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Features
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| Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! |
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How To: PK talks about his experiences in online promotion
Reported by HarderFaster
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Submitted 25-09-07 18:36
We’re quite proud at HF towers for the small part we’ve played in a number of DJs’ and promoters’ careers. From providing tools for promotion to a simple place to chat with like-minded souls, HarderFaster has been there in the background, willing people on. One user, Paul King AKA PK has gone on to find international recognition and yet he still finds time every now and again to pop back and say ‘Hi’. So as part of our How To! series come and find out how a bedroom DJ worked their way up to playing for Ministry Of Sound.
As with you all our door is always open, our lights are always on, but when Paul asked us if he could talk about his experience of using HF and the help it gave him to getting where he is today, we thought it would fit in perfectly with our new How To! series. We agreed that if his experiences and our help inspires more young wannabes then maybe, just maybe, we’re doing our jobs right.
HF: You started playing at 12 when most boys were still messing about with action men. What got you into it and what were your driving factors?
PK: My older cousin helped organise warehouse parties in the late ’80s and early ’90s. She used to give me ‘Deep Heat’ mixtapes to listen to and I absolutely loved the music (at the time you couldn’t buy compilations in HMV, and house was rarely heard on radio). Most of my friends were obsessed with football — I was obsessed with music.
My parents built and ran a leisure centre with a fairly sizable function suite. On Fridays a group of DJs ran house parties. It was a family business and when Mum and Dad had to work and couldn’t find a babysitter, I’d be told to stay behind the DJ console. I spent hours watching the DJs and was fascinated by the high and low points on the dancefloor — I wanted to understand how the DJ made people cheer and dance all night. Pretty soon, the guys let me have a go when they were setting up.
I learned how to mix when I was twelve years old, and on my thirteenth birthday I played my first ever set. It lasted half an hour, and I think I managed about four half-decent mixes!
How did you start promoting yourself?
It was very difficult in the early days — by the time I was fourteen I’d met a famous DJ that took me under his wing and let me have all the doubles of the promos he was sent. I’d send tapes to local clubs but when they called to book me, they’d hear how young I was and would say ‘come back when you’re eighteen’. I knew the importance of being able to work a room, and needed to get experience somehow.
I hired a local hall, sound and lighting rigs, and promoted events for my friends. I had no money, and between the hire and hall costs, I had to raise over £2000. Thankfully it all came off and we had over 400 on the first night. Within six months we regularly were at capacity by 10pm and were turning upwards of 500 away. The police closed us down due to underage drinking — heartbreaking for a fifteen year old trying to live his dream.
From then I played every pub, bar, birthday party, wedding and house party that would take me. I didn’t always get to play house, but learned to work a room with all kinds of music.
After college and university, I decided the time to hit London was ripe. I sent a mix CD to Peach (my favourite ever party) under a different name (so I didn’t get any preferential treatment). I was asked to play for two hours and ended up playing four. That night I was offered the residency — in 10 years they’d only appointed two new residents so I was very proud.
This gave me a platform to do what I love, and was given complete creative freedom, playing up to eight hours every week — old and new.
This is when I discovered how important online promotion was. Somebody came to me and asked if I’d seen their comments on HarderFaster. After checking it out I saw that people were talking about my sets.
I decided this was a platform where I could talk to the people that came to Peach, and take on board their thoughts. I made a note of what I played each week, and posted the track listings on various forums. It wasn’t a chore — it was actually a lot of fun, and I met some really great friends.
Simply through this, participating in threads, making friends in the scene, and getting general positive exposure I got the attention of other promoters.
What do you think was the most important thing about promoting yourself as a new DJ?
You need to promote yourself on two levels: you need to promote yourself to event organisers; and to clubbers.
What do promoters want? Great DJs, with talent, that can attract people to their event, or bring value to the table. Maybe you sell tickets, maybe you design the flyer, maybe you help with picking DJs up from the airport. Until your profile is big enough to attract people simply by having your name on the flyer, you’ll have to do other things.
Everything you do needs to be professional. I’ve had DJs send me CDs in the post with a phone number scrawled on it and I’ve seen eflyers knocked up in word — it doesn’t inspire confidence and that’s your first impression.
Learn Photoshop or ask a friend that can use it to help design Eflyers and CD covers.
