Mister DJ is certainly an established name in the 3DX EDM community. Before thrilling audiences in our virtual world, Mister DJ was also an accomplished real life DJ in his Egyptian home land. We were very happy at the gazette when he allowed us this interview, the next instalment in our new series: interview with a DJ.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into DJ’ing? Was it something you always wanted to do?
I am an Engineer by trade but I’ve been connected to music since I was 5 years old. My older brothers had a small band. They used to play music at home all the time and they used to take me with them to their rehearsals. That planted the roots of music deep inside me.
When I first landed in 3DX I was surprised to learn that there was a possibility to play live music. Even if it’s a virtual world the audience is real. It took some time for me to get help from friends to launch my own stream and play live myself.
For some reason it’s not easy to become a popular DJ in 3DX, specially for a person like me with a different culture and poor social abilities. Thank god I did my best to play my music which I always believed to be a way to spread happiness.
How long did it take you to learn to DJ, and what was that process like? Did you pick things up on your own or have guidance along the way?
Back in 1983 breakdance music started to spread and that’s when I first started DJ-ing in real life. I bought myself a vinyl record controller. At that time mixing wasn’t so easy with the available analog equipment and it was mainly used for scratching. By the mid 80’s electronic music became more prevalent and it gave DJs a wide canvas to be creative.
I played for clubs and did some big concerts. My biggest gig was in 2000 at New Year’s Eve at Cairo Stadium for an audience of about 85.000 people. I stopped playing in clubs 7 years ago.
Of course playing live for a real audience is a totally different experience. You can see the reaction of people in their eyes, whether you are good or they got bored or even willing to throw rotten tomatoes at you. You can’t imagine how tough it is when you fail in front of an audience. But also it’s an immediate sign to correct yourself.
What software and equipment do you use for your sets, Are there any tools or plugins you’d recommend for aspiring DJs?
I used to have some extensive equipment when I was playing live in nightclubs and doing concerts, but now as I get older and cant handle playing for 6 or 8 hours, I only mix music, record it and give it to friends to play at nightclubs here in Dubai.
Last year i bought myself a PIONEER DDJ-FLX4. For software I use VirtualDJ and Audacity for mixing drums and loops. And of course lots of coffee. The most amazing discovery in human history after fire is coffee!
In terms of equipment I always believed that you don’t need to use a cannon to swat a fly, so I always kept it minimal. In the end it’s always the musician not the equipment that delivers good music.
This might sound a bit controversial in the 3dx context, but if you cant mix music then you are not a DJ, you are an MP3 player. You can put a play list of songs on something like a media player and just play it, so why buy expensive gear like a controller?
How would you describe your music style, and what influences your selection? Any genres or artists that particularly inspire you?
My music is mostly electric music but I like the challenge of mashing up all genres into a house beat. I played all kinds of electro music but i always prefer to play mashups of popular songs, avoiding never ending boring loops.
You have to prepare the playlist first. Professional DJs do it this way, they prepare every song with all necessary editing in advance. The mixing, beats and stems are done live on the other hand.
What is great about house music is that you can play the same song at every gig you do, yet make it sound different each time.
Performing in a virtual space like 3DX must be unique—what’s been your most memorable gig so far?
I must confess that performing in 3DX is different from real life, it’s more comfortable but it’s a bit harder to keep your audience involved. I usually use vocal comments to keep people’s attention.
I had many memorable gigs, but the one I really cant forget was in the MOONLIGH DREAM CLUB. That day for reasons I don’t know I started playing while there 110 people in the room. I ended up with 235. The vibe was amazing and that makes me play my best.
What does music mean to you on a personal level, has it played a significant role in your life?
Music has been my companion during all stages of my life. I have a song to remind me of every occasion. Even with a demanding career as an Engineer and all the responsibilities this entails, music has always been my escape.
I remember all my family were music lovers. My dad had a huge library of vinyl classics and my elder brothers had a band, so there was music of all kinds playing at home almost all the time.
I still play music almost all the time and everywhere I go.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three tracks to listen to forever, which ones would you pick—and why?
This is a bit of a hard question. As i mentioned i have a song for every memory and many of them are Arabic songs. But there is one song I cant get bored of playing again and again. It’s Against All Odds by Phill Collins. This song touches me deep
Yes I am an EDM dj, but thats not the music I play at home.
