In an age of ultra commercialism and rinsed out remixes the Renegade DJs (aka Wezley J and DeeJayCee) are breathing new and exciting life into the South African Dance music scene. Mr Spencer caught up with one of SA’s most exiting Hard Dance duos for an in depth interview and this is what they had to say…

By Muzik

Firstly, thanks for taking the time out for the interview guys. How has 2009 been for you so far?
Hello Muzik and all the Spencerites!! 2009 has been a tough year not only for us (Hard Dance DJs) but generally for everyone in the industry, however, we came into this year on a high from our successful tour with Simon Qudos and Pierre Pienaar (Trance Adrenaline CD Launch for Nukleuz) but we also pre-empted what is currently happening in the scene and saw this not as a problem but as an opportunity to tuck ourselves away in the studio and skill up on the production side of things. So far so good!! So to sum it up, it’s been a lot of hard behind the scenes slog and not that many gigs at all. However, the rewarding thing is that we have managed to complete a whole new set of mash ups and remixes, hopefully we are going to put them to devastating use this season (some massively exciting things lined up, watch this space).

Wezley, how would you describe the style of music the Renegades DJ’s play and what do you aim to achieve by playing that specific sound?
Technically, it is UK style hard dance, which incorporates a wide variety of sub styles including, Hard Techno, Hard House, Hard Trance and even a bit of Bounce and Hardcore when we get a chance. However, we love to bastardise most of the tunes we play and add our own flare and maverick signature to the music. JC and I have been playing for long enough to not be entertained by simply slapping 2 tracks together and our aim is to make music with music. Beyond that we get our thrills out of taking classic diva style accapellas and layering them over nu-skool hard dance, which adds a sense of familiarity and we have found that it helps us not lose an audience with a set that’s too underground; so it keeps the sound fresh, user friendly and fun.

How did the Renegade DJ’s come about and when did you guys make your first break?
JC and I met a few years back at a place called Corona Café in Edenvale. It was something of an institution for hard trance followers at the time and I was really pushing that sound hard when I got here in 2006. We just clicked musically, and believed in and wanted the same stuff. So even though it was JC’s concept, in many ways it was also a natural progression from our similar tastes in clubbing and music. Our first huge break was the 2007 International flavour event at raffles, with Love-Tec Entertainment, who have also been instrumental in helping us build a loyal fan base in Durban.

Jaycee what software do you guys use to produce with in studio?
The software we use and play around with is a bit of everything actually, we feel that you can never have too much of anything, even though the learning curve on some of these programs takes a while. We currently prefer Ableton Live, but we have various 3rd party standalones to do specialized mastering and production. One of Wezley’s current favourites is Fruityloops studio 8 which he uses to create unique loops for our mashups and remixes.

We would like to get more involved with Cubase sx3, but currently it looks all foreign to us...hehe. On the hardware side of things we currently only use a midi Keyboard controller as the prices of good equipment are quite on the expensive side. The controller works very well with the hundreds of Vst plugins we have at our disposal. That way we can save costs on equipment and guarantee you that the music the renegades play at events is the most cutting edge around. Our goal is to become more of a live/DJ act in the future and really bring a different experience to clubbers.

What achievements or events stand out for the Renegades as a highlight of your DJing careers to date?
(Wez) Getting voted the best demo (Initiate Bootleg Sequence) and up and coming DJs in 2008 by World DJs inc. as judged by Derick Carter et al, was absolutely huge and one of the most rewarding experiences of our career to date, to be recognized by your peers for something like that is very special.
Best moment was dropping our own bootleg of Alex Mac and Zeebra Kid – Life (mashed up with the vocal of blaze to my beat and Spoiled and Zigo More and more) at 5:30 in the morning to a crowd of about 800 raucous clubbers, I remember dropping the volume and the entire dance floor were screaming the vocals of the tune back to us, I don’t think words can explain that feeling, especially when its your own mash up, immense!!!

(JC) The overwhelming response we have gotten from our demos also stands out for me because it shows that what we are experimenting with what is going down well with the fans, and that just encourages us to push the boundaries even further.

Wesley you guys like to mash things up a bit with acapellas, scratching, edits, etc. Do you think with all the technology DJ’s use today makes the classic turntableist hard to find these days?
Great question, we have had this debate amongst ourselves many many times, and what I can say based on a recent experience at the Mediatech convention, turntablism is still very much alive you will just be surprised where you find it and in what form it assumes. By that I mean, when we were missioning around Mediatech, we were treated to personal displays of Turntablism from so many different style of DJs on technology that made JC nearly cream his pants (yeah he is the one that digs the hardware in the team, I am more into the software). One dude did a Micheal Jackson tribute on the new Serato, massive skills!!! Live mashing up and sample dropping. Another fella (DJ Hamma), was breaking down the dynamics of scratching across different genres (from electro to drum and bass) using the new hot loopable Standton portable Scratch Studio, sick!! So yes and no, I think the technology these days is going to drive the turntablist to higher levels of performance and we should expect his role to be redefined as technology better supports us and allows us to unleash creativity while playing.

Jaycee for someone new to the Hard Dance scene in SA, which clubs or events would you recommend them go to?
Because the hard dance scene is still very underground it all depends where these newcomers to the scene live. In JHB for instance the dominant harder genre is Hardstyle. So a person from JHB will be exposed to that form of Hard Dance whereas someone from DBN will be exposed to Hard House and Hard Trance. A person from Cape Town will be exposed to both the JHB and DBN sounds with the added bonus of having Psytrance to listen to.

