- Thursday, May 19, 2022
By: Manju Chandran
THE DJs will be taking over this party season in a big way. One of the rising British stars to look out for is DJ Mixa Lucks, who will be spinning the hottest tunes at Bombay Funkadelic’s 2020 NYE Naach party at Cinnamon Kitchen and Anise Bar in London on December 31.
Real name Harjeet Singh Madan, he grew up in Bicester and is in demand nationwide for being able to mix up tunes from different genres.
Eastern Eye caught up with hot right now DJ Mixa Lucks to find out more.
What first connected you to DJing?
I was lucky enough to have close family members – LL Cool Singh, Dholi x and Phatboy Singh – already embedded in the industry. When watching them, I wanted to get involved. So, on my 14th birthday, my dad bought my brother and I a pair of Soundlab turntables. This enabled me to develop my own style by practising every day in the garage.
Tell us about the kind of DJ sets you do?
As a Punjabi, I love my bhangra and Bollywood music. However, I love the urban style of music and mixing it up with all genres
What is the secret of a great DJ set?
My secret is to not always blend the music, but to switch it and throw the crowd by surprise.
What has been your most memorable gig?
It was in Club Rouge, London, in the early 2000s, alongside Dr Psycho. The whole night was on vinyl, and the crowd was amazing. It was a feeling that would never leave you.
Do you have any go-to tunes that never fail?
I have never had a bank of tunes, but if I were to pick the ultimate club banger, it would be Fatman Scoop’s Be Faithful. It’s worked since the early days on vinyl up until the last gig I was DJing at.
What music do you listen to when not working?
I love all kinds of music. If the song has a good production and a great medley, I’ll listen to it. I tend to go through phases; one week it might be garage, the next grime and even a little bit of school cheese.
Can you share a memorable Djing story?
My DJing journey started when I was 15. My brother and I started a DJ crew, Desi Cuts, which later evolved into Eminent DJs. Since then, I have many stories which have been memorable. But the most memorable was when we joined Ray Panthaki to support him on a short movie Life Sentence. The film won Best UK Short at the East End Film Festival.
How do you stay on top of all the music?
The key to staying on top of the music collection is listening to radio stations and researching the charts for each genre. The earlier days were a lot easier – HMV for English and Metro Music on Southall Broadway for bhangra and Bollywood
Why do you love being a DJ?
It is in my blood. The energy you get when the crowd is having a good time and enjoying your style of mixing – it gives you a buzz that you can’t buy.
Visit www.bombayfunkadelic.com and to find out more about DJ Mixa Lucks, visit Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat: @mixalucks
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