THIRST UPDATE: THE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
www.heinekenmusic.com
interview
Text: Jules Marshall
Image: Getty Images
It's coming down to the wire: January 7th, 2006,
sees the ultimate showdown of the Thirst
finalists, Heinekens global music event, as four
DJs representing their regions, compete for the
top prize of Thirst's best global DJ of the year.
The top DJ from the Asia Pacific region, DJ Adhe
(Indonesia); from Africa and the Middle East,
DJ Hak X (Morocco), and from Europe, DJ Ronin
(Denmark), will find out who they will be up
against from the Americas as a regional finalist
is chosen this December in Argentina. All DJs
hungry for the prestige that Thirst bestows on
the winner, all ready to make the big time.
Since its inception in 2003, Thirst DJs have
played to more than 250,000 clubbers, some of
the best international electronic musicians
lending their hands and ears to make Thirst a
recognised competition to find new talent. The
global winner receives a coveted prize.
We caught up with one of the finalists,
DJ Ronin from Denmark, to ask him how he is
gearing up for the big final and what he expects
to find in Johannesburg come January 7th.
WOH: Tell me about what you're up to these
days; you're doing some studio music I've
heard.
DJ RoninYeah, mostly DJing in the weekends;
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I have a few
regular clubs, Park and Envy, and I'm doing gigs
around. But I'm also arranging my own projects,
my own club nights but more like a festival, up to
like, 3,500 clubbers. We call our collective
Urbanical. We do R&B, house, garage and drum
bass. I also do a big festival called Raw which is
really cool; thirty different DJs.
WOH: You're a busy camper!
DJ Ronin: I like to keep busy! Last week in London
I played three different venues; that was pretty
full-on. Sometimes I play one set, sometimes two
or three, or a long set, it just depends.
WOH: What are you into these days music wise?
DJ Ronin: Electro and tech house are what I like
most at the moment. But I have a big collection;
I have lots of drum bass because I used to spin
that a few years ago. At the first Thirst competition
I played breaks mostly. I like different styles.
WOH: Tell me about Thirst, how did you get
involved in that?
DJ Ronin: Well, I had some friends who told me
Thirst was being held again. I'd heard about
Thirst but not before the final. Heineken was
sponsoring Raw (they agreed to that before I
entered the competition!) so I thought I'd send a
mix-tape in and I got picked. I only heard I was
playing a few days before the gig; I heard on
Thursday and I had to play on Saturday. From
there I played in the national Danish competition
to around 1200 people and then in Croatia to
3000 or so. But I try to keep my feet on the
ground; my friends are my reality check.
WOH: How does the cooperation with Thirst
work? y
DJ Ronin: The national winners are promoted
inside their country and the European regional
winner is promoted across the continent.
WOH: What's your expectation, what do you
ideally want to get out of this?
DJ Ronin: Getting to play places that I would
normally have to work hard and for a long time
to get into. Taking a short cut to some things is
what I'd expect Heineken to help me with. It
always helps when you get a name; I realise that
you have to work hard to get that name though.
Winning a competition isn't going to give you
that name automatically, you still have to work
hard.
WOH: Tell me about the grand finale. Who are
the guys you've been checking out?
DJ Ronin: I've been checking out DJ Adhe, he's
good, but I haven't had the chance to listen to the
Moroccan guy yet and we'll see who wins in the
Americas. I should google around and check out
their music. But I'm excited; it's going to be great!
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