So if you are from JHB, the best place to go is the king of the JHB underground clubs TRUTH where revelers will get a very good dose of Hardstyle. Durbanites can go to TRAXX where the hunger for Hard House and Hard Trance is insatiable. The guys from the Cape of Good Hope can go to places like Babaloos, and Liquid although I believe the latter has shut its doors. The Vortex parties are also great for the people who love their Psytrance. If you looking for a decent night out events like Fu Cha and H2O are likely to hit the sweet spot.

Bigger events are awesome, but they are few and far between, clubbing these days seems to be moving towards more intimate experiences...For this reason places like News Cafe and FTV will continue to thrive as businesses in the short to medium term (although you will never catch us in a place like that!)

Do you guys consider yourselves as a nubreed of the Hard Dance generation?
(Wez) We are not exactly spring Chickens anymore but we have been around for long enough to know what people want. Also, one just has to look at the amount of people on Facebook that are sporting headphones in their pictures to realize how many people are into DJing, so its certainly a lot more competitive than it was 8 years ago when I started, so in a way if you want to stand out from the crowd you got to be able to do something special that sets you apart and get onto a level where you are considered a trend setter and are walking your own path. I guess in that sense we do consider ourselves as pretty progressive in terms of pushing the envelope and being experimental.
(JC) I like to think that the so called NUBREED of Hard Dance DJ’s are definitely DJ’s that push themselves enough to set them apart from their peers and in that respect I do consider us part of the NUBREED.

Wezley, in the past a lot of popular DJ’s have branched off into different genres of music in SA. Do you see you guys experimenting with other genres in the future?
(Wez)We have played the odd house music gig (I dig my West Coast Funk and JC is more into the Electro movement). As a DJ, I think it’s a great thing to always keep your mind open to other styles of music, in fact if you got into my car, you would be surprised to hear what I play when I am alone (anything from Rock to Swing and Big Band). I heard an interview with Armin Van Buuren on 5FM and he said something that resounds very strongly with us: “If you can listen to lots of different styles of music and begin to understand what it is about music in general that people love it will only make you a better producer and appreciate music so much more”

We use the diverse influence to our music as much as possible and try and really bring back the best of many genres into our own sound, this has helped us develop a more well rounded and refined sound, it also helps with the way we like to progress our sets (i.e. being able to listen to music in different ways).
(JC) AGREED – could not have said it better Mr Jeftha.

Jaycee you have experienced the UK clubbing scene abroad. What’s your take on how a club or event should be run in SA to be successful?
The UK is an unbelievable experience clubbing wise. There might be 2 to 3 clubs in one street, and not one will be playing the same type of music. This gives the punter variety, a variety that is seriously lacking in S.A where every second club wants to cash in on the BIG SOUND of the moment. Because of this very few clubbers get educated in the various forms of EDM that there is. Take Speed Garage for instance, it exploded onto the South African scene and caused mass hysteria…what happened? It got overplayed in almost every single club in the country and ultimately died a premature death. To have a successful event you have to have VARIETY. That way you are guaranteed to have a broader audience. And a more educated one!!!

There is nothing better than seeing a full club but some club owners give the impression that they just want feet through the door regardless of the music playing on the night. How do we get around this constant issue to provide a more positive growth musically in the scene?
I think what lacks here significantly as compared to the overseas scene, is the sense of community around clubbing. Even I have learnt the hard way as a promoter its not just in the selling of the event, its about engaging people around the culture of dance music and nightlife and using your name and network to add value and bring people together intelligently.

Which is why I have taken on a role as the editor for SA’s first ever Industry inside newsletter (Rendezvous). It is focused on progressive dance music in South Africa and its really exciting playing in that space because firstly it’s never been done before and secondly it’s awesome giving something back to the industry which you serve.

Wezley, where can we catch the Renegade DJ’s in the mix and what do you guys have planned for the rest of 2009?
I would love to play at a Slippery and Wet. JC and I play a kick ass classics set, and if the powers that be see this, come on do the right thing!!! There are also one or 2 top secret things on the horizon. We currently talking to our UK colleague (Simon Qudos), there are talks of another tour in December, this time we really hope to put CT on the map as well as make our much anticipated return to Durban. Other than that we are also booked at the Love Parade, so it’s looking promising indeed.

How would you guys sum up a winning formula for an up and coming DJ to make it in the SA dance scene?
(Wez) Stay true to your roots, don’t ever forget why you started playing in the first place. Also the balancing act between selling out and making a living is so fine, try and keep it eclectic but always add your own flavour in there. Finally enjoy yourself, take the time out to get involved and talk to people and remember if you want to be a DJ and be taken seriously always see yourself as an ambassador to the industry and take pride in your job.
(JC) Also never forget to have fun and ENTERTAIN your crowds, if they see that you are enjoying yourself they will definitely enjoy themselves. Also never become big headed, for there is always a better DJ waiting in the wings. Lastly remember to get your own style, something that makes you unique, whether it is a technical aspect or a quirkiness to your mixing….to even playing naked (Wezley does that regularly when he is home alone!!!)

Thanks so much for your time guys and all the best for you future ventures.

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