Zouk’s a local homegrown gem that we should be proud of. And while we revel starry eyed at big names that drop by Zouk for their one-night only exclusives, we should never take for granted the local heroes who man the DJ stations. Afterall, there’s nothing like comfort in familiarity, right? In the 4th year of playing for ZoukOut, we caught Hong, resident DJ at Zouk Singapore at the Artistes’ Tent before he was due to play the sunrise set for party revellers of Day 2 at ZoukOut 2013!
PS: How did you come to residency at the much coveted Zouk?
Hong: I’m in my 5th year of residency at Zouk, and initially I was just playing gigs around the Singapore clubs. I’ve always known the good people at Zouk and when the opportunity came, of course I took it!
PS: What kind of music do you usually play?
Hong: I play all kinds of music! But it would depend on the theme of the night or which room I play at. Say I’m spinning at the Main Room (Zouk), it might range from Progressive to House. But if I’m playing at Velvet, I might go for Deep House or even Techno for that chill-out vibe.
PS: Tell us about your most memorable gig!
Hong: Last year, I was fortunate enough to be sent by Zouk to play at Rex Club in Paris. You can play anything you want, your music can veer towards any direction and do almost anything you want. The crowd will just take it all in!
PS: On that note, what do you think about the Singapore crowds?
Hong: I still find that Zouk’s one of the favourite places to play . When I play in the Main Room, the crowd and its response is still a one-of-a-kind experience.
PS: How long do you see yourself being a DJ and spinning music?
Hong: There’s no end in sight as long as I can keep the fire going!
PS: Sounds like we’ll be seeing you around! What other interests do you have besides your day, or rather, night job spinning music?
Hong: For starters, spinning at Zouk isn’t work at all. Even when I’m off work, I’m still searching for music and making music.. So music is really like my Life! But of course aside from music, I do play basketball. I’m pretty boring actually, it’s all about the music! (laughs)
PS: You’ve got to love music if you’re a DJ. Do you mix your own tracks?
Hong: Yes I do! But I’m still in learning how to, and in fact, I’ll be playing the sunrise set at ZoukOut. I’m pretty excited! It’s called Sunrise on Siloso.
PS: Last of all, how do you think ZoukOut matches up to other big name festivals?
Hong: Of course it matches up! What we can’t compare in terms of the size, we make it up with the electricity and the vibes! We have it all, because it’s the people who attend that counts!
Feeling those ZoukOut 2013 withdrawal symptoms already? Check out the official pictures from ZoukOut’s Facebook page here. Or, catch Hong on Fridays and Saturdays at Zouk, with Wednesdays at Velvet Underground – Lounge.
Photo Credits: ZoukOut, Popspoken
