graphic designer, Enemiko is an artist; and like most artist he is defined by his unique style and approach. Often impressed as whimsical, his work is hardly regarded as bordering on abstract. It is a marriage of two extreme. From the exaggeration of colours while delivering a message of a depressing nature, to humorously wild and intensified characterization of a subject matter while purporting a broody, often ghastly idea. And as art imitate life, the comical nature of his work can also be found in his personality.

Interview: Le Messie

[ActuallyMag] A clean bald scalp, with tribal tattoos for hair; a walking wardrobe of black apparels and torn denims, woven with the threads of bad-ass; Le Messie may seem like a hell rider bent on mayhem. But he prefers to keep it real, a clothing line pressing handmade apparels, post-punk music producer with Lupe Fiasco, and a music remixer kind of real. ActuallyMag speaks to the multi-talented creative entrepreneur about his label, music and beliefs.