All DJs out there

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I was once DJ Larakin.

I started out on community radio doing multi source punk/dub/ambient soundscapes with a militant angle in the late 80's and progressed to helping build the rave scene in the South Island of NZ.

Dance culture wise my roots were in the Ska and Rocksteady I danced to as a young punky skinhead intermingled with a good slam dance to a local band, but my love was really in Jamaican music.
I started DJing raves in mid 1993 and played early trance/progressive house mixed up with a dubby feel moving on quickly to funky breakbeats by the end of '94 my roots showing all the time, my approach was a technically tight but had a skanky punky militant kind of feel underneath the acid and bass.
I shared the bill with a few notable internationals over the years and was event co-ordinator or crew on a lot of the major parties.
I had a few residencies and was moderately popular but not very cool [aspie social awkwardness and an intolerance of some styles and sounds, digital sound on big systems...]

I 'retired' in 2001 and played my last set for friends on a boat in Pohara on New Years 2008/09.

Now I listen to totally different music except for still loving old school Ska and Rocksteady from JA.

I spent more than I ever earned from it on it, I had some great times and at times I tore my hair out wondering why we bothered...

That's my story, peace j

Hey!

My DJ name's Rob Smiley, and I play at a few clubs and events in the UK. I'm playing at Burning Man Festival in Nevada this year, and hopefully also in Bucharest, Romania. I have previously played in Barcelona, New York and Berlin. I do broadcasts on two internet radio stations, called brap.fm and blipradio.co.uk, and I also make my own weekly podcast, which I post at www.soundcloud.com/robsmiley

I'm 34 now, but started when I was 17. For the first 6 or 7 years I didn't really get anywhere, and then I met a bunch of people who liked what I did and we organised a club night together.

It's great doing DJ-ing as an Aspie. Bascially I have a license to sit in my room as much as I want, and do what I love, without anyone thinking there's anything too unusual in it.

Also it means that I get to be bracketed as "cool" (as utterly superficial as that is) and that I'm socially accepted to some degree in spite of my eccentricities. To be honest though, the only time I come into contact with non-Aspies is at gigs. If I'm stressed or snappy, people put it down to me being a temperamental artist type I try not to do that though, of course!! !

I think autism helps me have a better memory for details in tracks and track structures. Although I'm not synaesthetic, I am able to visualise the sound to some degree which helps me work with the moods in the different tracks. Also my autism means I put a great deal of energy and concentration into the different aspects of the work - finding tracks, putting sets together, rehearsing and playing live.

The thing that lets me down is promotion. Because of my nature I'm not very good at promoting myself. I kind of rely on others to decide if they like what I do, and then come to me to book me. I'd probably have done better if I was more the pushy kind. Also I hate big cities, so can't base myself anywhere "useful" to get my foot in the door at the well-known clubs.

It's certainly been a long, slow journey, but I'm glad I've kept going, and although I don't really earn enough to make a living out of it, the gigs every weekend and the radio slots give my life a routine it probably wouldn't otherwise had.

All the best to all the other budding DJs on here!
Rob