1. What has entering the Perfectly MXD DJ Search Tour experience taught you?
It taught me to bet on myself earlier. I spent years thinking I needed more gear, more followers, more permission. Entering the MXD Ultra DJ Search forced me to show up with what I had. It turns out originality beats perfection. The crowd at the Naked Woolf didn’t care about my set-up; they cared that I believed in my blend. That’s the lesson I’m taking to Ultra.
2. What went into your preparations and how did it help you win?
Obsession, honestly. I treated the MXD Ultra DJ Search like I was already on Ultra’s line-up. I spent weeks digging for unreleased Afro house tracks that hadn’t hit mainstream yet. Then I played one local gig before the finals using those blends as lab tests.
Some nights flopped. But by the final, I knew exactly which combinations made a room lock in versus just dance. The win wasn’t the 10 minutes on stage, it was the 100 hours no-one saw.
3. How did your music journey start and what has defined your unique approach?
I started with a laptop, using an app called Virtual DJ and with no real clue what I was doing. My older brother is a DJ, so he taught me the basics because I was curious about what he was doing. I grew up on South African house and later fell in love with amapiano’s bounce.
My approach? I don’t blend genres, I translate them. I take the soul of Afro house and give it amapiano’s street energy. Cape Town taught me you can’t fake groove, so I don’t.
4. What top three local artists do you have on heavy rotation at the moment?
Kususa, Kabza De Small and Bun Xapa.
5. What is your favourite thing about the audience at Ultra?
They don’t just show up, they show out. Ultra crowds dance like they paid with more than money, they paid with attention. That’s my favourite thing. You feel earned.
6. Who are your inspirations?
Shimza, Scorpion Kings and Mpho.Wav.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.