Phanganist catches up with our good pal Vincent Vino ahead of his set at Phanganist Hostel on Wednesday 24th May...
Hey Vince! You’ve been here a while, still enjoying Koh Phangan?
Yeah. It's been around 4 years now, but I’m still having fun. I do feel the need to get away more. It's a small island so you have to keep that balance. It's nice to go to a big city every now and then. Indulge in the things we don't have here.
When did you start your Dj life?
It's been a while. I started playing around with music about 24 years ago, together with a good friend. We didn't have money for equipment and only had one old turntable and a tape deck. We would match the vinyl with the tape.
That's how it started. After that it only grew. Better turntables, some synths. I found this Roland 808 on a flea market for next to nothing. Lots of playing around with it. Good times.
And what are your main influences and inspirations?
I grew up with all kinds of music. My dad is a big music lover and he used to play loads of different things. From cuban to classical to rock to everything.
In my early teens House music became really big in Holland and especially Hardcore Gabber House was very popular. This is what I started to play back then. Very raw stuff. 150-200 bpm. It gradually moved to Techno over the years.
What kind of dancefloor do you like to create?
Every DJ wants a dancefloor that 'gets' his music. And you have to work for it. It's easy to play crowd pleasers. Tracks that everyone knows and loves, but in my opinion it's better to play tracks that no one knows but still have the same wow effect.
Longer sets have my preference. At least 3 hours. That way you can really tell a story. Overall you just want to give the dancefloor a good time. That's what you're there for of course.
You’ll play a set on wednesday at Phanganist, what will you do for us?
To be honest I never know what I'm going to play until 5 minutes before my set. I try to be at the location at least one hour before, to feel the vibe and hear what's going on. I will sometimes prepare a list of tracks as a guideline, but if the vibe is different, I'll play different.
What are some of the challenges djs face here on Koh Phangan at the moment?
Equipment is still an issue at many locations. Almost no fancy Pioneer Nexus setups but older cdjs, or nothing at all. 'Bring your own laptop setup please'. Soundsystems could be better too. But it's also the charm of an island like this. We make do with what we've got and still drop a great party.
Do you believe in ‘reading an audience’ and if so, how do you put this into practice?
Yes very much. As I said earlier I never know what I'm going to play until right before my set. That's because I want to feel what's going on on the dancefloor and feel the vibe.
Variety is also key. Keeps things interesting.
What’s happening in the Phangan party scene at the moment?
I see lots of parties and lots of djs, but then again, it's always been like that I guess. The main ones are still here. Others come and go.
In my opinion there's always room for improvement. I see more and more international djs visiting the island which is great. Variety (again) is always good.
And what’s your plans for the rest of the year?
I'm planning on going to Europe for the summer. Mainly going back home to Holland to see friends and family and then spend some time in Berlin. Do 'music things' and have a change of pace and lifestyle for a while. After that I don't know yet. Let's see what happens.
Finally, leave us with your music philosophy….
Music comes from the heart, so play from the heart.
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