Try to get email addresses of clubbers that may come to your gigs and then let them know where you’re playing with a wicked e-flyer. Join as many forums as you can, and post mixes, future gig dates etc. But DON’T make the mistake of randomly spamming — join in — after all, clubbing forums are full of like-minded people.
The amount of great people I’ve met on forums is incredible — enjoy it! Then when people come to your gigs, they’re friends. You have a better time, they have a better time. It’s not a ball-ache then, you’re not trying to make the promoter loads of money, you’re arranging a top night out with your mates, and getting to DJ too!
Promoters take loads of notice of forums — they lurk, but that’s a good thing for aspiring DJs.
Also, and I can’t stress how important this is, if you want to play at a certain party, then don’t get wasted at that event! Would you turn up to a job interview mullered? Again, you are the face of your own brand.
How important or useful was it to use online forums like HarderFaster in building your profile?
HarderFaster was instrumental in building my profile. When you’re playing back rooms of big events, the money isn’t very good. You can’t afford flyers, CD mailouts and all the other kind of things you would do to promote. Forums are free. They let you connect to people on a completely personal level. You can communicate your entire gig schedule at the touch of a button.
It also lets you evaluate yourself. Some people will post positive comments about your sets and some negative. This enables you to learn and get better at DJing.
As I said before, promoters look at forums all the time. Forums are the central community of the scene. In my first year of DJing in London I didn’t send even one demo CD to promoters — I got booked for all the events I loved: Frantic took me on board for several of their events, as did Heat UK, Wildchild and even the Gallery. It snowballed. In 2005 I played well over 250 gigs, from the Southside Bar right up to the Brixton Academy. I couldn’t believe my luck!
Through all the forums, I found out about loads of events I’d never heard of, I was playing mid-week sets in bars, warehouse parties, everything.
What made you choose HF to promote yourself, what key aspects of the site were most important and why?
I chose HarderFaster because of the facilities it offered for DJs and because the people on the forums made me laugh.
I would say the best port of call was the DJ page. I remember phoning Kiss (who ran Peach) and yelling at them for not posting their events on the site. I was itching to have three gigs on HF to get on the DJ page.
It enables you to give promoters access to your contact details, the kind of gigs you’ve played, your background and all sorts. And I used it. Every email, forum post, business card, all had links to my HF DJ page.
You never sent out your own demo mix of your own, why was that?
Simply because I didn’t need to. The exposure I got on the forums caught the attention of other promoters. Then, after playing their events, people commented on my sets there and so on. That actually sounds a bit big-headed (which I promise I’m not!).
In all fairness, people normally comment on how the headliner was, or maybe if somebody was particularly outstanding, but because I made so many friends on forums, they were more inclined to say something about me. They probably thought the other DJs in the room I was playing were good too, but didn’t know them.
What’s your opinion on the continued rise of demo mix distribution from other DJs using the internet as opposed to hard copies and how do you think that affects things like radio shows?
I don’t think many promoters download mixes unless they are especially interested in a DJ — they get enough through the post (at least I did when I was promoting Peach).
There are so many problems with Internet radio. I was on Ministry of Sound radio for a long time, and the amount of listeners for a brand that big was slightly disappointing.
Digital demo mixes are much easier and cost-friendly to distribute. If your friend is playing a CD in the car and you say you like it, how much more likely is it for them to say: “I’ll send you the link”, rather than copying the CD?
With MP3 demos, I think it’s important to keep the quality of the encoding acceptable, but not perfect. It should showcase you as a DJ without stopping people buying the tunes on there. Also, it’s mandatory to tracklist your mix properly, with artist names, titles, remixer and label. And, if possible, links to where they can buy the tunes. If it’s on a white label then Google it and find out which label it’s signed to.
We’ve noticed a decrease in the number of bedroom DJs looking to break into the market. Have you seen this and why do you think that might be?
I think it’s for a lot of reasons. When dance was in its peak, so many people wanted to be a DJ — to be famous, to get the girls and the money. So many Kevin and Perrys! Now it’s not as cool as it was.
Also, the scene is smaller now, so it stands to reason that the amount of aspiring DJs reduced in proportion.
Modern industry-standard equipment is much more expensive than it used to be.
And finally, with the overwhelming popularity of urban and band-based music with the new generation, kids aspire to be rappers, or band members. In dance’s heyday we proudly stated “decks are outselling guitars 3-1!” — I wonder what that figure is now.
