Page 54 - DemoZone Magazine Issue 003

Lakester is a DJ/Producer & Radio Host of the Essential House Mix on Groove City Radio, an Artist with Nu Focus Management & HouseRox records and Broken Disco Resident DJ.
In 2014 supported the likes of Digital Enemy & Sonny Fodera as well as Live sets for Streetrave 25 at the Arches in Glasgow
you can regularly find Lakester playing in Glasgows Bar Home & Bar Groove as well as Broken Disco party's & events debut track Naive was signed by Tommy Boy records New York with forthcoming releases due on HouseRox, Twism & B3vo also 1808 records the remix duties are stacking up for Lakester so far this year on the back of a successful collab with Stolen Soul & John Steel with Delano's Feel So Good riding high in the House Charts.
so another busy year & full steam ahead after announcing he is part of newly formed duo Le Hot Underground & his weekly radio show.
Tell us about how you got into DJ world & your first steps into producing.
I first got into DJ'ing through basically when I was around 17 or 18, I was a regualar in my local night club and from there I just caught the bug ,saved up some money from my part time job and managed to buy my first set of turntables the one and only soundlabs and thats where it all started. Dj'ing wise, I progressed from bedroom to
house parties then I finally played my first proper gig when I was about 20 on a set of gemini decks & 2 channel mixer in a small nightclub venue on the worst sound system you can imagine to about 20 people but I loved every minute.
Producing was something I awlays wanted to do , I took a four n half year break from DJ'n and everything musically I have had to work hard to make in roads back into the scene, I figured that to make any waves then this had to be the way to go and I had loads of ideas for tracks and was willing to put the time in but not until recently have I managed to get some tracks finnished and signed to some credable labels on the scene.
You have been doing some pretty big gigs over the last year or so can you tell us about this in more detail?
Yeah I have been lucky enough to support some of the biggest DJ's in the House scene in 2014 when I signed for Broken Disco as a Resident to get an insight into how these guys operate and how they conduct themselves was real education, beside thier obvious technical abilities, Sonny Fodera & My Digital Enemy were superb highlights gig wise along with Streetrave's 25th birthday party with David Morlaes and also meeting Franky Rizardo, Sam Divine & Interviewing Oliver Dollar at EH1 Festival and have him support my track Resonate was a fantastic
boost.
You have been doing a bit of remixing and producing tracks tell us about them and what we can expect in the future from you?
yes I have been working hard putting new tracks together and with all of last years work now signed up the goal is to bring some more of the Underground sound that I'm enjoying at the moment as apose to last years deep sound, I will be working with another prodcer and already have done work with have two collab producers and remixers John Steel & stolen soul and a brand new project Le Hot Underground with Broken Disco resident Geoff Taylor.
You have a show on Groovecityradio what's that like and how did it come about?
yes I present a show called the Essential House Mix. It came about through Streetrave Legend Iain Boney Clark who runs the station, I enquired about having a guest mix on his show House Matters and from there he invited me to take part in a
competition with some other DJ's at about 11pm on rain soaked monday night in November lol but it turned out to be worth it as the next day after the comp he offered me a show on the radio its a great platform for DJ's to air thier music whatever style you play , we have some great shows and the station is going from strenght to strength and have broadcast at some major dance events
its been great personally as a way back into the scene and I m grateful to Iain & Shahed Khan for the opportunity, the show is
looselybased on the old radio 1's dance anthems with Dave Pearce with commercial tracks underground & oldskool mixes and as upfront as possible.in 2014/15 we have had guest mixes from the likes of
Cristoph ,Oliver Hieldens,Hoxton Whores, Purple Disco Machine and many more lined up in 2015.
So where do you see yourself in ten years like what's your aim in this business or should I say your goal.
I think having had a break for a few years its really given me the push to do as much as I can and give it 100% and see where it takes me , I have had releative success in the short space of 18 months so to me its about continuing to work hard and always respect the music in ten years maybe stil DJin or I think to be involved in music in some way wether it be teaching youngsters or still producing in some capapcity
Who has been your biggest influence in the music scene.
over the years I have admired many DJ'ns it it changes with time of course , when I first started out Tall Paul, Paul Van Dyk & Judge Jules were major influences on my style of hard house & trance, now its about producers and labels and the sound that they bring to the table labels like Dirtybird,Defected,Toolroom & Suara are all the sounds that have a big influence on me and wont be far away from my sets.
Away from this side of the music what do you like to do in your spare time in life.
Massive footbal fan & folllow Manchester United try and get to as many matches as I can which has been proving difficult recently weekends means no sleep ha!
like to chill out with family and friends play a bit of Golf now and then and also I'm involved in some local charity work & awareness
Where is the one place you would most like to dj if you could pick anywhere in the world and why.
II think it would have to be Space or Amnesia in Ibiza if in the Uk Ministry of Sound would be the pick.
So how does it feel coming into this side of the business like djing and producing for a young guy like yourself, as it must be a lot more harder with more competition now than it was years ago.
Young guy thanks haha that oil of olay must be working ha! yes I mean technology has changed things there is no doubt it is difficult as the market is saturated now, but you have to be different just to stay ahead of the game. I give it 100% commitment and aim to deliver the best tunes possible and educate clubbers every time I play, the way I look at it people spend their hard earned cash to come and see you play so its kind of your duty to make sure they enjoy themselves or at least appreciate the music
last of all what's been your best gig since you started djing.
I would have to say Streetrave 25th birthday Party at the Arches in Glasgow where the atmosphere was electric and the chance to drop some of my favourite track such as Gat Decor- passion and Lil Louis - French Kiss was off the scale the whole night was fantastic cannot wait to be back.
Words by Stephen Pearson & John Steel
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT [U.K.]
lakester