DJ John Digweed still chasing the thrill of new music
DJ John Digweed still gets a thrill from new tunes, even if he has to wade through hours of bad stuff to unearth them
John Digweed is a man of many contradictions: a DJ who became associated with a style of music he has little to do with; an overnight success in the 1990s who'd been toiling away for years beforehand, and who has enjoyed two decades of fame since; a superstar DJ who bobs along slightly underneath the radar when compared to some of his contemporaries; a musical headliner known for almost never playing a tune you'll recognise, and who doesn't really communicate with the crowd — except through the music.
Hongkongers will get another chance to catch up with the DJ's DJ when he spins at Club 18 in Central on October 25. It's the latest of many trips to the city over the years, including most recently a triumphant set alongside Carl Cox at the W Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui last year.
"Every time I come to Hong Kong I have a great time," he says. "The parties are always amazing. I love the vibe, the food and just hanging out in the city."
No one has been a part of so many partnerships, club nights and mixes that have established themselves in dance music history as Digweed.
His long career started at club nights in his hometown of Hastings on the south coast of England, but it took a decade for him to get his big break, when he sent a mixtape to Geoff Oakes of storied British club Renaissance.
The tape came to the attention of another DJ, Alexander Coe, better known as Sasha, and so was born one of the most fruitful DJ partnerships in history, with the pair's names to this day still feeling slightly wrong when divorced from each other.