What advice would you give new DJs these days?
Learn from EVERY DJ you see (whether what to do or what not to do). Talk to other DJs and ask their advice. Get as much practice and live experience as you can get. Learn as many things as you can to help you.
I remember talking to Jack Michaels for hours in Twist years ago, and he was relentless with asking questions about everything! He was up-and-coming (as was I) and now he’s opened at Camden Palace for Roger Sanchez! He got there by getting as much info as possible from everyone, and using it. The guy was non-stop! (BTW, Jack got to where he is because of his talent and determination; I would never be so arrogant to imply it was anything to do with my advice).
Also, become awesome. Become as good as Zabiela on the mixer, as good at mixing as Todd Terry, as good at working a room as Graham Gold — there’s no reason you can’t.
Make music, it’s a great platform to get exposure. Don’t know how to make music? Learn. Don’t have the equipment? Save and buy it. It’s so important.
Buy a microphone and practice doing radio. Get on your college or university station, or hospital radio. Then if you get asked to host a show on a commercial station you can say ‘yes’ and not sound like a muppet. Sound like a muppet anyway? Get some voice training (that’s what I did at college). Radio is just as hard as club DJing.
Buy a book on marketing. Learn Photoshop (there are so many tutorials on the net for free). Get good at making your brand look professional.
Then put it all together.
What do you think was the biggest or hardest change moving from the back room to the main room?
It’s a natural progression. I played in back rooms because I didn’t have the profile to play the main rooms at house clubs.
Once, whilst playing for Moondance, I was told five minutes before my set that I was playing 1–3 in one of the main rooms of SeOne (the big one as you first walk in).
I was shaking so much I could hardly put the needle on the record. But after one mix, my nerves settled and I used the adrenalin to help me focus. I could have stayed there DJing forever – I absolutely loved it.
There is a slightly different method to working a big room. In a back room you know if you play a record with a quiet breakdown, then sub from the other rooms will bleed into yours, and pull people out of the atmosphere (so you drop some beats over the breakdown). In a main room, you can REALLY use breakdowns.
What do you think were the key reasons why you were asked to present a show on Ministry of Sound radio?
The head of MoS radio had seen me on a whole bunch of flyers, on the various forums (yep, radio people also lurk) and had heard me play a mid-week set in a small bar (it paid £10 and there were about 30 people there — paid off though!)
He called (by getting my number from HF) and asked me to cover for a DJ that was on tour for six weeks. As soon as he put the phone down I prepared an eflyer and two hours later I’d sent it out and posted on every forum I could think of. I was ecstatic and wanted to share it with everyone!
I called every club promoter and record label I knew, trying to get competition prizes, called DJ agencies and arranged interviews with big names & producers. I worked so hard setting up the shows.
Then when it came round to presenting the show, I was prepared. All the hours spent doing college and uni radio were finally paying off, my show was professional because I had learned how to do it properly.
He saw all the hard work I did online promoting each show, that he offered me a weekly show of my own — this got me a lot of extra gigs, so the work paid off in a non-direct way.
And how do you think that work directly influenced Ministry of Sound to ask you to be their resident in Sharm El Sheikh?
It helped by putting my name in their heads and by them seeing the passion and hard work. But the main catalyst for a whole chain of events that led to it came from one guy on HarderFaster — Sleepless Andy!
The Hard Rock Café in Sharm wanted a British DJ that played all kinds of house. Through a chain of people, Andy was asked to recommend someone and he recommended me. When I was out there, I saw that the place was rocking, but no big brands were there.
I put together a business plan to franchise Ministry of Sound out there, and put on parties in Pacha Egypt. They liked the plan and hired me as DJ and promoter.
Over the year we expanded to three weekly parties, which included Ministry of Sound, Hed Kandi and Housexy. The brands were so big out there that we didn’t need big-name DJs.
Me and the other two resident DJs played ‘warm up’, ‘main set’ and ‘close’ on a rotation. I can’t tell you how good it is to play every week, to an open-air venue with a 4000 person capacity. I learned so much out there.
You’re back in the UK now, what do you think the next key steps for you will be?
