First gig: 1st Official Gig was my DJ Duo group the Backhanderz in 2007 at Ruby Rabbit. The night was an old skool house night which consisted of old Ibiza style classics. We played vinyls old too.
How did you learn the art: I was 16 when I 1st went to Ibiza. I fell in love with the house music as I never heard it before. I was bought up on Mowtown, Reggage, Soul, Hip Hop and rap. While in Ibiza I bought a shed load of vinyls back from my holidays’ and then bought my 1st Technic 1210s to play them on.
Do you practice at home: Not really anymore. I kinda freestyle when I play live and its always seems to pay off.
Your favourite type of music: Man this is tough. I love all music apart from trance. I grew up on R&B basically, but I love dance music through from the commercial stuff, Nu Disco, Deep House and in the downtime I listen to chillout and even Classic music. I produce chill out/alternative music. So in short No I don’t ;)
Your favourite track of all time: Again there’s too many to say, however I’ll give you 3. Massive Attack – Teardrop, Brothers Johnson – Stomp and Armand Van Helden – You don’t know me
Your favourite artist of all time: This is easy – Michael Jackson. Don’t really need to say more about him do I! Favourite gig: Good Vibrations 2009 – In the Star Bar Tent. It was raining that day and everyone rush to come into the tent I was playing in (Backhanderz gig). There was about 5000 crazy festival goers which added the electric atmosphere of the set. Amazing experience!
Career highlight: I’d definitely say Good Vibes both in 2007 & 2008. Playing before Eric Morrillo on NYD at Ivy Pool in 2010
What do you think about the music today compared to when you first started Djing: Music is timeless, so when I play usual style mash up set I play music from all genres past and present. The great thing about technology today is you can make music from the comfort of your home instead of being in a studio play thousands of dollars. The Streets 1st album was produced at home. Calvin Harris produced originally from his bedroom.
What can the people expect to hear from you set: People will hear a bit of everything but delivered with an addictive twist. I want people to sing along with music and essentially put them in a reminiscent state of bliss. “I heard that when I was....This reminds me of....”
What's hot for you right now: Certainly not this Sydney Summer. There’s a couple of tracks I’m feeling Norwegian artist called Bernhoft track called Cmon Talk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjEsAEsYCw4 and a remix by a coolio Sydney DJ called Devola where he mashes up Ying Yang Twins – Whistle Song with a John Legend cover of Adele’s – Rolling in the deep - http://soundcloud.com/devola/whisper-in-the-deep-feat-john
Get out of trouble track (Dance floor clearing, you drop it the crowd jumps up):"Show me Love" (Laidback Luke remix)
Radio Show: Not anymore
Places the people can catch you: IVY every fortnight on a Friday, Bungalow 8 every fortnight, White Revolver, Kit Kaboodle and Beach Haus
DJ Name: DJ Pace (The Ol Skool Prince) Genre: Hip Hop, RnB
Number of years on the Decks: 23
Any Mixtapes: ► DJ Pace (Sounds of Score) ► DJ Pace (Ol Skool RnB/Hip Hop) Bangaz Vol One ► DJ Pace (Hip Hop Bangaz 2011) ► DJ Pace (Soundz from the Soul) Vol One
First gig: My first gig in a night club i was actually under age (17)..Night Club out west called (Celebrities) in Blacktown.
How did you learn the art: I grew up in a house filled with music, my brother introduced me to soul, funk. I used to grab a plastic bucket..turn it upside down..grab 2 sticks and jam to the music outside my brothers window...day in..day out. Until one day he played "the Message" by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five? The art of street dancing, Break Dancing..Pop locking set in. Herbie Hancock's "Rock it" was the tune that officially opened up my world of turntables..scratching..Mixing that went along with culture of street dancing, breakin! A Turntable became my instrument..It all came together naturally..without hesitation... feeling that vinyl..having it in the palm of your hands and using it on the turnatable as an instrument..feeling the beats. just like that plastic bucket and my 2 sticks!..it all made sense to me... Two words!..(Rhythm) & (Feel).
