My first choice is someone I have known a number of years, I think I met him at Bang Face and I booked him for a legendary party I hosted which still gets talked about to this day. Dave has been actively involved in the scene for a number of years and plays amazing DJ Sets! Lets see what he has to say.

What advice do you have for up and coming DJ's?

Be humble. Nobody likes a bragger or someone who is continually strutting around - anyone who looks like they do is just along for a ride and will ditch when the going gets tough. Be nice to the crew - the sound guys, the riggers, without them you wouldn't be able to perform. And get involved behind the scenes. People appreciate you for what you can offer them, so offer a hand and you'll go much further than just someone putting their latest mix up on mixcloud and shouting "Look at me!!".

What do you like about using Pioneer CDJ's and DJM mixers at a party?

They are the industry standard and you know what you're getting. I hate getting to a party, it's dark, difficult to see, and the mixer is a weird layout to what you're used to so you spend time getting familiar with it instead of throwing down the best mix you can.

Why do you choose Pioneer over Denon?

Same reason as above - it's what I've become accustomed to over the last couple of decades and I'm wedded to Rekordbox now!

What was your craziest technical malfunction at a gig?

I've seen two things physically blow up in my time. Once was a speaker at a club near Nottingham years ago which literally caught fire in the middle of gabber set, and once a DJ I was going back to back with blew up the mixer mid-set. Fun times!

There seems to be mixed feelings on the newer tech, do you prefer CDJ 2000 or CDJ 3000 or controllers?

I'm honestly happy with any of these as I'm now familiar with them all. 2000s have been around for ages now, you know where you are, and they're ultra-reliable. Personally, I have no beef with the 3000's, and have had no bad experiences when playing out on them so I'm also happy there, although I have heard stories other people have had problems. At home, I'm currently rocking the XDJ-RX3 and have taken this to parties where I'm not sure what I'm gonna be presented with on arrival, so any of these do me fine.

Vinyl or Digital?

It's a question that comes up again and again and it shouldn't even be a thing nowadays - it's digital. Sorry vinyl lovers. I was brought up on vinyl and I spent years going from my first pair of belt drives, through to doubling up vinyl mixes on direct drives, but the physical format has never done much for me. I don't miss how much of a nightmare it is lugging a record box around, how needles skip, how you can scratch a record so easily, and anyone who can't see the obvious creative capabilities that mixing digitally brings through the use of multiple cue points, looping, and all the other effects, is deluding themselves. It's digital all the way as has been for such a long time now it shouldn't even still be a question.

What platforms do you get your tunes from?

Lots. In any one week I'll review up to 300 tracks from Soundcloud, Hypeddit, Crates, Bandcamp, Beatport, Spotify, RavePool, and what I get sent directly. From these in a given week this will normally come down to about 10-20 tracks a week I'll purchase and use in my radio show or when playing out. RavePool is a new platform I've helped to start up which promotes new exciting independent musicians and aims to reward them properly for their work - definitely check that out.

What's your favourite gig to perform at?

Bang Face, without question. It's been my spiritual home for so long now nothing else will ever come close to it.

Intimate or large venues?
 

If I had to pick, I'd pick a large venue, the energy is brilliant at these and weirdly the thrill and anxiety of playing them gives me a rush and I love the challenge. That said, if you know the crowd personally, then an intimate gig playing to people you like and know appreciate what you do can be just as rewarding.

How do you think the scene has changed?

I think since lockdown it's definitely become more corporately driven. Fewer risks are being taken (for the most part) and you've got two classes of events - one thrown by someone with their mates and close contacts playing for favours, or huge events with massive budgets - though still not enough for what's their ambitions are! The middle ground has been strangled through a lack of venues, lack of funds, and red tape in a lot of cases. That said, the actual energy in the scene and drive by the people in it is as strong as ever, and by and large I think the general public (and powers that be) are a little more tolerant of events than they were a decade or so ago. I think it's harder to predict the future than it ever has been - we're currently living in a world of uncertainty and how this plays out for our scene over the next few years is something I don't think many people have a grasp of yet.

Is there anything you would like to tell people about?

Absolutely! RavePool - as mentioned above - is an exciting new venture for me - it began as an idea I had in lockdown, we went live in August, and aims to be something that can really help artists grow, ensure they're paid properly for their music, but also be a great resource for DJs to find new tunes. It's come from over 20 years experience as a DJ and music producer, so it also aims to help DJs find music for their sets (though traditional things like key and BPM but also using AI to help recommend tunes based on their vibe to what you like) and retain good value for money. We're also looking at getting DJs, label owners, event promoters, and more music heads involved in what we're doing so I'd love to hear from anyone who sees what we're doing and are interested in joining in. 

Head over to ravepool.net now!

Other Links:

Dave Skywalker Mixes - Dave Skywalker Soundcloud