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DJ Alixir from HKClubbing.com Interviews Joel Lai...
Q: Hi Joel, you're a prevalent name on the Hong Kong scene and have been previously voted as HK's No1 DJ by Absolute as well as recently by HK Magazine, just where and when did the whole DJ trip begin for you?
A: I started my first djing work at 1987 in a hotel disco called StarLight, and then work at Club97 at the same year.
Q: Your first gig in a commercial club, where and when was it? Do you remember how you performed and how the crowd reacted?
A: At the year of my djing work at Starlight & Club 97, I had to play extremely commercial sounds, all top 40s tunes, I can tell there was no personal style at all, just do anything I can to make the dance floor rocking all the time, and I did it!
Q: How has your style changed across the years? What are you currently spinning and what draws you to the style of tracks you play?
A: Well, my style has never been fixed in one type of sounds, as I love so many difference of music which is from House, Disco, R&B, Latin, Soul, Funk, Jazz, Bossa Nova etc...., so I played a really mixed up set in Club, but I play mainly still House music at all weekend party or other dance events, my House music style has been changed over & over again, since the first day I played the house music such as Chicago house & US Garage, and then I changed to play more harder stuff like Techno & Trance, and then John Digweed & Sasha made me influence to make me love Progressive house music at 1999, but now I am going back and playing mostly Funky Uplifting House, as I got really sick play set as a "Trip", I felt like I am tired of that Trip and it is the time to go back my HOUSE!
Q: It must have been an absolute buzz playing at the Unity party for Hong Kong's handover to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, especially with Paul Oakenfold's kind words about your performance. Was this perhaps the best gig you ever played to a home crowd?
A: Well, I can't say it was my best set I played to my home crowd, but it was a definitely the best event in HK ever, and I was so proud to be one of those people to rocked the dance floor with the top acts from all around the world!
Q: You've been touring across Asia and Europe for some time now and playing with the likes of Carl Cox, Sasha, John Digweed, Nick Warren, Paul van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, David Morales, Roger Sanchez, Pete Tong, Boy George, Derrick May. Do you see yourself as a major player within the DJ community now? Are you set to branch out to other countries this coming Summer?
A: I don't see myself as a major player in a international market, as I did not really put that much time to other countries and stay there for promo myself, I got an offer to stay in England to build up my name and do some music production work with those top djs, events & records company, but finally I choice to stay in HK for my bar DROP!
Q: It's obvious that you're pretty busy with touring and every DJ likes a break now and again. What do you find yourself doing with any spare time that you have?
A: I gave all my spare time to my Son at the moment, otherwise I will play my favourite computer games.
Q: Two years ago you released your own CD mixed compilation "Club 1997 The Definitive Music" under PolyGram which at the time was noticed as Hong Kong's first underground dance compilation whist you were resident at the popular Hong Kong club. It received a lot of praise from the media and people alike. Have you any plans for another release as of yet?
A: That's what I have just done, my first compilation of Drop, and it is my personally the third CD compilations, and I believe I will keep doing on it and release more Joel Lai CD in the future, I am so glad to share my favourite music to all other people, and they like it too, there is something more than money that I can get for my life!
Q :Do you also produce these days? If not, have you any plans to get into production in the future or maybe start your own label?
A: I planned to do it for about 6 years, but I did nothing, technically reason I can say it is because I could find any good sounds engineer to be production partner, but personally reason is..... I AM LAZY!
Q: Is there anybody that you haven't played with yet but would dearly love to? What would be your chosen venue in Hong Kong to do this?
A: It would be nice to play with Danny Tenaglia in a beach!
Q: There are many talented local DJs that have appeared on the scene over the years like Frankie Lam (I had the pleasure of playing with him over Christmas - great guy) amongst others, do you have a lot of friends on the circuit and who do you normally perform with.
A: Not really, as I stopped to play at any HK events for almost 2 years now, in HK I am only play at Drop with djs such as Eric Byron & Derald Reynold, they are such great djs with a lots of soul & passion, not drugs!!!
Q: Where do you think is the hottest venue at the moment in Hong Kong with the best music? Why is this?
A: Of course there is somewhere in HK still pushing the top quality dance music, not drugs music, but I can't tell here to make any unnecessary exposure! the reason those venue is doing well, just because the right music draws the right crowd there, and those people knows how to enjoy themselves for their life, not fuxk up themselves for their life.
Q: Where do you see in the future for Dance Music based clubs in Hong Kong?
A: Depend on what you like!
Q: If you were to sum up the overall of Joel Lai live in one word, what would that word be?
A: QUALITY!
Q: Thanks very much for talking to HKCLUBBING.COM and we hope your HMV Radio set goes well!
A: Thank you very very much as well, and respect you guys a lots to pushing & helping HK club scene big time, respect, respect, respect!
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