Do you practice at home: I rarely practice now..after so many years of perfecting, mixing, tricks, I have'nt practiced in over a decade..it will never fade.
Your favourite type of music: It's difficult to have a favourite when music is your life, your air.. I appreciate so many types..but the ones that stand out the most are Soul and Hip Hop.
Your favourite track of all time: Too hard to answer... From "I can make you dance" by Roger Troutman to "Love x Love" by George Benson to "Imagine" by Snoop Dogg Ft D'angelo is a deep one for me. I can go on and on lol!
Your favourite artist of all time: Roger Troutman
Favourite gig: Every Gig
Career Highlight: Every moment since day one of djying for me was and still is a highlight for me! no matter where..when or what...still doin it!
What do you think about the music today compared to when you first started Djing: Music changes, it always does, and always will! I appreciate the effort, cleverness and styles artists/ producers come out with nowdays..at the end of it all it is music to me and i love every bit of it. No matter what, Old school music is where my heart is. It is what made music today and i respect that. You can still create an atmosphere and make people feel what they want and how they need to with todays music ,just as much as Dj's did back in the day with whatever style was in at the time!
What can the people expect to hear from you set: Uplifting RnB, Hip Hop, Ol skool Flava. Flava that creates that uplifting atmosphere and vibe.
Get out of trouble track (Dance floor clearing, you drop it the crowd jumps up): If i dont see atmosphere at the bar? i'll create the atmosphere on the dance floor.. i cant really pin point a particular track...but whatever i choose it will guarantee do its job. whatever i choose it has to be for the females first!..thats the most important for me..because the more females?..the more men.. But it all depends on the type of event! Eventually everybody gets thirsty after a good dance ;)
How did you learn the art: My brother taught me, he was in the game way before me, his name was CK1.
Do you practice at home: yes all the time
Your favourite type of music: Rnb (Mainly) but a big love for Hip Hop/Rap Your favourite track of all time: Puff Daddyy ft R. Kelly - Satisfy You
Your favourite artist of all time: Thats a tough one, I can't choose between Ludacris & Eminem.
Favourite gig: Opening of Oxygen @ O2 Nightclub, playing alongside one of the greatest Djs, DJ Rectangle.
Career Highlight:Trey Songz afterparty @ The Bank, Trey came up to me while I was DJing and told me I was a crazy DJ.
What do you think about the music today compared to when you first started Djing: Music today is all about who the artist is, it's nothing compared to the music when I started. When I started, music actually came from the heart, now it's all about guns, money and b#$ches. It has gone downhill, it's not what it used to be.
What can the people expect to hear from you set: People can hear a diverse range of music when it comes to my sets, You will hear, Old Skool Usher mixed in with some Beyonce, bit of Drake, a splash of TPAIN & a side of Lil Wayne :). My sets are usually very energetic.
Get out of trouble track (Dance floor clearing, you drop it the crowd jumps up): At this point in time, the one track that gets everybody dancing is : Danza Kuduro - Dom Omar
What's hot for you right now: Hip Hop is the "IN" thing right now, and YMCMB is killing the charts with everything they do. Radio Show: None yet, Coming soon though ;)
In a world where radio stations saturate the airwaves with commercial pop crap which has no meaning and the same ol' beat, and in a country where they fail to support good home grown Aussie talent and Soul and R & B music, I am happy to say we finally have in our midst a "breath of fresh air" a real artist, a true "Champion" who has stayed true to his passion and style of music and who is bringing to us the sweet soulful sounds which our ears so long to hear. I am ecstatic to present this candid interview with the one and only MIKE CHAMPION. A star born a Champion, born to brace the stage, to entertain and here to share real music with the world, Mike Champion could definitely be Australia's first real R & B and Soul artist that would assist our country in producing an international chart topper in his genre of music.
