I have been living in Bangkok for over 5 years.

Why Asia or even Bangkok? What was the deciding factor?

Well, it all started in 1999 when I was visiting a friend of mine who had a bar down on Koh Pi Pi. This was my first trip to Asia and this was probably the deciding moment. A few months later I spent some holidays in Bangkok and got a real blast. There is some much energy over here that I quickly found out that I wanted to live here.  I was in need of a new challenge and Bangkok seemed the perfect place to start something fresh.

When and where did you start DJing?

I started DJing in 1995. At that time I was living in England, I threw a few parties in London and also I played in Southern Spain.

You have played most of the clubs in Bangkok already. Where do you hold regular nights at the moment? Where can we hear and see you play?

At BedSupperclub, on Mondays I have been doing “Electro Frequencies” with DJ Stewart for quite some time.  On Thursdays I play the whole night for “E:LECTRO”  and  I also do one Friday a month at Bed in the bar side.  The other Fridays you can hear me at Funky Dojo on Silom, and Wednesdays I am at V9 at the Sofitel Hotel Silom.

Have you always been into the DJing?

I was into House Music before been into the DJ’ing actually. For many years I had no clue how this DJ thing worked to be honest. But when I started to go clubbing and to some raves, I became a real trainspotter, basically I was spending the whole night next to the DJ Booth to try and understand what the DJ what doing. I got so intrigued by it that I finally bought some turntables in 1994.  Until then, I had never envisaged that the music and the DJ’ing would take such a huge place in my life!  

Although you play different genres you are known for your harder sound and maybe even experimental sets. Now I still remember you from the good old Silom Soi 4 days: People were still listening to vocal house mostly when it came to electronic music. Your more techy sound was a novelty. Was it difficult back then to get people going?

It was difficult to find a job in the first place! Clubs were not very open to something more sophisticated and simply different to what they were used to listen to. They were playing it safe so it was really difficult for me to have clubs give me a chance. The color of the music I played was definitely very different and so was the way I put my set together, so yes it took some time for people to trust me.  

Most club managers are not “music people” so my main problem has always been to try and convince them first that my style worked. I had all sorts of weird situations actually, club managers trying to tell what to play for instance. Even places like Flix, where I played, were not fully supportive for my style even though the dance floor was packed and people were partying all over the place! That was hard for me to take.

One thing I have learned is that you should not work with people whom you are not the same wave length with. I am utterly passionate of the music that I play, so for me it’s best to leave a job that having some manager telling me what to play. 

That is what I especially like about playing at BedSupperclub: They have never told me what to play. In fact I think that some people at Bed recognized that difference could be a good think. And it has worked very well.

So would you say, Bangkok clubber’s musical taste has changed for the better since you first arrived here?

It definitely has. As a whole, Dance Music has changed and so did people’s taste, eventually. House music has got harder and more sophisticated over the years and people are now receptive to the groove, the sounds and not just the big buid-ups as it was the case before!  I also think that there is a lot of good DJ’s playing different styles in town and that everyone is now benefiting from it. Even considering the current opening hours of the clubs, the scene in Bangkok is very active and people who want to have a good night out now have a lot more choices that there was a few years ago.

On Wednesday you will warm up for Spirit Catcher at Club 808. What can we expect from them? I think its a name that most people actually never heard from even though they might have been one of the biggest new House acts of 2007. Did you hear them play live before?

I have not heard them live before but I absolutely love their productions. Those who don’t yet know Spirit Catcher will quickly realize why they have become so big lately. Spirit Catcher make beautiful modern House Music. It’s lush, flowing, funky and very well made. Actually, one of their tracks “Street Hawk” has been at the top of my personal track list for a long time.

So what can we expect from you on the Spirit Catcher event?

Well first I will try and hold my nerves as it as it a very big day for me! I am really happy and proud to be associated with them on this night. In a way, my style fits Spirit Catcher’s music style so I will do my thing as I usually do. I want to make sure to build things very slowly in order to leave Sprit Catcher a lot of room for manoeuvres.   

What do you think about the most current addition to Bangkok's club scene? Will it raise the bar for nightclubs in Bangkok when it officially opens later this month? What you thought about the pre-opening event last Tuesday?

I went to see Coldcut and DJ Numark last week at 808 and had a wicked night. I was really impressed by it all, it’s a very cool venue and I am sure it will be a success. It’s an excellent club already and apparently it will be even better when it officially opens. I think the team behind it did a real good job and the line-up for the next few weeks is simply unbelievable.

Thank you Vincent for this interview and see you at 808 on Wednesday.

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