Exclusive Brighton Q&A with SEAMUS HAJI

1. We'll kick start the Q&A with a topic that is dear to my heart and obviously a passion of yours too. Clobber!! You're sartorial skills are pretty clear for all to see but where has your love for clothing emanated from? And do you feel a little embarrassed by the 'no effort brigade'? Also whilst we're chatting threads, who do you feel can give you a run for your money and who really should have a little visit to Selfridges?

In 1979 I saw The Specials performing their debut single "Gangsters" on Top Of The Pops and I was blown away by their music and look. I immediately became a 'Rude Boy' and the style was very similar to the 'Mod' look. 6 years ago I moved to Brighton with my family and discovered a great shop called Jump The Gun who specialise in 60's mod clothing and I've been buying all the 'clobber' ever since like slim Fit Crombie coats, mohair suits and brogue shoes. I think too many people dress scruffy in this country. Paul Waller is a bit of a style icon so I'd have to take my hat off to him.

2. You state that having your cover of 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life' signed to a major label was possibly your best achievement of your career thus far. How did you celebrate? And when you cross off ambitions such as this do you set new ones to keep pushing yourself?

Ha ha....It was so funny 'cos when Scott Mills rang me live on the Radio 1 Chart Show to congratulate me I told him that the night before I'd been DJ'ing in Bulgaria and turned down the offer of an after party in a mixed naked sauna in order to get some sleep before traveling to Euro Disney in Paris to celebrate with my wife and 2 kids! lol

3. A major remix for you (alongside sometime partner in crime Paul Emanuel) was Bootie Luv's 'Boogie 2 Nite', now you are an international DJ that has played in his fair share of far flung venues but if you were asked to "Find a place where we can boogie" where would you pick to shake some shoe and why?

It doesn't matter where it is - it's all about the music. The last time I had really good boogie was in Amsterdam. Myself, Derrick Carter, Joey Negro and Kerri Chandler had all played at a massive festival and we were all gonna spin at an after party in a small venue. Joey Negro went on and I was having such a great time on the dancefloor that I didn't want to play. He was mixing up disco, boogie, old skool electro and new house music and it was so entertaining. I never really get the chance to hear my peers so it was a rare treat.

4. You bravely admit to having a floor clearing incident in Italy many moon's ago. If you were the DJ to follow someone that done a similar floor clearing procedure what would you play first to try and rescue the situation?

Probably one of my most popular records like "Last Night A DJ..." or 'Boogie 2Nite".....it's a good way to get the crowd going and also it tells everybody that I'm on.

5. Over the years you have had a keen ear for a quality cover or cheeky sample and you also mention that whilst around your nippers you are subject to a lot of their kid's song's. If your life depended on remixing a kid's classic song what would you opt for?

My boys have got a compilation CD with a great version of "Any Old Iron"...it sounds like the bloke is rapping....it could become the first Cockney Rhyming slang hip house tune. You heard it hear first!

6. Kinky Malinki recently re-launched back in Brighton with a bang with Joey Negro and in his Q&A we asked him about his particular affinity with Brighton and he jokingly mentioned about some seedy dalliance under the pier but with you being a local lad is there something or somewhere in Brighton that you can't get enough of?

I like clothes and food so for the former I'd say Jump The Gun and the new Fred Perry store and for the latter I'd say L'eglise (brilliant French cuisine), Terra A Terre (fantastic vegetarian) and Riddler & Finn (the plaice..excuse the pun... for fish).

7. It has been a while since the KM faithful have witnessed a Seamus Haji set so what can the Digital revellers look forward to on the 12th July? And what is next in the pipeline for you?

Plenty of exclusives from myself and the Big Love camp, a bit of 'jiggery-pokery' on the CDJ 1000s and a great party!

Look out for my remixes of Moby "I Love To Move In Here" (Mute), Rihanna "Take A Bow" (Def Jam) which I’ve done with Paul Emanuel, The Teamsters "Shake It Off" (Positiva) and Lucien Foort "Sound Of Love" (Big Love). I'm writing and producing with Bootyluv and also for Therese at the moment

Article by GR, viewed 247 times

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