Born and raised in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia and of South African descent, Mike Champion has spent the past 10 years mastering his craft and slowly building a huge underground following in the Australian urban music scene, 10 years on, he is still going strong.
For the purpose of this interview I wanted to focus on Mike Champion in the year 2011. Mike, thank you for your time, you were a very busy YOUNG BOY in 2011, with the release of your debut single "Luv Mathematics" and follow up instalment "Allie Kat" from the album "Young Boy, Old Soul (YBOS), please tell us more about what you got up to in the year 2011. No problem, thank you for taking out the time to interview me. 2011 was a great year for me. I just worked hard at establishing my music and giving people a taste of what to expect from me this year. I was blessed to release my debut and follow up singles which were both received well through Aus and the abroad. I also was blessed to do an official tour. I performed at over 20 venues in 4 different states across Oz. 2011 was really about laying the foundation and 2012 is go time.
Wow that is great...So Mike how does it feel to be finally sharing your music with the world? It is honestly a wonderful feeling to be able to reach people through music. I know music has the power to play on emotions and to be able have that connection with people you might not even know that well, to me that is a powerful thing. I am blessed and thankful to be able to share my music with the world.
Yes you are definitely able to connect with people of all kinds through your music and on stage. I think that is an amazing natural gift of yours...
"Allie Kat" is an interesting name for a song; can you please tell us how did you come up with the name Allie Kat? The original song concept was meant to be about me and my nature, similar to an Alley Cat flying under the radar in most instances. Penning the track though took me on another journey and the track eventually ended being about a girl named Allie Kat who is bad all by herself.
Where did you come up with the inspiration for this song? The flow and vocal definitely was inspired by the beat and swing in the rhythm. As for the concept of the track, it just came from within. I just went with the flow on this one.
What is your definition of an Allie Kat? An Allie Kat is an elegant, classy, sexy sassy woman who can do bad all by herself.
I really love the video for "Allie Kat", I need to watch it over and over again. I hear you did the video yourself, what an amazing achievement, why, when and how did you learn to film and edit video clips? Thanks. Producing Music Videos is something I was forced to do as a result of not having the funds to have somebody else do them for me. My fiance` Tiana Canterbury and I are both pretty creative people naturally, So we sat down and thought up a way we could make it happen with no money. By not knowing we studied videos on YouTube, observed and asked questions to people who knew the answers, and then got hands on and did it ourselves. With the editing, I literally sat down and learnt via youtube how to do basic things in Final Cut. And then went from there. If you have the vision and know what you want, once you focus, you can always achieve it.
Let's take a look at your efforts....
WOW! Great colours; grading; beautiful people; and a good theme and story.
How
long does it take you to edit a clip?For me...anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. haha.. It depends on the footage and getting what I want out of the footage.'
Where did you come up with the inspiration for the Allie Kat video?
From many hours on youtube studying footage that I liked. There are so many great videos out there to draw inspiration from. I watched alot of Euro-type videos, to get that classy feel I was looking for.
Who helps you with the video clips?
My number 1 partner in crime is my fiance', Tiana. We have a media company called "Bizniz In Bed" together, we sit and brainstorm our ideas and come up with the concept. Then we involve who we need to get it done. In the past we have worked with The Viking Lounge Mastering, MYLC Media, Renee Sayed & Miss Tez Make Up, Carl Allen Media, plus alot of great friends and family.
Where do you find all the beautiful people you have in your video clips? They are mostly close friends and
family. My music videos are honestly an insight into my life. I really want to
keep anything regarding my music as organic and as real as possible. What you
see is definitely what you get!!
Nobody
really, I just wear things I would normally wear out.
Let's give the people a look at your very first clip! Your introduction to the world ......"MIKE TEQ NIQ"
2 HOT! You've definitely already improved.
Are you planning to make a career from this?
Thank you, I appreciate that Angel. It is definitely something I am
already doing alongside my music career. My music will always come first but I
do have a love for delivering hot music videos. So Hype Williams is an
Inspiration to me as well :). I heard you won an award last year for Allie Kat, that's great credit to your work, can you tell us about that?
