Silent But Violent
Watching people groove and gyrate with huge smiles on their faces in complete silence is always slightly disconcerting - have you experienced the pure joy that is the silent disco yet?
So Bacon, tell us about the Silent DJ Party; how does it work? Where did it originate from (wasn't it two guys in Netherlands looking to overcome noise restrictions?)?
Yeah mate, I believe it was conceived as a direct response to noise restrictions. I haven't played one before but Danny Cool, the other DJ on the night has, and told me he had a great experience playing a silent disco in Auckland. There are two DJs set up, each sending a signal to a bunch of headphones worn by the punters. The punters can choose which channel they would like to hear and the volume.
What sort of music will Danny Cool and you be playing on the night?
I'm gona play it by ear (get it!), and see what the kids are feeling. I’ve traditionally been labelled as an old school hip hop DJ, which is true, but I've been playing sets to a lot of younger crowds lately and have been feeling a lot of new electro and uptempo club hip hop/ dance.
Will you two be conspiring to play the most opposite types of music at times, so that the dancefloor is a scene of havoc and chaos?
Hadn’t planned on it but now that you mention it could be a good opportunity to mess with people’s heads a bit. I’ve been sharpening up my cuts for Battle City the week after so the newbies might witness something they aren't used to from a turntablist perspective.
Being one of the highlighted events for National Youth Week, the Silent DJ Party is obviously targeted at a younger audience, many of whom will experience a live DJ for the first time. Knowing this, will you tailor your set any differently?
No I don't think so, I think I will try to keep the changeovers quite rapid to keep the youngsters interested. How does that saying about the attention span of kids go again? It will be a great opportunity to be part of a totally new concept in DJing and dance parties; I’m really looking forward to it.
With the event being free, there's no reason for the young-uns not to come down for a boogie, right?
It’s a ten dollar deposit that’s refundable with the return of the headphones, so yeah - come on down!
The Silent Disco happens Friday April 9 at King George Square.
