Budding DJs listen up as we grill one of the UKs hottest emerging young DJs! This is a hugely talented house DJ who’s technical trickery is often likened to that of Eddie Halliwell! Renowned for an infectious performance and astounding mixing ability we thought it fitting to learn some tricks of the trade from our exciting new DJ as he gears up to showcase new DJ technology at Plasa 2006… Its all in the fingers apparently!

From DJ Mag competition winner to Renaissance resident… wow a pretty fast move how did it all happen?
I entered their ‘Terraced House’ competition whilst already in Ibiza and couldn’t believe it when I got the call to say id won!! I played Renaissance’s opening party on Amnesia’s Terrace and they asked me back to play the closing party too. They’ve since given me lots of encouragement and support and I’ve played for them regularly at The Cross, Stealth and Pacha. Its still all a bit surreal – one day I think I’m gonna wake up and it’ll all have been a dream!

Chosen for audio giants Ecler’s DJ pro team… how does this make you feel as a DJ?
It feels great to be involved with a company that makes such great equipment – I genuinely enjoy using Ecler’s mixers when I DJ so its an honour to show people what they can do when pushed to their limits – I love it!!

Please tell us about your involvement with Ecler and how it all came about?
I’d been a fan of Ecler mixers for a long time so approached them to see if I could get involved. They invited me to play for them at last years Plasa event to showcase one of their new mixers at the time – the NUO5. After the demo they signed me to their Pro Team to promote their products on a global scale and provide them with constructive feedback on how the mixers perform out and about.

Plasa 2005 – Plasa 2006… your talent must have captured a lot of attention to be personally invited back this year... Please tell us how it works and the set up on the day?
It seemed to do the trick – I got so much great feedback after last year and my website still gets constant hits from people watching the demo video that we made at last years show. The set up is quite simple – I’m there to showcase the Ecler NUO-5 mixer so that’s what I do – I specifically go out of my way to demonstrate the mixers effects section in the most extreme ways possible… its a great excuse to open peoples minds that little bit more as to what these mixers are really capable of.

You teach up and coming DJs to mix… in your opinion what is it that makes a budding young DJ stand out from the crowd?
I think enthusiasm for music and determination stand out the most to me. A lot of people may disagree and say that the mixing has to be amazing or the DJ has to play this or that record but I think if someone can portray real passion for music in a DJ set and connect that with a crowd they’ll stand out a mile from every one else!!

Technics or CDJ technology?
Don’t get me wrong - I’m a proper vinyl junkie and still buy most of my albums on vinyl but I have to say the time has come where CDJs and digital technology have steam rolled the glory days of Technics. Pioneer revolutionised the way I mix with their CDJ1000s and my sets wouldn’t be the same without them. Viva la revolution!!!

You are renowned for your ‘infectious performance’ and ‘remarkable technical wizardry’… how do you ensure as a DJ this is delivered in every one of your sets?
I’ve got to admit it can be hard sometimes when you’ve been on the road alot with no sleep but I really do give it my all every time. I’m lucky enough to be doing a job so many people dream of doing – if I don’t go out there and put in 110% then I’m letting myself down as much as the crowd. I thrive off their energy so when everyone is jumping about I cant help but join in – it’s a party at the end of the day!!

Your infamous’15 tracks in 30min’ mixes are recorded live on 4 CDJs.. Please explain the process involved and why it’s important for you to do it live?
Originally the idea started out as 30 tracks in 30 minutes but the most I could manage to squeeze in was 26 and it sounded far too forced – I decided to give everything a lot more space to breath and so settled for 15 tracks instead. The whole concept is for me to showcase what I do in a club set in the timeframe of a 30 minute demo. The importance of me doing it live is that I want to be true to what I do when I play out – that’s done live so why shouldn’t my mix CD be? I understand other DJs needs to use computer software and can totally see the potential in it but I enjoy the challenge of making these mixes work to the best of my ability and really love to creative control I get when mixing it all together live.

Technology these days… so what do you think of Ableton and other new mixing technology?
Programmes like Ableton & Final Scratch are opening up a whole new dimension to DJing and I can only see it as a good thing. It’s not for me at the moment as I enjoy the hands on approach too much but I can completely see how they are reinventing the wheel… DJ sets are evolving at such a rapid pace nowadays and it’s really helping to liven things up a bit. Nothing is stale anymore – the whole scene is revitalised and a new generation of DJs are emerging alongside amazing new technology... I can’t wait to see what’s next!!

Tell us about Trashed and your notorious tours with Chibuku’s finest, the Beat Monkeys?
Trashed! started life as a night I promoted locally in mid Wales. I decided to develop it as a brand and created the Trashed! Tour back in 2005 with the intention on showcasing myself and those cheeky chimps The Beatmonkeys. It’s become a surprising success having already rocked Spain, Mexico and Russia alongside the likes of Renaissance, Chibuku, Godskitchen and Passion in the UK. Plans for the next one are already underway so watch this space!

3 DJs who continually impress you technically…
The Beatmonkeys never fail to amaze me – so do they count as one or two?? Also I have to include some unsung resident DJs out there that are seriously giving the big names a run for their money – Stel Alexander (Circus / Freak) and Morgan (DiscoSlut / Goodgreef) rock time and time again in their own unique styles!!

3 pieces of DJ equipment you just couldn’t do without…
Pioneer CDJ1000s, Sennheiser headphones and my CDs!!

3 DJ mistakes easily made…
3 most obvious ones would probably be taking needle off wrong record, pulling the wrong fader down on the mixer and misreading the crowd… These are all things that I’m sure most DJs have done at some point in their career. We’re far from perfect I promise ya!!

3 DJing tips for all budding future heros out there…
Practise – consistently strive to be the best you can.
Patience – hang tight cos things wont happen over night.
Persistence – let everyone know you’re out there and keep letting them know… don’t give up!

Watch Sonny show off his skills at Plasa Earls Court London, Sunday Sept 10th.

Support new DJ talent and vote for Sonny in your top 5 DJs at WWW.DJMAG.COM

LISTEN '15 TRACKS IN 30 MIN' LIVE MIX

WATCH SONNY ON ECLER’S NU05 AT PLASA LAST YEAR

SEPTEMBER DJ DATES

Friday 8th Sept - Dusted @ Eden, Ibiza
Saturday 9th Sept - Kissdafunk, Burnley
Sun 10th Sept - DJ Sunday with Ecler @ Plasa, London
Sun 17th Sept - Seven @ The Whitehouse, London
Fri 29th Sept - Wrongdevouz with Derek Carter @ Aztec, Liverpool

WWW.SONNYWHARTON.COM