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>>Hi I'm Chris Barker from MusicRadar.com and we're here with John Culter, Czech DJ.
We're going to be talking about his records and his career and how he got involved in
setting up festivals and all of his other stuff so Hi John.
>>Hi, nice to meet you. >>So lets start with how you got involved
in this whole business generally because you're a man with fingers in different pies. You're
doing events, you're known for making records and DJing at big events so what came first?
>>First was DJing I guess. Back in 1997 so its almost 16 years now.
>>And what kind of music were you playing back then? Similar progressive house, tough
house? >>Yeah, if I remember well it was the time
of big names like Sasha, John *** so that kind of music.
>>So like progressive, touching on the trance >>Yeah exactly.
>>Ok was that new in the Czech republic? I don't want to patronise but I know rock music
is very huge in czech. >>Yeah I think still in Eastern Europe rock
music and pop music is very popular and its hard to push electronic music or dance music
to the younger crowd so we are trying to do it.
>>Who are the biggest names that have traveled then? I mean you've done events with Dada
Life and everybody. >>Basically in Czech Republic or even in Slovakia
where we are working everybody goes there from commercial names like David Guetta to
Deadmau5 and I think everybody from electronic dance music scene goes there.
>>So how has it been for you, starting out as a DJ playing that kind of sound, I mean,
apart from the events that you do, as a DJ are you getting involved in bigger and bigger
events now. You're seeing your DJ side grow with the popularity.
Yeah, its very hard when I am DJing and also doing bigger events. Its hard to connect it
together. So when you are just doing the DJ thing you can spend all your time xxxx but
I also have to make some events so I have to divide times.
>>And what about the producing side - how do you find time for that?
>>For the last 10 years I did a lot of ghost producing. I'm making a lot of totally different
styles. >>So can you say who you're ghost producing for?
Are you allowed to tell us? >>Sorry
>>No ok. Are they international artists or are they Czech artists or...?
>>A few international artists as well. I'd say a really different kind of music. More
pop songs and some RnB and hip hop songs. So really I'm not focused on just one style.
>>Do you wish you could have a focus? When you come off stage at the ten thousand events
do you think I wish I could do this every night?
>>Basically yes, basically yes. When I see the crowd, actually right there, its a crazy feeling.
Ten thousand people jumping before your hands... and you can do whatever you want so... it
just depends on your ears what you think is good to play.
>>As far as DJing goes did you start playing vinyl?
>>Yeah I started playing vinyls xxxx I remember all the Pioneer CDJ 500s and I think it was 1997
so I started to play with vinyls and the next year I played with CDs. So I was trying to
mix it together. Of course so many DJs were xxxxx not playing from CDs xxxx But I started
from vinyls of course. >>And what are you using now? Are you still
on CDJs or on laptops? >>CDJs. I think that's the most common thing
around the globe, on all events. I'm not using computer on the stage because I don't want
to look at the display much, I want to check the crowd. When you work on CDJs its like
when you drive a car, you do so many things automatically and you don't have to watch
it. So I can see the crowd, I can read them. I don't have to look at my computer like I'm
programming something. >>So if you could give some advice to yourself
10 years ago, what would you tell your younger self about becoming a DJ?
>>Don't try to do big events. Just spend your time doing one thing as best as possible.
Don't try to do so many things at one time. >>So it seems like... I mean, would you ever
sell Magnetic then? Would it be something that you'd like to get big then hand over
to somebody else to organise? >>I'm not saying its not possible, but at
the moment its like my baby. We've spent so many hundreds maybe thousands of hours...
>>It's like a baby you resent having but still love.
>>Yeah, its a really big event in Eastern Europe, I guess maybe the biggest one, indoor event,
so there's no plans to sell. So we will see next year.
>>To anybody else looking to start their own club night, maybe not like Magnetic, but...
What would your advice be? I mean, is there a root to go down? I mean, you must have to
get sponsership, you don't just pay for all of this right? How do you go about that? What's
the business side of organising events? >>Its not easy to explain to general public
people. When somebody visits any cultural event, they're just having a good time, dancing.
They don't even know what is behind. There is a lot of money behind. And to be honest,
most events in Eastern Europe, they are not making any money so they are doing it for
fun. It is good luck for us that we are not losing some big amounts of money but its not
a good time at the moment to earn some- >>So if somebody wants to start their own
event, even if a club, what would your advice be? Did you start small or did you start with
Magnetic? >>I started with a small thing. You just have
to build it up. It is the only way. If you have big eyes you have big loss.
>>Did it help because you were quite well known in Czech as a DJ? So did it start off
with you and another headliner or something? >>Yes I was playing my sets with so many big
names. I was learning from them. How to play, how to handle stuff. I think that's how it
started. >>So who's your favourite person you've warmed
up for? >>I think that's very hard to say
>>There must be one that resonates with you throughout your career?
>>I think through my career I've met basically everybody who's making music because I'm doing
events, so I was in touch with all artists, even with all their managers or booking agents.
And I really appreciate the work of artists who are doing more concerting, they are playing
their own music. Then there are hundreds or thousands of DJs around the globe and everybody's
playing both on xxxx or maybe some of their production, but only a few guys are able to
play a whole set of only their own music. >>So who's the first guy that did that?
>>To name a few- Eric Prydz, Deadmau5, these guys are making a real concert. Its the same
like Madonna or Michael Jackson. Micheal was not playing Madonna's songs, there's the point.
So when Deadmau5 takes on the stage he is playing just his songs. And that's 'wow',
if he's able to do 2 hours of only his music and people are crazy about it.
>>And what's been the biggest thing that's ever gone wrong at any event you've ever done-
what's been the biggest nightmare? You don't have to mention names but- not a person, but
whats the worst thing that's ever happened? Technical or anything.
>> I think this is not even a thing you can believe. We have an outdoor festival. Its
on a big lake actually. A big lake here in the Czech Republic. There is a very nice beach
full of sand and the only way to bring the DJ to the stage was on the water on the boat.
And they lost the boat. And it was very hard to find another way to bring the DJ on the
stage. >>So the DJs are at one side of the lake,
the stage is at the other... >>Basically yeah basically...
>>And where was the boat? What happened? >>We found something, it was not the boat,
it was some kind of xxxx or something that was not right for a boat but...
>>That's the night you should have booked Steve Aoki.
>>Yeah yeah! >>And he could have just used his dingy and
gone across. Easy! >>Exactly.
>>Ok well thanks very much for talking to us John. Its a pleasure to meet you. Thank
you. >>Perfect. Bye bye.