John McCord from club sensation Hed Kandi arrives for his monthly gigs at Ministry of Sound (MoS). We excitedly pulled him to the dance floor, and yelled questions at him above the deafening house music.
So, how has the response been for your gigs at MoS so far?
Absolutely fantastic. The first time I played at MoS was with Peyton on Christmas Eve. It’s one of the best gigs I’ve ever done.
Describe your sound.
House music all night, baby. I travel a lot, and that affects my sound. I play big, fat and funky bass lines.
What are your musical influences?
I grew up loving jazz, reggae and hip hop, and started digging house music in the ’80s. I love people like Stonebridge, Masters at Work, Axwell and Ian Carey.
You’ve collaborated with so many people. Who are some of the artists you’ve worked with?
I’ve done remixes with Stonebridge, Jungle Brothers and Who Da Funk. I’m currently working with singer Peyton, and I have just produced an album for Baby Bam.
I’m sure there are both good and bad aspects when working with different musicians. Let us in on that.
Meeting people who share my passion for music is always great. Whether it be working in studios or playing music in clubs, I like to share the joy I’ve derived from music with others. The down side
is that I have to hang around airports quite a bit because I have to travel a lot. That’s boring.
Do you prefer to produce your own music or to remix someone else’s tracks?
That’s hard to say. It’s an honor when someone asks me to remix a track for them. Yet there is something very special about producing something new.
Where have you gigged at?
Ibiza, the UK, China, Malaysia, Thailand, and places in the Asia Pacific region.
You are a DJ, producer, writer and musician. Why the diversity?
I don’t really see them as disparate jobs. They are all related to music, and go hand in hand. I love dance music, so I got myself into DJing, and that naturally leads to producing. When you produce, ideas come into your head, and you have to write them down. That’s how I became a writer as well.
Any future goals?
I want to sell eight million records, buy an island and not spend so much time in airports. I hope to keep playing good music that people will like.
A few years ago people saw Hed Kandi as a very fun label doing fun music. How has the Hed Kandi label evolved over the years?
It’s still a fun label. But Hed Kandi has definitely evolved. From classic house to twisted disco, it now has a broader base of music. The label has grown very rapidly over the past six years. It started in London, and now has become international.
What do you think of the DJing scene in Asia?
It’s really great. In Australia, the scene is already very developed. In Asia, the scene is developing. I see a rapid growth of producers and DJs and things can only get more exciting.
