Page 48 - Zone Magazine Issue 006

artist spotlight [usa]
DJ RE-DEK
Southern California is known for so many things. Besides the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and the theme park giant of Disneyland, it’s easy to see why there’s so many talented artists and DJs here. Take for instance, DJ RE-DAK. He is not only a University of California graduate in business economics, but an up and coming DJ making his mark in the EDM scene. Known for his roots in hip hop, he has dominated SoCal with residencies in LA, Orange County and San Diego. DJ RE-DAK, otherwise known as Omar Kader, is one the coolest guys you’ll meet. So chill and approachable we were able to get a feel of how this young DJ from Rancho Cucamonga, California ended up in
How did you end up being a DJ mainly here in Orange County?
I graduated from The University of California and I have a degree in Business Economics. I started off as a DJ in College. I officially started DJing in 2009. I got my first gig and I was like, “I can do this”. So I had this crappy iDJ thing with a crossfader and the sound was terrible because it would be muffled when it came through the speakers. So I get hired to do a sorority mixer. So I have a tiny 4 door car and loaded in this huge ass 15” speakers. I ended up borrowing a friend’s mixer because I thought it was cooler than mine. So as the punctual person that I am,
I show up at the club at 8:50 and it’s supposed to start at 9. I’m totally stressed out. I’m trying to connect wires and then the club owner cuts off all the lights assuming I’m good to go. I got the wires crossed so the speakers are not working with the crossfader.
Finally I get the music playing and I’m playing a bad download of Rhianna’s Rude boy which should be 4 mins and then cuts off at a minute and a half. So basically my first gig was my worst gig ever. It was so embarrassing. It was so crazy that’s why I rarely do mobile gigs. I like club gigs. I really don’t like doing them. I was really not ready to play publicly yet.
You started in College?
Yes, I went to UC Irvine. It was kind of cool how the campus
was set up. There’s a road that encircles the campus where people line up and play their music and promote for clubs and stuff. I was really influenced by this and wanted to become a DJ. My buddy took me under his wing and he started teaching me. After you get to a certain level, you really need to get your equipment so you can practice. So I got my own vinyl and Serato program. I started practicing every day until I got the hang of it. Then I got to the point like I can do this.
What would be the highlight of your career so far?
There’s a few of them, but one that really stands out is the event UC Irvine puts out a festival called “Shocktober fest”. The first year I did was when the headliners were Kendrick Lamar, Tyga and Dom Kennedy. They hired me to open up for the acts and to play in between intermissions and stuff. It was such a great feeling to play for a crowd of over 5000 people. It was just so amazing and super sick to have people singing along to every track you play. It was such a great feeling.
So with that said, from your experience, would you prefer the experience of playing in a concert arena venue vs. the club scene?
In that concert you play a lot of hip hop because generally it's what the crowd comes for but, I really enjoy the intimate club scene as well. You kinda can relate to what the people are feeling and doing. In the concert scene it's a lot different. People react differently in a big crowd compared to the club. I love doing both of them.