We must not divide and conquer rather work together to help the industry progress
Casey Chong better known as popular Mr Deadwood is a DJ plus the founder of Deadwood entertainment who can be found in the more commercial side of clubs and bars in Kuala Lumpur. We discussed his approach to nights, what got him into Djing and his thoughts on up and coming talent.
What got you into Dj’ing and when?
I started as a bedroom DJ for a year. At first, it was all just a hobby and nothing more than that until one day I decided to host an event in conjunction with my birthday. I used that platform to showcase my talents and that event eventually blew up! That's how Mr. Deadwood was born!
How did you learn, did you have someone who mentored you or did you work through it on your own?
I started off learning on my own through online materials like articles and videos. Manage to self-teach myself on beat matching and transitions but the hardest task was reading the crowd, that took me some time but I manage to learn and understand the dance floor better.
What are some of your musical influences?
I started off listening to electro music but I fell in love with the art because of ZEDD! That guy is just something else. You could say he’s my idol.
Describe your sound?
I started off playing house music but I generally progressed to trying other genres, specifically RnB. I also play EDM and trance but when it comes to producing sounds, I prefer a more future bass element and also new school hip-hop with a dash of trap.
What has been your most memorable moment as a DJ?
I gotta say that one must always acknowledge his roots so being able to play in one of the most memorable moments alongside Chainsmokers, TJR, Sydney Samson and many more international talents. Being recognized as one of the top DJs in Malaysia is definitely a very humbling experience. Credits to my Team Deadwood for making things happen.
Without naming names what’s the worst experience as a Dj to date?
30mins into my set, I was stopped because a Dato’ wanted the resident DJ to play for him instead of waiting for me to finish my set. The ironic thing is, it was a night catered to Deadwood Entertainment. So immediately, the crowd dispersed because the resident DJ was killing the vibe.
We noticed you also promote nights how do you approach this for each venue?
We usually decide once we have determined the right plan that caters to different demographics. We can do hip-hop and even EDM themed nights and we’d usually come to an agreement with the venues on how we want to run our nights.
Any up and coming DJs we should be looking out for over the next twelve months?
Wow, there’s actually a lot! We’ve been talking to some of the upcoming talents in Malaysia who deserve to get recognised because of their music and talent and Yusef Kifah is one of them, where his track “Didn’t You” has been signed by ASOT. There are a lot of talents out there just waiting to be exposed, for that right break and so I believe that this year will be filled with so much of potential big stars in Malaysia’s music scene.
If you had one bit of advice for up and coming DJs what would it be?
Never ever give up on your dream of becoming what you aspire to be. There are a lot of hurdles to reach to where you want to be, so take those challenges and turn them around positively. People may want to bring you down, but just believe that everything happens for the right reasons. We learn we move on. Never lose ourselves, and never lose faith.
Name one DJ you’d like to open for?
ZEDD.
What frustrates you and what do you love about the music scene here?
Competition is definitely around within the nightlife industry hence why we hear so much of stories going around about different things but we have to remember that despite each and one of us wanting to earn and make a living out of entertainment, we have to understand that our goal sets a path for the future of the industry. We must not divide and conquer rather work together to help the industry progress. We should work together and not bring each other down. It would be awesome to see everyone bringing the scene to a better level, locally and in the eyes of the world.
What else have you got lined up for 2018?
We definitely have plenty of events in store but you will have to follow our social media accounts to stay in the loop! We wouldn’t want to burst the bubble but expect some unforgettable nights pretty soon!
