Interview: DJ Dainjazone

Published on 10/5/2012

DJ Dainjazone recently returned from an international tour with LMFAO making his mark on LMFAO fans and music cultures across the globe which spanned across 6 continents. With performance dates that included London’s iconic Wembley Stadium alongside Madonna, Dainjazone also performed with LMFAO on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” and was the featured DJ on “Good Morning America.”

DJ Dainjazone’s sound is a unique open format style of house, trap and hip hop mash ups and has achieved success through stressing his emphasis on creativity and structure. DJ Dainjazone prides himself on the quality of his work and being regarded as more than a stereotypical “Hollywood DJ,” with his discipline and worth ethic setting him apart from his peers. As a result of fine tuning his craft, DJ Dainjazone simultaneously embraces the “new school” style of DJing where he remixes today’s biggest hit, while also incorporating underground sounds and garnering huge fan bases at his residencies in Las Vegas at Marquee Monday’s and Dallas at Cameo subsequently resulting in his designated nickname and subsequent mixtape title “Leader of the New School.” See a link to one of his mix tapes here and for his entire upcoming DJ schedule, please visit the website djdainjazone.com.

How did you get the name Dainjazone?
When I was in college I was a big fan of Big L. He has a song called “Danger Zone” and this song was on repeat. At the time I wanted to be a battle DJ. I thought the name Dainjazone would be great for the battle world. I was going for the intimidation factor. Haha.

When and how did you get into DJing? How did you end up deciding to make a career out of it?
The baseball team at NMSU was throwing a big Halloween party and I decided was going to DJ the party. So I invested in a CD mixer. Not too long after that I started collecting records and got a DJ gig once a week at a local bar in Las Cruces, NM. Then, I started doing house parties back in L.A. and private events at Universal Studios and before you know it I was booked on a regular.

What DJs have influenced you?
Club DJs such as Spryte, Five, Scene, Melo-D and Presto One. These guys are some of the best and most creative DJs in the country.

With this industry having so many talented DJs, how were you able to set yourself apart?
My focus was on being myself, staying original and not comparing myself to others. I see DJing as an art. Originality is art.

You’ve had the opportunity to play at some of the greatest venues and biggest parties all over the world. Where are some of your favorite places to spin?
Staples Center is probably at the top of the list. Nothing like spinning in that atmosphere with friends and family in attendance to witness your success come to fruition. Other than, I enjoyed Pacha in Salou, Spain, the French Riviera, and Marquee in Las Vegas. Marquee is still one of the best clubs and parties in the world.

What is it like to tour the world with LMFAO (Redfoo & SkuBlu) and the rest of the Party Rock Crew? Is every night on the road a party?
We can be like zombies during the afternoon after a long night. Then we get into show mode and its non-stop fun. We have a serious business side to us though. We have a formula to what we do and we have to make sure everybody executes on their end. Apart of executing is having fun. Haha.

What is the craziest thing you’ve seen while DJing or on tour?
The fans. There are some die hard people out there. The way they dress and their commitment to us. Some of these guys have seen the same fans for the last 3 years. Foo has become friends with some of these people.

What is in your DJ bag?
In-ears, ipad, laptop, condoms, headphones, chargers, gum and Tylenol for the hungover.

What do you like to do in your off time?
Read and relax. Our off days are like gold so I take advantage of not doing much. Depending on where we are in the world I might step outside to see some cool things.

What’s the best advice you can give to DJs just starting out in their careers?
Be yourself. Find out what works for you and hone your craft. All DJs have access to the same music so you have to delivery the music in a unique fashion.

What makes a DJ “GREAT”?
A great DJ is someone who practices their craft and continues to be creative. There’s also a business side of the game that has to be branded and marketed correctly so people know how great you are. If you can do what you love day in and day out with out sounding like someone else then you can classify yourself as great.

You are very successful and many DJs would love to be in your shoes, where do you see yourself going from here?
DJing will always be around but I find myself venturing into the modeling and commercial world sometime soon. I enjoy the challenges of life and I don’t want to limit myself to just DJing. My next moves will open up a number of doors.

Follow Dainjazone (Los Angeles)
Website: djdainjazone.com
Facebook: facebook.com/djdainjazone
Twitter: @djdainjazone
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/djdainjazone
YouTube: youtube.com/djdainjazonelive