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He Never Sleeps Either...
Interview with NYC Trance DJ Hai Lee Chen
People say that if you can make it in New York you can make it any where. Hai Lee Chen is going to test that theory.
For up and coming New York City DJ and producer Hai Lee Chen, 2006 could have been a plateau year. He had a popular weekly Internet radio show, E.D.M. Sessions in which he spun tracks in three and sometimes four hour sets. He continued to produce tracks with his co-producer Andy Chen and release them via haileechen.com to his international fan base. He even got to spin twice at one of New York's premiere techno venues, Crobar, at the same time as DJ powerhouses Tiesto and Ferry Costen were playing. However, for Chen even with of the acclaim he received in 2006, he is still as driven as he was when he first started DJing, in 2004. Right after he got off the decks at the Machine Nightclub in a party called "Invasion" Chen spoke with Zero Hour Radio about his foundation in classical music, his experiences with techno music, Internet radio, producing, the New York scene and his desires to keep moving like the city he loves, ever upward.
How did you first listen to electronic music?
My first CD would have to be ATB Moving Melodies, my second one would be Robert Miles Dreamland, those where my first two CDs. I never heard EDM before that. After I heard those two cds I was hooked.
On your website you said you first where inspired to get into techno after seeing Tiesto, Sasha and PVD at the Roxy - what was it about their performances that triggered you?
Well before that starting in high school I listened to a lot of live sets that I downloaded from the Internet, but I never experienced actual club scene. Those three sets, to me, they were just amazing. I never felt that much energy at a party or anything, throughout high school I never went to clubs. Those were my first three times going to clubs. I really actually understood what clubbing and dance scene was all about.
Before you became a DJ you were classically trained in piano and other instruments, in what ways has that experience filtered into your DJing style?
Well, generally in the beginning I geared more towards the melodic trance. I played a lot of piano, a lot of bass and more or less I was more attracted to the really classical sounding trance - a lot of melodies. Eventually I grew out of that and now I listen to dance music as dance music
So you're selecting tracks trying to get people to dance?
Yea originally I went more of ear listening. ...Then I realized that for radio mixes that's fine but once you get to a club, a lot of people want to just hear stuff that will really pump up your energy and make you dance a lot. Now I lean more toward energetic tracks and stuff that will really get you moving.
Which of your favorite DJs have most influenced your style?
I'd have to say PVD
What was the moment for you when went from "EDM is something I can do" to "EDM is something I will do"?
I'd have to say it was influenced by my co-producer. I started off as a DJ and a couple months later I met my co-producer and he began teaching me how to actually make electronic music. ...After I started making it with him, I realized that through my classical training I really just enjoyed music as a whole. I wanted to try to actually express myself and write my own music. That's pretty much what I'm working on right now, writing my own tracks, putting my own music out there as opposed to just being a DJ.
In your own how would you describe a "Hai Lee Chen trance set"?
Well I hope that it brings the listener through a journey. I usually like to start with progressive house and then slowly build it up, bring it high energy, bring it back down a bit and then, bring it back up towards the very end. Personally I really like long sets, I prefer sets three to four hours. Typically when I DJ in a club, I only get a hour or two so I don't really get to express myself, but when I do my radio mixes its always three to four hours. I like bringing the listener up and down.
Do you spin with Serato?
Nope I use vinyl and CDs.
Vinyl still?
I'm a vinyl junkie. If I had enough money to afford vinyls, I would keep using vinyls but its very expensive y'know? It drains your bank account. Right now I'm sticking to CD for now, until I'm able to make more money. But I really like the aspect of live DJing... just using vinyls an effects processor, actually doing everything with your own hands.
What do you use?
Logic - I use a lot of software, like software synthesisers. I have one hardware synthesiser and I have a PC.
[How long was it] before you spun out anywhere?
Umm I started spinning out two months after I started but it was hard. My first five or six gigs were horrible. I have to admit I train wrecked left and right. ...DJing at home is completely different then actually being at the venue using that equipment; however good or shitty it is.
So the crowd effects you that much or just the change of scenery?
