Interview: @LukeHovey
One of Melbourne's hottest DJ's right now none other than Luke Hovey has been killing the scene recently! A lover for hard dance/techno Luke knows the ins & outs of working a crowd! Luke has been getting so many bookings it's hard to keep track, but after his most recent set for @TheSoundGallery we can expect him to get a heap more including his first headline show.
Luke likes to go in prepared before a set & tries to keep things unique by his style so that the crowd never stops dancing while he is playing, being a Geelong local Hovey has found himself starting to move out into the Naarm scene & has booked himself a headline show this Friday @Modul8 we caught up with Luke recently for him to tell us the ins & outs of his journey as an artist and what you can expect from him in the future!
Q & A:
Question 1: When did the drive to start mixing and being involved in Dance music be a big thing for you in your life?
A: To be honest I was basically a bit of a club rat through my teen years and I would find myself getting more and more intrigued by the type of music being played when I would head out and about around Geelong. I was starting to become more familiar with dance music and all sorts of genres that was being played out. I also had some mates growing up who would deejay at clubs on a weekend so there would sometimes be decks at the pre drink which definitely caught my attention - it basically all kicked off from there with those guys.
Question 2: What is the key to mixing in your opinion?
A: There are no real rules or science to it but I think it’s absolutely vital to try and do your own thing. I did the absolute opposite when I first started and would try to copy djs I was frothing at the time move by move, which is fairly embarrassing to look back on now haha. My tip would be to keep evolving and trying new things to remain unique.
Question 3: How much do you think a crowd has control over your choice of track selection?
A: The way I look at it is this: I play music that I would want to hear if I was in the punters shoes at the time on the d floor. I purely just play stuff that I love and I’m thankful that it usually gets a good reception hahaha. But in saying this, I do like to tweak my playlist a little bit depending on the type of party and venue I'm playing at (but not too much).
Question 4: Favourite set to date or favourite venue?
A: This is super tough to answer but I’ll do my best. I’d say my favourite set ever was either closing Bloom after Willaris K or the second time I played at Revs on a Sunday. Both venues were a full house and filled with my mates which made things even betterrrrrrr.
I think my favourite venue to attend as a punter would be Revs. Probably a fairly common response, but grabbing a VB and some couch time on a Sunday arvo is undefeated hahaha.
Question 5: Your up & coming unreleased tune will this be just a single or you planning an ep together?
A: I’ve been trying to teach myself slowly over the past 8/9 months the production game and I am still an absolute rookie at it, but I love it. I told myself I wouldn’t release anything for a a year or two to try and get better first, but I feel like I will never release anything if I go down this path haha. This is just a release by itself but I’m definitely planning to release an EP sometime in the near future.
Question 6: Who inspires you?
A: My biggest inspiration in dance music is probably DJ Boring. I find some similarities in our mixing styles and tune selection. He is just an all round beast too and definitely someone I look up to.
Question 7: Favourite Crowd pleasing track?
A: I am currently a sucker for Amazingblaze’s ‘Just Dance’ weapon edit by Lady Gaga hahaha. He is a weapon himself and this track is just an absolute bop - and can’t go wrong with some Lady Gaga.
Question 8: What is one piece of advice you can give to those just starting in the industry?
A: Pretty similar to what I said earlier about trying to stay different/unique with your style. Don’t follow the crowd, that’s the main thing I’d say. Fair enough if you end up playing tunes that you can’t help yourself with - but keep grinding away and finding your sound. I would spend legit hoursssss every night (and still do) just mixing at home and finding tunes. I love it.
Question 9: Name your style in 5 words!?
A: Up, Down, Left & Right
Question 10: How do you stay on track?
A: I have such a strong passion and genuine love for djing and music in general, so I don’t find it difficult to stay on track to be honest. It’s without a doubt my favourite thing to do. Whether that’s mixing at home, trying to find tracks or even fucking around in Ableton - I am a genuine frother hahaha.
Question 11: What has been the biggest challenge for you!?
A: I’d say the producing side of things is a challenge but it’s a challenge I love. I know I’m still in the early stages of it all and have so much work to do but that’s what makes me excited and keeps me motivated!
As you can tell Luke is a genuine lover for dance music & just wants to provide everyone with the same feeling a wonderful show! You can catch Luke @ Modul8 this friday by following him on his social media below
SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @lukehoveys
Facebook: Luke Hovey
Soundcloud: @LukeHovey
Below is Hoveys most recent single that got dropped on Reboot Events!