Lure of Allure

Electronic music fans are in for a real treat this month as Dutch spinner Dave Dixon embarks on a four-stop tour of Thailand with the first in his live shows taking place tonight.
    Organised by Asia Elite and fuelled by Winter Palace Russian vodka, Dixon will be revving up the tempo at prime party spots The Pier in Pattaya, Ku De Ta Bangkok, KC Beach on Koh Samui and Xana Beach Club in Phuket.
Two decades have passed since Dixon shifted from rap/hip-hop/swing beats, to the newest trends in electronic music. What started with acid house and new beat, soon took a turn towards hardcore gabber. After a few years of spinning the rough stuff, he evolved into a much more club-oriented vibe and released some floor fillers together with some of the best producers and DJs on the Dutch dance scene, collectively known as Allure.
And thanks to his high-energy performance and unique sound, Dixon jets across the globe to perform at clubs, parties and many major festivals.
    We had a chat with him on Monday.

How did it all start?
On the dancefloor, of course! There was this favourite club of mine that I went to every week because the two resident DJs there always made me feel really good. So I thought to myself one day that maybe DJ-ing is one way to make people feel good, and maybe I could do that too. One night at an after party the DJ was so drunk that he really messed up. I went up to him and jokingly said I could do better. He let me take the deck. After a few horrible songs I got better and the party started to come alive again and people were dancing. That’s how I became a DJ.

And when did you start to DJ professionally?
At the same party that same night, a guy walked up to me and offered a gig at a music festival. It was a small opening gig, the kind where you play mainly for the staff before anyone else turns up. There I met a DJ who wanted me to perform with him. One thing led to another and here I am, 11 years later.

Had you practised or try DJ-ing before that?
No, not at all. But I learned a lot being the listener on the dancefloor. I know what I like, how to make people go off, and what it takes for a DJ to be interesting. One important thing I learned is that, besides good music, you have to have personal connection, look them in the eye even for half a second and smile. That one moment makes them feel special.

How’s the house music scene at home these days?
House music in the Netherlands is still popular but it’s not special anymore because there are house parties every day of the week and everywhere, literally everywhere, plays house music with big DJs. The people that used to love house music are more into pop now. Also, it’s getting expensive to go to a party, so the club scene is fading. Instead people are saving money and going to three or four festivals in the summer. The rest of the time they just go to bars and small pubs.

How do you design your gigs?
I suck them out of my big thumb! Seriously, I always play live, because if you have a set and it doesn’t work, then what are you going to do? Also if I hear the same set a couple of times, it starts to feel a bit dull; I want to surprise myself, too. I have a huge collection of music going from vinyl to mp3 on a USB stick.

You rarely use vocals and live instruments in your live set. Why?
I don’t think it’s necessary and music on its own should be enough. I like MCs and other live instruments if I have control over them. When a big beat is swelling up and a drop is coming in and they still playing, my drop is not as powerful as it should be. But then again it’s 2014 and people want something more. You have to admit some DJs are a little dull to look at and they probably need something more than just music.

A date with Dave
>> The Dave Dixon Thailand Tour starts tonight at The Pier Pattaya (www.ThePierPattaya.com).
>> He’s at Ku De Ta Bangkok (www.KuDeTa.com) near Chong Nonsi BTS tomorrow.
>> He’ll also play at KC Beach Koh Samui (http://KCbBeachClub.com)on August 27 and at Xana Beach Club in Phuket (www.XanaBeachClub.com) on August 29.
>> Entry is free.