Yes. I was recently asked to
perform at the AAMMA's (African Australian Movie & Music Awards). I was
unknowingly read out in the nominations for Best Video and then went on to win
the Award for Best Video for "Luv Mathematics". It was a great
accomplishment to win the award as this was the first music video I had shot,
co-directed and edited myself.
You are quite stylish on stage in your shows, I think you have an eye for fashion; do you have a passion for fashion? Most
definitely, my mum says I have always been that way. I just love clothes
especially when its one off type gear. I don't spend alot buying clothes though. I
always look for a bargain. I really believe its how you wear it that makes the
outfit fit right.
What
do you think of the music today?
I
think the music of today (in the commercial world) is very different to what it
once was. Because of the pressure major record labels are under, they seem to
now follow a set formula when it comes to releasing artists, as opposed to
allowing the artist to have control of the creative aspect. Therefore the music industry is
swamped with alot of artists who come and go without really leaving their mark.
In saying that though, the part of industry I belong to (The Independent) is thriving
with educated, gifted song writers, singers and entertainers who have been able
to make a career out of releasing the music they love. The Music Industry
today is in a great place because the Major and the Independent are now on the
same playing field and there is more music on access to listeners then there
has even been in the past.
What
are your favourite tracks out now?
I
listen to alot of music and I gotta say I am a big fan of the producer Zo! He
has a few records out at the moment, some old some new but all timeless. A few tracks on
my playlist right now are: Eric Roberson - "Talking Reckless" & "Happy Summertime", Zo - "This Could Be The Night", Phonte - "NotHere Anymore". Plus all the
classics, A bit of Maxwell, D'Angelo, Dwele.. You know...That baby making
stuff!!!
Mike,
you have been going strong for 10 years and are commonly referred to as the
“King of R & B” and one of the hardest working artists in the Australian
music scene, you write and produce real music, you have a huge following, yet
you have still not received the recognition or support from the major
labels or radio stations why do you think this is so?
They
don't know what to do with this baby. haha...Nah just playing. I think good
things come to those who work hard. Though I haven't received this support I
have managed to have a career doing what I love for the past 10 years, and for
that I am truly thankful.
What would you say to others out there trying to make it? Love What You Do, Do What You Love. Be Innovative, but most importantly do it with Love in your heart and with intentions to do something good in the world. Leave your mark.
What will be the next single of your upcoming album Young Boy Old Soul?
It's my favourite on the LP. A romantic slow jam entitled "Beautiful".
Will there be a video released for this? Most definitely
When can we expect YBOS to be released? In the next 2 months
How would you primarily describe your sound now? Sweet Soul
Will this sound filter through to your future projects? Most definitely, you never know fully where your mind might take you in the future, but I know what I love so I know I will always put that love into my music.
What does the future hold for Mike Champion? Excitement and positive thinking. A European tour & South African tour. Lots of new music.
In terms of your music, what is the most important thing to your right now? Most important thing is delivering music that I feel is true to the person I am. Honesty in the message is important to me
What do you want to say to your fans? Thank you for supporting the cause.
Where can your fans catch you next? Keep an eye out for My Album Release Party. It will be in the next few weeks. So there you have it!
An up close and honest interview with a young man working hard to achieve his dreams and goals whilst sharing beautiful music with the world.
Mike inspires me everyday with his determination, patience and positive approach in such a challenging industry.
I wish him all the very best in his career and all life has to offer.
Make sure you guys support a local artist and very talented young man and grab a copy of YOUNG BOY OLD SOUL!
It is a long time coming and it has definitely been worth the wait!
Beautiful People So you many know I have a youtube cooking channel... Sexy simple food for single people - LEOPARD ANGEL TV I have also now started a blog with the recipes Leopard Angel TV Blog I hope you enjoy watching! Remember - Cook with Love! :)
