DJ Insomniac (Decknology08 Winner) - Featured Artist Oct 2008

In 2008, RDU reintroduced their DJ competition - Decknology 2008. Decknology was designed to provide up and coming DJs and Producers experience and exposure in the live mix environment and to find the best damn mixer in our fair city.

Past DJ competitions RDU has run have garnered a staggering number of entrants (35 drum’n’bass entrants in one category alone). Around 60' DJs (bedroom and experienced alike) entered this year’s competition. Bring the noise... introducing the 2008 Decknology Grand Champion... Insomniac!

INSOMNIAC
electro/funkbeat DJ
www.myspace.com/insomniacsoundalert
Contact: Willy Privett Ph: +64 21 202 1495

DJ Insomniac aka Willy Privett has been mixing for over 10 years and has recently won Decknology 2008. In his words... "I'm here to share the good beats and have a great time doing it. Based in Christchurch I enjoy both the bussle of the city and the vibe of its people. Music is the medicine to bring us together and celebrate within our diversity. As a DJ I search out what I consider to be fresh and push to bring these styles to the sound system.... with big bass of course!"

Jeff Fulton talks to a fellow Insomniac...

So Willy, what's it like to be crowned the Decknology champion for 2008?

Such a Blast!! been spinning the decks happily for a while now but winning deknology is a really solid achievement... feels like something to gain strength from and see as a new begining for my future in music..

Its a competition that has been brought back due to the huge dance/electro scene in ChCh, tell us about your genre and what's happening locally?

Yeah the dance scene is picking up all its pieces.. I feel this strongly... from witnessing what I percieved to be a vibrant movement back in the mid 90's in the early 2000's it felt a bit stagnent with a slight rut in areas wether it be the vibe of the people or the music...

I think importantly Christchurch's producers and music purveyors are again rising from the crypts and the creative energy is all around... people like Tom Cosm and Isaac Chambers (only a couple of the many peeps doing it well) are definetely pushing limits with their ultra fresh production puting us on the international map and screaming a particular christchurch sound..

On the flip DJing itself as either an artform or entertainment source is forever going off! It will always have its place in our scene for pushing new sound and goodtimes. I myself have always just been a DJ playing other peoples music but dont feel this as any dis. Importantly I think we DJ's help share a piece of the international picture alongside the local stuff and can step it back a few notches as well. The memory of music thats existed in this scene over the years is a endless pool of good vibes.. so i guess with current dj sets and live performences that I'm enjoying.

There tends to be a certain aspect of reminiscing whilst also continuing too push things forward..
There's a wicked sound happening!

Tell us about yourself, how long have you been dj'ing and what got you into it?

Aah its a good old tale... I was about 8 years old sitting at the dinner table when I remember a converation about some 'rave' out in the country. Whats is this 'rave' thing then I thought... anyway with the fine prompting of my older sister, Dad decided too take me and my brother (ra the rukus) along to check it out.
It was held out at the infamous 'whitecliffs farm' and was from what I know an early 'n-train' event (the 'n-trains' were dance festivals that grew into 'the gathering' New Years festival up in Takaka - Canaan Downs).
Anyway intrigue was something I was feeling at this stage and as I walked around the event noticed that it was bright, exciting, and innovative. Even as a kid I sensed its brilliance and dare I say its 'solid vibration'.

After this party my brother and I continued to attend 'rave's' around Christchurch and became a part of this bass culture meeting some key characters already involved in the scene. The next step was to get turntables and learn to mix, so after watching some of the local lads and lasses doing it well we both acquired some dinky style setups and started buying vinyl.

We shared our limited knowledge whilst keeping ears and eyes open for learning those much needed skills - we were bedroom djs, we planned to sneak out at night and go underground! We weren't so much focused on entering the clubscene which was at this stage out of my reach as a young one anyway.

Ra was a maestro he kept it fresh and always pushed it with incorporating scratching techniques and an attitude that got the crowd hyper! We played together quite a bit in the a early days dropping mostly 'hardcore' and bits of 'jungle'.. these were good times. One thing that I think helped us learn and possibly set us aside from others was that we just got in there and did it with what we knew. There were no rules, our mistakes became flair and we realised this was not so much somthing to master but yet something to explore and enjoy.

Aside from these 'hardcore' sessions I was also tinkering with a more 'trance' based sound which was big at the time (loved and hated) and I managed to score some great sets playing outdoors at 'gatherings' and 'destinations' festivals. These sets demanded a more slick, on-to-it mixing approach and so from here I found a more learned progressive style behind decks..

tick... tick ....tick...

Moving on a few years now im still doing it and having a great time, its really just a give in that we keep things rolling. Theres a definite difference in my personal style now compared with back then as after growing from a kid I started too feel a slight lack of discovery and adventure in sticking to one style of music and decided that there was too much great stuff outhere too not go broad spectrum and embrace all styles of sound.
So right now I love alot of different music from alot of different places.

When you do catch me on the mix I'd say not to expect too much (I dislike expectation) sometimes I'll take it all the way around the spectrum and chuck in a lot of stuff and other times I'll just push one particular genre that I'm feeling alot at the time.

Its all groovy baby... journey continued.

As part of your Decknology prize package you get to play the Ministry Of Sound Stage at Southern Amp Festival at Westpac Arena
Showgrounds on Nov 9th, hows that going to be for you?

This is quite exciting.. I've never been before but can only assume its gonna be a good setup with lots of amping people... a chance to rock the party and share something differnt always gets me going. I'm also just stoked to be attending so i can see some of my favourite bands play out there!

What are your future plans, any releases or shows planned?

I play weekly at Cartel in SOL Square and have upcoming sets at both Voyage and Canaan Downs Festivals. Aside from this the musical bug inside me is growing steadily and I will be continuing to nut away at the production and creation of my own music. Its a sort of 'watch this space' scenario... just slowly getting the styles sorted and learning the required skills and knowledge. I plan to be involved in a lot of live band material aswell as including fresh original music in my DJ mixes in the future.

As yet I have never left New Zealand so look forward too getting offshore and exploring... serato and laptop in hand of course!!

The Final Word

Ez, props to all my brothers n sisters that support the vibe, big ups the ChCh massive!! Your beached as...
On the deknology front big thanks to PZ and Emily for running a proper good competition and giving there support... shouts to RDU and CHART!

But most of all 'my kru is vital' so Biggest of shouts go out to all my boys on deck Psymon Barnett, Ismay, Sirius, Psilo, Aleon, Rukus, Chopp, Sensor and Jumbo. Cheers to The Klap! (you kicked it), b-girls Lilic and MamaO for sure. Lyttelton based homeboys Andy n Rene!..

Of course Ashwan out there with Tryp on the art mish.. Us teckno kids got soul so ya know...
peace..xx

* * *

Checkout Insomniac at The Civic on Sat 25 Oct supporting Fat Freddys Drop
and
opening the Ministry of Sound Stage at Southern Amp, Westpac Arena Festival Park, Sun 9 Nov 2008.

LINKS
www.myspace.com/insomniacsoundalert
www.rdu.org.nz
www.christchurchmusic.org.nz/events/rdu-decknology-2008
www.christchurchmusic.org.nz/artists