I’m currently in the studio 24/7 making music, but my gig diary is filling up again. There are a lot of projects I’m working on in clubland. I’m playing a five hour set at Heaven for Peach on the 28th September, which is really exciting. I’m also playing the launch party of a brand new club, the Island at the start of October — the venue is simply stunning!
I’m going to keep DJing as much as possible because I love it so much, and keep making tunes.
How do you think HarderFaster will be able to help?
In loads of ways. Promoting the events, meeting new people, in all the ways it has always helped! Just as a way to get in touch with people is enough, but all the other things are great too. Sometimes it’s nice just to laugh at some of the posts people put up. The banter on HF is so funny. It’s also jokes when the Peachyraver people come on and drop their in-jokes and buzzwords.
I’d also just like to use this opportunity to say thank you to Matt and everyone at HarderFaster, and everyone that has supported me on or though HarderFaster. It’s always been my dream to be a DJ, and you guys have helped me in so many ways.
Catch PK at Peach September 28th and The Island club October 6th
Photos courtesy of PK. Not to be reproduced without permission
PEACH - THE CLASSICS PAYBACK
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On:
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Friday 28th September 2007
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At:
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Heaven [map]
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From:
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11.00-6.00
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Cost:
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£7 ALL NIGHT FOR EVERYONE WHO CAME TO THE BIRTHDAY AND £10 ALL NIGHT OTHERS
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Ticket Info:
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NO ADVANCE TICKETS-JUST ARRIVE EARLY FOR THIS MEMORABLE NIGHT!
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More:
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For ONCE AND ONCE ONLY!! (PROBABLY ANYWAY!!!) The original Peach at Camden Palace residents in the main room playing CLASSICS ALL NIGHT. Plus PK and Tistan D playing house in room 2
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Other Features By HarderFaster:
HarderFaster Awards 2016 - The results are in!
HarderFaster Awards 2014 - The results are in!
Lashes, Dimples and the Brighton Music Conference
HarderFaster Awards 2013 - The results are in!
HarderFaster Awards 2012 - The results are in!
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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Comments:
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From: Darz on 25th Sep 2007 20:14.51
What a brilliant, inspiring interview that is mate. I thought I worked hard at promoting myself, you've simply took it to a new level which all up and coming DJs should aspire to. Awesome read, may even print out and stick on my bedroom wall.
From: Matt on 25th Sep 2007 21:58.21
 nice one PK!
And a big up to Sleepless Andy for the recommendation.
From: Graham Gold on 25th Sep 2007 23:26.36
That has to be the LONGEST interview ever!!! But good comments though-words to be heeded!
From: Lizzie Curious on 26th Sep 2007 08:02.15
I think that is a really good interview, keep on rockin' PK!!
From: Gordon Darley on 26th Sep 2007 08:36.08
Hi Paul, can you knock me up some eflyers and cd labels please? 
Wicked interview, you've done us all proud with your hard work, fella! See you Friday!
From: voodoobass on 26th Sep 2007 10:13.26
Nice 
From: Karl Alexander on 26th Sep 2007 11:28.20
good interview !!!
From: steelo kuchiki on 26th Sep 2007 12:30.03
'peeks'
From: Electrobex100 on 26th Sep 2007 12:51.33
Great advice, looking forward to PK's set friday even more now!!
From: Becka on 26th Sep 2007 15:09.27
Nice one babes! What a long read but so interesting, all the best for Peach this Friday xxx
From: prehabDJ on 26th Sep 2007 19:45.18
Good interview mate!
From: Zoelee on 26th Sep 2007 23:27.40
So..What I want to know is.. Who here was playing with action men at the age of 12!? 
From: Steve Twist on 27th Sep 2007 10:03.51
Zoelee, I still get action men now!! infact i got one for Xmas last year.
ps good interview PK.
From: DJChewy on 27th Sep 2007 21:07.50
Well done mate and nice to see you are back in the UK/London Remember back the day when u were a Thirsty DJ resident but not a mention above...anyway, got your message earlier so let's hook up when u get a chance. cheers & all the best
From: *cheeky chick* on 28th Sep 2007 15:51.40
Loving the last pic
From: Mike Harris on 28th Sep 2007 20:12.47
Really nice guy and a very talented dj, ive met him quite a few times and he's always been happy to have a chat and a giggle!
Well done mate, keep it up!
From: djdyju on 13th Oct 2007 10:33.37
Very impressive indeed
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