a DJ and a Gentleman - Koh Phangan Raising Power

Hi Darragh, thank you for making this interview with us. Please tell us how long you are living here in the island and why did you choose to make Koh Phangan your home base?

I have been living on Koh Phangan for over two years now and there are many reasons why I decided to make this island home. The fact is it’s an amazing island. The people and the lifestyle here are perfect and there is something special about the parties I haven’t seen anywhere else... it’s a certain energy. People that come to the parties are really up for a good time.  You definitely get a buzz from playing in front of the people here, I love it.

Tell us about projects in Koh Phangan and in general you involved in?

I play Fubar & Tommy's in Haad Rin every full moon and then I might have a set at Jungle Experience & Sramanora Waterfall party during the month.  Both Waterfall and Jungle are really picking up lately. The last few of those have been amazing with big crowds and a really good atmosphere.  I also DJ at the new Rhythm & Sands parties as well as take care of the stage management.

We had our first LOVE:IS beach Festival this January and I followed up Marco V.
It was also great to play the first comeback of Anahata last December. It is a unique party with a great vibe and I’m very happy to see it re-open.

In Bangkok I’ve been playing at the ‘’AFTR PRTY’’ events at Glow nightclub and they have all been great, really well organized nights with great promoters and a top club too.
A couple of weeks ago I played at "Kolour Sundays" day party which was awesome. Set by the river in Bangkok, it is a beautiful location and has a great atmosphere with a lively crowd.

I’ve also had two EP’s released on Antiqua Recordings & Deep Vein Audio.  Graham Gold and I did a remix together a few months back which was fun.  I recently found out that Donato Dozzy, a guy I have had loads of respect for a long time played the track ‘’Xuri’’ of my first EP at Labyrinth in Tokyo back in 2010. A friend of mine came across the video on Youtube…  it’s not that big a deal but things like this really push me to produce more.  That’s what I’m trying to focus on lately, although at times Koh Phangan can be very distracting. 

What are the main or favorite projects you were you involved in Koh Phangan?

It’s hard to name one but I really enjoy my set at Fubar in Haad Rin every full moon.  I love the people there and I guess it’s kind of where all the local residents go so it’s a really friendly vibe with lots of loyal partiers.  Other than that, I love to play the infamous Guy’s bar.  It’s a good time to be on the island.  Waterfall, Pirates & Jungle are all putting out some good music and it seems like things are getting better and better with the Likes of LOVE:IS and Rhythm & Sands, both booking recognized names making it very exciting to be involved in. 
 

How will you describe your style of music?

House… but then you can get into the sub genres or whatever, so I guess deep house is my favorite although at some of the parties I play more tech or higher energy tracks. It’s all about trying to give the crowd what they need but also showing them what you are about.

Which DJs/Producers influenced you most and who are your favorite DJs at the moment?

I bounced from one genre to another in my teens so it’s hard to name who actually influenced the music I’m into now. 

Some mix tapes would be passed around I remember being into trance and this guy I knew had an Erik Moriilo subliminal sessions 01 and It was the first time I had ever heard what you would describe as tech house I had never heard anything like it before I loved it straight away.  I still play a track from that cd in my sets today it really sparked my interest in house music.  My first love was hard house I still remember my first hard house set in a town in Ireland,  I was about sixteen and everything was on vinyl back then which I kind of miss but as I learned more about music and started producing I really got into house music.   

My Favorite Producers at the moment are Kris Wadsworth, MANIK, Stimming, David August and Edu Imbernon stuff is really good for the floor here.

Djs I'm liking at the moment: Lady oh is doing great lately and Guy (Fubar) has defiantly stepped up his sets with some serious tracks, Graham Gold Played a wicked set at the recent LOVE:IS,  Co2an Australian DJ based in Bangkok is definitely playing the type of house I like.

Many DJs choose a stage name, why did you choose to keep your original one?

I did have a stage name back when I was sixteen or seventeen. I had a stint on a pirate radio station WCR Fm and my name was simply ‘KC’ and that was my DJ name for years, but I decided to go by my real name. I like my name so I thought ‘why not’. I don’t need a crazy DJ name and some day if I get prolific enough at releasing tracks I might have to think of a second name maybe DJ Sexymofo wouldn’t be a bad name haha….

What do you think about the music and party scene in Koh Phangan?

Its going from strength to strength lately and I have definitely seen big improvements in the last two years with respect to the quality of music and DJs. Hopefully this will continue and Koh Phangan will be on the map as a serious destination for people who are passionate about ‘’underground’’ music.

 What it is your advice for young DJs who want to come and play in parties in the island?

Just try and be a bit professional about things without being too serious. Come to the parties, introduce yourself, don’t nag too much, and don’t talk shit. People don’t care if you played in Ibiza or whatever here.  After a while you will get a set. When you do, play well and you will get another set and so on.  Also if you play for free you won’t be respected. It can be tempting to say ‘’Hey give me the warm up I’ll do it for free bro’’ but you don’t want to be doing that too much…  If the tourists keep coming and the parties keep going well then promoters can afford to pay DJs better. These are all positive steps for increasing the quality of the parties here.

 What was the best Party in Koh Phangan you’ve been in?

All of the parties have had their special nights so it's hard pick one. I could say Guys Bar on my first New Years Eve on the island but then again the last Waterfall Party I played at on the 5th of January was totally crazy, off the hook amazing!  Then you got the recent comeback of Anahata which was also a stand out party, so I’m just going to pick the reason I came to Koh Phangan in the first place, Full Moon party August 2007.