Fridae

Listen up, club kids of Singapore: there's a new DJ in town, and his name's DJ Shigeki. In the three months since he moved here from Sydney, he's been settling into his apartment, arranging his work visas and chilling, but from this Friday onwards, he's going to be a regular at Taboo Caf� and Bar, with future appearances all over Asia and beyond.

Shigeki (yup, that's his real name) has a pretty awesome resum�: in his six years at the turntable, he's spun his deep, percussive house music for Australia's largest parties at Fox Studios (including four consecutive Mardi Gras), Sydney's Harbour Party, the super-club HOME and and Toybox at Luna Park, plus the Atlantis Mediterranean Cruises through Europe. He's just completed a five-year Saturday night residency on the line-up at the Midnightshift on Oxford St in Sydney, and has spun alongside greats like Paul Goodyear, Ferry Corsten and Victor Calderone.

In person, he's just as impressive: tall, terribly hunky and with a charming grin, he speaks thoughtfully, with an accent that's an adorable blend of Australian and Japanese. Over a bowl of noodles, he shares his journey from being a closeted boy in his hometown of Nagoya to his current status as an artist of sound in the international gay club circuit.

æ: Age, sex, location?

Shigeki: 36, male, Singapore.

æ: So, how did you get involved in music?

Shigeki: Music has always been a part of my life since I was little. I used to play the violin from the age of three, and I was singing in a choir for a while. But I didn't really get into dance music till I moved to Sydney in 1999.

æ: Why did you move there, actually?

Shigeki: Mainly to come out of the closet, because I wasn't really out in Japan - even though I had a boyfriend back then! There's a lot of pressure from society and family to basically get married and have kids. If I'd lived in Tokyo, maybe the situation might've been different.

æ: And that was where you became a DJ?

Shigeki: I started going out and listening to the local DJs play. And I started thinking that dance music is pretty cool, and I'd like to be a DJ. And at first I became a bedroom DJ, and I was playing at private parties, like friends' birthdays and Christmas parties. I started making mix CDs and giving them out.

Then one day I got a phone call from someone, saying, "Would you like to play?" So that was my introduction to deejaying in public - it was actually in a gym - and then I did some parties in some gay bars in Sydney, and then one thing led to another, and I started playing in clubs and doing big dance parties.

I'd first gone to Sydney to study hotel management, so I was also working in a hotel for a few years, and then at American Express. The second year at American Express, I was working five days a week and deejaying in the weekends and that was really tiring. In the end I had to make a decision: I had to give up one of them. So I gave up American Express, and I've never regretted it.

æ: What kind of music do you like?

Shigeki: I like everything! All kinds of house music, depending on the mood I'm in, depending on the event I should say, I play from soulful house electrohouse, progressive house, tribal house and with vocals, instrumental and I always try to mix it up so in my set people get to hear a few different sounds instead of just one sound all the way through.

Because of my violin influence I've played the violin in my set a couple of times - it's a really unique experience. I love the sound of string instruments, so I sometimes look for that in dance music as well.

æ: What's your favourite part of being a DJ?

Shigeki: Sometimes people see me spinning and say I look pretty serious, or I don't look like I'm having fun. But what I enjoy the most when I deejay is to watch people dancing, getting into what I'm playing; watching them smile. When I see that happening on the dance floor, I get a kick from it.

Being a DJ, you also get to travel to different places, and always you're meeting new people, playing to different crowds. Sometimes I work on a gay cruise, and I get to see different parts of the world, and hear different kinds of music and meet people from different countries. If you haven't done a cruise, I would highly recommend it.

æ: What's hard about being a DJ?

Shigeki: Two things. One is to find the music that you like - and the challenge is to find a style that you love - and then find tracks to make up your style. You have to constantly update your tracks and make your music fresh and keep your sound original.

The other thing is to stay up late nights and still feel energetic until he end of my set. As I mentioned earlier, as long as I'm on the decks, I feel the energy form the crowd - then as soon as the music stops, I feel like a deflated balloon.

æ: You've never played for straight parties, though? Or gone back to Japan to spin?

Shigeki: I think I've always enjoyed playing in the gay scene, because when gay people go to a dance party it's about them; people face each other and have a great time amongst themselves. Whereas if you go to a straight event, everyone faces the DJ! The dynamics are quite different.

I actually went back to Japan to play last year [for the Kansai Rainbow Pride Parade in Osaka]. And I felt a little bit strange because I never used to deejay in Japan. But it also felt really nice, because when I played, I was able to see the local Japanese guys dancing to my music. So I felt that music is very universal.

æ: Now, the question that's been weighing on our minds: why did you move to Singapore?

Shigeki: I'd lived in Sydney for nine years, and deejayed mainly there for six years. And as much as I love Sydney, I wanted to experience something different.

I came to Singapore to play at Happy in 2005, and since then, I've come back to play in Singapore several times, and I've always liked the people and how they react to my music. And it's so central, so I can easily travel to like other parts of Asia for gigs. Also, it's not far away from Japan. I'm closer to my partner, who's working in Indonesia. So it's a good hub for me. It's definitely a great decision.

æ: What's it been like here so far?

Shigeki: I've been quite impressed with the food. I used to miss noodles in Sydney, but I've found some places in Singapore where they do good noodles, and all of the places I've been here do really good Japanese food.

But there's another thing. In Sydney, I always felt liberated and free in terms of my sexuality; I was out to everyone I knew and being gay was never an issue. Moving to Singapore, I feel a little bit like I've gone back to the closet, because of the anti-gay laws; they're making this gay and lesbian scene a little bit subdued. I do support people who are battling, who are tackling this issue. And I hope that will change in the near future, when Singapore will be more comfortable place for everyone.

æ: What else do you do besides deejaying?

Shigeki: I produce my own music as well in my spare time. I'm constantly thinking of melodies or and beats to go with it. I have a little computer studio so I make my tracks, and in the future I'd like to be able to an album. It's one of my long term goals. And it may not be all dance music - it's going to be very eclectic. Some dance beats and some very chill-out pieces of music.

And I've always liked swimming. Because when you're swimming, you don't hear any noise. So it's kind of a nice break from all the music that I'm hearing. It's almost therapeutic, and good for your body as well.

æ: Anything else to add?

Shigeki: I'm looking forward to playing not only in Singapore but all around Asia, because I haven't been to many countries yet, and travelling is something I love. So I hope to visit all those cities and meet the people there. I hope to see many of you on the dance floor.

DJ Shigeki will be starting his residency at Taboo Cafe & Bar,
65/67 Neil Road, with the "Flirt" party on Friday, 2 May 2008. He'll be there most Friday nights, spinning from 1 to 3 am. He's also got upcoming appearances in Sydney, Melbourne, and the Atlantis cruises in Europe. To check his schedule or book him for a party you're organising, go to his website at djshigeki.com