What led you away from more classical instruments and ultimately to the turn-tables?
to stay relevant and keep up with their peers numbers-wise.
Well, somewhere in between the two I went to school for production. Although these days most people are getting into producing after they’ve already been deejaying for awhile, it’s actually my first love. I kind of fell into deejaying because a friend of mine pointed out that I’d probably be able to learn it quickly and start doing gigs since I was already so familiar with music technology. I wanted to quit waiting tables, and a myriad of other horrible jobs I did, so I decided to give it a shot. As soon as I started I knew I wanted to do it for a living, so I made that my goal... and here I am today!
What are some of the projects that you are currently working on or will be working on in the near future?
On your recent stadium tour with Karmin, you played everywhere from Madison Square Gardens to LA’s Nokia Theater. What is it like, that first time playing a venue as big as MSG and working with Artists as big as Lady Gaga, David Guetta and Pitbull? I won’t lie; it was pretty nerve wracking the first few times. I don’t know if I can say with confidence that you ever truly get used to gigs of that magnitude, but it definitely gets easier. Honestly, we had a blast and learned more than we ever had imagined we would. These people are super dedicated to their careers- it’s not as wild and crazy as everyone thinks- you’re pretty tired most of the time and really focused on just making it to the next city and putting on a great show. Before the Social Media Revolution, Artists like Prince and Madonna always seemed out of reach. Now they’re just a click away on Twitter or Facebook. What are your thoughts on that? How do you utilize social media to get yourself out there to the public? There are some artists today, Beyonce for example, or Pharrell, who have Twitter & Facebook accounts, but are extremely selective with what they share on them. This proves to me that being exposed to the public eye is more of a choice than it is a consequence of fame. In my opinion lots of today’s artists just feel the need to put it all out there... Rolling with the “any publicity is good publicity” theory, I guess. Mystique doesn’t seem to be much of a priority to new artists, but the ones who do care about it have the freedom to be reserved on social media. I think most new artists feel like they have to expose themselves online just
Releasing a bunch of bootlegs in the near future, as well as working on some original writing and production. The list of artists I want to work with is a mile long. I’m hoping to start chipping away at that soon! I also have some cool televised appearances coming up, as well as a bunch of travel dates. I understand that Fashion is also a passion of yours. While music and fashion are different industries, they are inherently connected. How much does Fashion tie into your life as a musician? Is fashion something you see yourself pursuing in your career? Fashion is extremely important in my life. Aside from my personal love of it; it’s a crucial part of my brand as an artist. Rachel Zoe said, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak,” and I find this to be extremely true. In my line of work I don’t always have the chance to sit and talk with people, so I try to convey at least a little part of who I really am to people by how I dress. Spinning runways and events for designers has taught me so much about the fashion industry. I’ve seen these people’s commitment to what they do, and I know if I were ever to branch into that world I’d have to devote all my time to it. Right now I’m so caught up in the whirlwind of traveling and gigs I wouldn’t be able to do it right, but I’m definitely interested in pursuing it further down the line. When all is said and done, what would DJ Kalkutta like to leave on the walls of music history? Overall I just want to create great songs that make people feel good and want to dance. I’d love to leave my mark on pop culture because when I see how happy people get when they hear a song they love it’s the most gratifying feeling on earth.
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