39
WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE TO BE A DJ? away with something you didn’t expect but you also
DJ FRIcTIOn DISpELS THE mYTHS AnD get life-changing ones. About five years ago I played
LEgEnDS OF THE DJ LIFESTYLE. in Puerto Rico from four until eight o’clock in the
morning. I was on the end of a cliff facing a tunnel full
Kmag: Hotels – great, shit or somewhere in between? of people. The sun came up from the sea, everyone
in the tunnel was raving and I remember playing
Friction: I’d say 70% of the time – lovely – but the ‘Messiah’. As the Reece bit came in a little bit of extra
other 30%? It’s one of those things. I’m not the kind sunlight peeped through. You get new experiences
of guy really to throw my toys out of the pram. If I wherever you go – some good, some bad – but that
have done it’s been very occasionally and I’m not was a life-changing one.
really comfortable with doing it but there’s probably a
couple where I’ve kicked up a fuss. Kmag: Have you encountered any mafia in your in-
dustry? We heard that a few of the drum & bass guys
Kmag: Do you demand a trail of rose petals to your have played for oligarchs. “Not as of yet, no,” Friction
hotel room and all furniture to be white as snow? says, after a long pause.
Friction: No I can’t say that. I don’t think I’m ‘diva’ in Kmag: Maybe it’s not printable?
my demands. If you’re in someone else’s country and
you’re booked to work in that country then you just FRICTION: Right, probably not!
expect to get looked after as they would want to get
looked after. But I guess it all comes down to personal Kmag: Have you had any life or death experiences?
preference – how much you value yourself!
Friction: I fly about 500 times a year. The worst flying
Kmag: What about the rock-star shit? Do you ever thing I’ve had was when I was landing in Puerto Rico
get an urge to trash your hotel room? Tear down the for the aforementioned gig. When the plane came in
fucking walls? to land it banked round, but not in time. It was coming
in at an angle and, as it got to the ground, touched
Friction: Uuummmmmmmmm…. [very long down awkwardly. It had to lift back off, do a loop and
enigmatic pause]. then come in to land a second time. They said that if
it had gone slightly wrong then we would have literally
Kmag: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen in a caught the wing on the ground (turning the plane into
hotel? a raging fireball). You have mad experiences like that
but then do an incredible gig afterwards.
Friction: Nothing that could be displayed on these
pages. I’d probably get a clip round the ear if I told Kmag: Ryanair?
you. I’ve had some pretty mad times, let’s just put it
that way. Friction: No, no, no! This was American Airlines. Rya-
nair – that’s my one no-no actually.
Kmag: Have you traveled to any fucked-up places?
Kmag: Fuck that dude – no Ryanair – their headrest
Friction: You get some sets where you end up miles colours are bad enough.
Words John Murray Hill
Photography Cleveland Aaron
Creeping through the Japanese bulrushes at Groupies often have no idea how hard it is to be Friction sounds like a basket case waiting to
twilight (bent double under the weight of smoke a DJ. The stereotype is: it’s all wine and roses… happen. “I know, I know!” he exclaims. “My
bombs and magic potions) takes its toll on even flying to different countries and whatnot. In life isn’t always like this though. I do maintain.
the most hardy, nocturnal ninjas. “Literally, I’ve reality, most music industry players are alcoholics, It’s just that currently it needs to be for me to
been working until four o’clock in the morning, drug addicts or mentally ill in some capacity do everything the best that I can and achieve
trying to finish off tunes,” Friction exhales due to the stresses of their irregular lifestyles. my targets. I know that a lot of people probably
exasperatedly, black bags under his eyes. “I’m “What I do is full on and, this period of my life look at my schedule and think, ‘Oh – he’s got an
just knackered mate. But it’s all good – it reaps – sleeping three hours – is sometimes intense. amazing life’, but I work … bloody hard. And
dividends – and I’ve just done a track for the next I’ve got a family, I’m DJing, writing music again you’ve got to! I’m not complaining. It needs to
Hospital album called ‘Fired Up’ as well as a 12” and compiling a mix album as we speak… it’s hard be done to make a career. And I love it. I get up
with K-Tee on Shogun called ‘Set It Off’.” work. I literally haven’t got time to sleep.” and think, ‘What have I got to do today?’ I can’t
wait to check my emails and see what’s happening.
Creative individuals typically develop habits of There aren’t enough hours in the day for Friction, I like the way my life works.”
being lazy at school and let tasks pile up. “You even in the land of the rising sun. “It’s going to
always go through periods where it goes a bit like be three weeks of madness but I’m ready for it.”
this, but it’s fine,” Friction says strongly. “It’s all
part of the game.”
www.kmag.co.uk
K38-39_Friction.indd 39 29/4/09 12:39:40
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68