SC : What has made up your mind to become a dj ? Did you have any hidden desire for this or it came to you naturally?
Smokin Jo : It came very naturally, I started dj-ing for fun and because I just loved it and wanted to be apart of the scene, luckily I learned to mix very quickly. But I remember as a kid I was always taping music form the radio and cutting bits together and making mix tapes, i brought my 7" records with me to the school disco so I could play them!
SC : Most of the people know you as one the best female djs in Britain as well as in the world. Can you tell me how does this makes you feel and was it hard in succeeding it?
Smokin Jo : I don't really think about it, it's just my job, I guess when I hear it like that then I find it very cool, I am proud about what I have achieved. It wasn't hard I was just VERY driven I HAD to dj it was like an obsession, in those early days I guess I was one of only 4 female dj's so I stood out.
SC : You have been in various location throughout the world, do you have some special locations that you want to play and they makes you feel special?
Smokin Jo : I love South America, the people and the vibe is so special and amazing, I get a good feeling from the crowd, somewhere like Tokyo is also fun as it is so different, there the people are very different, the way they dance I know they are really enjoying it.
SC : Currently you have been living in Ibiza, what is the reason for your residence over there... not much of Uk fan (he he) or you have more work to do there than in Uk?
Smokin Jo : I live in Ibiza because it is more quiet and sunnier than the UK, the pace of life is slower and very old fashioned which I like. I live in the countryside near farms and animals… it is so beautiful. London is great but too many people and so expensive; the vibe is too crazy and cold. I work all over the world so it doesn't matter where I live actually. This winter I will be in UK more as I am making lots of music and studying music technology, so I will be forced to live in the cold…boo hooL
SC : What is currently your weapon of choice, turntables, cdjs, and laptops? And by the way since we are here... what do you think regarding the laptop dj-ing and this so called technology evolution in the dj world?
Smokin Jo : I USE TURNTABLES AND CD'S, I think the lap top thing is using Seratone is great as I know alot of dj's had their records lost or stolen, me included, so this way you can travel with out that fear and it 's lighter, less stress and you still feel like you are dj-ing. I don't really like all the Abelton dj-ing, it's not really dj-ing, I can understand why people use it but it's cheating, if it used alongside, decks, cd's then that’s cool, make it a show, but to turn up with your lap top get paid loads of money for your computer to mix all the tracks is a joke! I guess it means anyone can dj, but there is an art to it, and you can't beat the way vinyl sounds, 100 time better than digital!
SC : You have been in Skopje before, what was it like for you did you enjoy? Does the music that you play now differs from the one that you have played before?
Smokin Jo : I can't remember what I played last time but now I am very dark, deep and techno, minimal and underground house, very edgy.
SC : Do you have any particular event that you would like to refer to it as the peak of the year?
Smokin Jo : This year my own party in Ibiza at Space NUDE was my peak, it was an amazing event, we flew all our crazy performers in and totally rocked the place, was best night all summer.
SC : According to your experience what is more important and valuable, being a good dj or being a good producer? What is your opinion?
Smokin Jo : Well these days to make a name being a good producer counts for more, you can reach far more many people with making tunes than dj-ing to a few hundreds or thousand people, but at the end of the day if you can't dj then you can't spin ya own tunes with is the greatest buzz of all!
© Nino Delinikolov [Flooder]
www.skopjeclubbing.com.mk
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