An interview with the 2009 Clubbing9 Top 5 DJs Poll Award winner under EDM category, Hebbo from Royale DJ Academy & Excessive Records and also the founder of Minimalaysia. Check out the dj interview and lets see what he has to say about this dj career and electronic dance music scene in Malaysia.
1. How did you get involved in the dj industry?
I first started collecting records, download music and began go to clubbing and illegal after-parties around. I had to get involved. It was always something I was content to keep just a hobby until more recently to keep the momentum and what music is about i joined Royale DJ Academy-Excessive Records to complete my crossover mutual next step plan. Mostly some of the German-Berlin stuff that’s inspiring me honestly, the really sort of out-there underground stuffs. This music blew my mind, big labels from a-z, is not that much different to me to Einsturzende Neubauten, it’s more cutting-edge. By 2000 I was still going to Tower Records and buying hardcore-punk cds and one month the seller was playing this strange house record. I asked what it was and told it was this new music from Detroit called techno. A guy next to me in the shop told me he’ll going to a party that night and invited me. I went to the party that night and it was crazy. I knew about house music already but I didn’t know the underground stuff. From that time on I didn’t buy any bands anymore I was fully into techno (not 140bpm ok). I think it was people like Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode you know? Robert Hood and Plastikman especially for my early electronic music. But I’d long stopped going to rave and house parties for some reasons jobs etc so I never saw anyone from the scene and I was in a completely different world. So in 2007 I started to itch. Later I start with frequently appears to warm up or playing back-to-back with RaySoo.2. How would you describe the mix you play?
Big secret! You shouldn’t know about it!. I love to play for open minded people. I like to think I play the right tracks at the right time and keep a constant groove in motion. I love turning knobs and I do like the hiss, some people may say otherwise though. Exuberance, joy, intense groove or deep but abstract?. I wouldn´t like it too be too commercial and cheesy. For me as always – I will do my best and play my favourite music, play what people like and all that’s what important and keep me motivated to play all the latest-soon big releases before someone else play it then become a hype and tripe in town. As a DJ, attempts to categorise my style pose more questions than they answer. I never planned any of it, it just happened. I guess it was just meant to be.3. Tell us more about Minimalaysia
Minimalaysia is for minimal people who love minimal music in Malaysia. First of all, i aims to serve the market with versatility, without neglecting the commercial sound and policy and at the same time educate and penetrate our own local readers-bloggers on my blog and clubbers escpecially. I had to put a league of gentleman to pull this off, in places i was not familiar with. These are people who are willing and able to jam anytime, to improvise and eliminate feedback loops – open – minded musicians. Things looked good. With the strategy of not only picking up current trends, but actually generating our own evolution of as a platform for a new generation of musical talent. If a music is really good it means that it represents the full range and isn’t limited to special music-culture. That means that you can go through all the styles of music and it’s specific sound it simply means. If you’re one of the people who believe that “minimal” really does exist among the electronic music movement this is one of it’s best sites. Generally, large areas os south est asia seemed to be under the strong influence of populist British DJ magazines, that’s why horrible trance heroes from Holland playing festivals here. It’s a big cultural difference really, that you just don’t think of. But it felt more like a logical process after i had been in this scene for a couple of years. But economically yes. There is big movement there, culture, trends and the same shit that happened in the rest of the world after the communism period. Something has been started and as far as i can tell, it is still gaining momentum. Well, I have a problem with the word minimal because I think it’s really misused nowadays.
4. What is your future plan in DJ-ing?
I don’t know really, it was a tough thing. I think the point is to make something interesting by experimenting with different possibilities for this year, like start producing back, do some remixes to be released with Love International and some labels soon. Perhaps. And last but not least my new year-future plans for DJing is producing and start a label. Go to Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, London and Germany: Berlin. But before that i have to make music and go faster. Yeah, I really need to be in the studio. This is a problem I was having. I love DJing of course, but I really feel like I’ve had no time at all in the last six or seven months to do anything and I really need to. This is really the next goal – to just learn more and try to make something I’m happy with. I don’t think I know enough yet as far as production goes. I just really wanna focus on making music and play somewhere else out of KL. Well, I don’t want to say that it’s not a big deal… don’t get me wrong…
5. How did you see the crowd reaction during your sets at Maison, KL?
I’m bit kinda shocked. Some surprising when i play my music with a few singing on top and they like it. To enjoy every second in the easiest way as possible. From then onwards things went insane. Thanks.
6. Which DJ that inspired you most?
First of all, if there’s something very special I wouldn’t tell as people have to find out for themselves!. Speaking music in general, I’ve always been inluenced by jazzy soundings , soul music, motown period. Concerning electronic music, for sure people like Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, the whole Perlon or Cadenza crew etc, Mathias Kaden and Reboot… plus Romanian favorites Rhadoo, Pedro & Raresh aka RPR and : A:RPIA:R (not sure which R goes first)… inspired me!. I was overwhelmed. I thought what the hell? I’ve been away for a few years and its evolved into this sound? Thank god!. Its impossible to name you names now of special artists, everyday i’m just searching for new good music, it’s non stop. I don’t have any particular artist or labels that I’d like to mention now because there are so many! Too many too list.
7. If you are given a chance, which country you would want to go for gig?
I would say it’s Germany! To play at Watergate, Berghain, Panorama Bar, Robert Johnson, Bar 25, Cocoon Club, Loft Club, Romy S plus big festivals like Love Family Park and Love Parade etc. Or DC10? opsss wrong place.
8. You’re one of the Clubbing9 Top 5 DJs Winner, how do you describe your feeling?
It’s likely that they’re why i am here. You went out one night, i played some music that you’d never heard before. Or maybe i played music that you knew intimately, but mixed it in a way that you’d never heard before. Maybe some people love it and some people hate it. Or perhaps i did both. So I wanna thank y’all man from the bottom of my heart who’s has support me from zero to hero for what i was doing now. Firstly big thanks to Bryan Burger and RaySoo for everything. To the rest of Minimalaysia crew: Adam, Lally, Xul, Nazzar Aladzhar, Eddy ‘Kubika’, DJ K. Love International gang! Also for my bros in crime Gaijin, Abom, Funkayrol, Joey G, DJ Gabriel, Pelle Grosso, Terence C, Victor G, Nicky C, Oddy, Anowl, Matt Chino, Zaskar, Tommy Cham, Excessive Records, Soundbox, Emmanuel Ternois, Sebastian Scholz, Nic Liu, EJ, Firman, Nicholas Lee, Tuncay Celik, Marcus Merheim, Ephrem Brissonnette, Franco Bianco, Jamie Kidd, Pawas, Dante and Clubbing 9!. Minimalaysia fans and haters thanks so much for voting me!.
9. Where can our reader visit Minimalaysia website?
Go to google and search http://minimalaysia.blogspot.com for your electronic music updates – http://minimalaysia.podomatic.com for free podcast from local and international guest DJs, follow us on http://twitter.com/minimalaysia also please check Hebbo at Resident Advisor http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj-page.aspx?id=6941
