Micky Slim, one part of the massive Godskitchen tour set to hit Perth Metro City and Capitol on Friday September 28, explains how he earned a reputation as the bad boy DJ from Birmingham.
Music Taste? I really like funk and disco. I do think I was born 20 years too late. I should have been this age in the 70s.
The Micky Slim Sound? Twisted. I’m a party DJ with a new kind of vibe, dark, electro, sort of break beat, acid house. I’m not going to pigeonhole myself. Everyone has got me pegged as an electro producer, which is cool, I do make electro, but it’s not the only thing I make. Anyone who hasn’t heard me before can expect just really, really nasty good music.
Bad Boy Rep: Deserved or Unfounded? I could say totally unfounded, but then I would be lying. I’m not one of those DJs who is detached from the crowd. When I finish my set, you will see me at the front moving with the crowd on the dance floor. The only time I’m serious when it comes to the music is when I’m in the studio and I’m making music because I have to be on the ball and I have to make sure things are right. DJing is my release. I spend up to a month in the studio on a track, so when I get the chance to play it out, as you can imagine, I’m very excited and in party mode. Some people they are a bit too serious for my liking – it’s only disco.
Best Career Moment? As a DJ I played for Godskitchen at one of those really big events. Armin van Buuren was headlining the thing. I played before the biggest crowd I’ve ever played, about 5000 it was. When I played my Jump Around track, the place went ballistic. I think to go out and rock the place with half the music being something you have made yourself, there is no better feeling than that.
DJs Who Inspire Micky? Chris Lake is definitely a guy I admire. He is a good friend and has guided me in what I am doing in my career. I won’t say he took me under his wing because I am older than him, but he has been like a brother to me and pointed me in the right direction. I have an amazing amount of respect for him. He’s the one who showed me that the people you surround yourself with in life reflect where you end up. I used to surround myself with the wrong people and end up in the wrong places. Now, I’m focused and I know exactly where I need to be and I’m getting there slowly.
Typical Day in the Life? You wouldn’t be able to print that [laughs]… I’m a night hawk so I’ll be up to the early, early hours of the morning always. It is hard to be out for a weekend and then just to be able to have a normal life in the week and go to bed at 9 o’clock. A usual day I might get up about 11 o’clock and deal with my emails. If I’m not DJing, I’m in the studio working on something, be it a mix or putting some bits together for a set. Basically, I eat, sleep, live music… and go to the toilet.
Technology: DJ Friend or Foe? Obviously it has had a massive impact. I remember when CDs first came out and all the vinyl purists were like ‘It’s cheating. It’s not real DJing.’ I think people need to embrace technology because it is only going to keep advancing. Anybody who wants to stay in the dark ages is just going to get left behind.