Surrounding, mostly, [and] the equipment that's actually there. When I first started I expected to be top notch, everything to be very pristine, but when [I got] there, the mixer is broken, there's knobs missing, the pitch fade it wobbles, problems left and right. You just have to deal with it, you got to learn how deal with it and that was really difficult at first, but I'm getting more used to it.
What is your favorite venue you spin at?
I haven't spun too many places, but my favorite would have to be Crobar, its actually closed now.
Wait Crobar is closed??
Yea they actually changed the name to Studio Mezmor. Personally for me its not about the venue, its more if there is a crowd there, that really makes me happy. When i'm spinning to an empty room I kinda get discouraged a little bit. ...Tonight I didn't expect so many people to come, I think like 300some people and it really pumped me up a lot more after I saw the turnout.
So you would spin in a warehouse or a field?
I don't mind i would spin there, as long as there is crowd there thats what matters to me, i like seeing people enjoying themselves
When you spin out, do you have a favorite producer or label that you'll usually spin tracks from?
That really depends - if I'm doing an opening set I really like progressive house labels, like Baroque... I love a lot of progressive house Pure Substance, Andrew K's label. For trance, I first started out with a lot of ASOT tracks (A State of Trance, weekly radio show by Armin Van Buuren) but now I've been going towards Discover...there's tons of labels of there, even on Anjunabeats - I pretty much go by track I don't really go by label, but if you go by trance label I'd have to say one of my favorites has to be 5 AM, cause they do a lot of trance and they do a lot of tech tracks too which I really enjoy.
One of your favorite DJs Paul Van Dyk allegedly has a problem with glowsticks at his shows because of their apparent drug connection, and at many venues in New York glowsticks are not allowed - what are your opinions about glowsticks at shows?
I have to be honest, I starting getting into trance raving, that was my first connection to trance. I started listening to ATB and Robert Miles and my friend first taught me how to rave. I've been raving forever, even before I started clubbing I was raving, so for me glowsticks, photon lights and all that stuff I'm fine with it, i can almost say i love it. I love raving I'm completely down with all that, I have no problem with it. If I get to the point when I can request if a venue has lights or not I would be all for raving. I cant go against what got me into trance....I started with photon lights I didn't start with glowsticks, I do photons for light shows, I know [MadRaver Rai of Glowsticking.com] does a lot of performance with glowsticks, I do more light shows and less performance
Where would you like to spin out next in America and the Internationally?
Country-wise, Taipei Taiwan and Amsterdam. ...What can i say... For North American city I'd say Toronto first - I went to Labor of Love, at Government, Government was such an amazing club. I want to spin at Government no doubt that place was great.
You excited to come Philadelphia? [Flaunt @Shampoo on 3/17/07]
I'm very excited, I saw videos and I heard a lot of great stuff about Shampoo.
In 2006 you started a weekly Internet radio show on afterhoursdjs.org, how did you get involved with them and what was your experience like?
I got involved with them about a month after I started DJing, they were actually a really small group at that point. They only had a three hundred listener cap and not a lot of people listened to them, they were open to beginner djs djing for them. I started out, I was horrible but I really practised on that station. I spun a lot more and eventually their numbers grew to a thousand listeners...I pretty much grew with them. They really helped me out they were really supportive...I was really happy about that. Most radio stations are...like "I want an artist to DJ, I want someone well known DJing "...Before I started my weekly show I spun there once every two weeks or so. They actually allow you to sign up whenever you want...it was an open schedule - you don't necessarily have to do it every week. If there was an open spot and you want to spin you can sign up right there and you can spin thrity minutes later. That's what I really love about it, they're really flexible...
When you were doing EDM sessions you managed to produce original sets every week - how were able to keep up such a high level of originality and creativity during that span?
Well I've stopped that for now, mostly I ran out of time cause of work and everything. But while I was doing that literally I went on to every single website and listened to every single song, I listened to everything, progressive house, electro techno trance and I picked out my favorites ones. The reason why I couldn't keep it up is because I was literally spending almost a day's worth of time every week, almost 24 hours every week listening to music picking out my favorite tracks. Doing three hours of new material every week was really difficult. My first eight sessions, most them were new tracks every week, twenty to thirty tracks brand new and after a while I just couldn't keep it up. I started repeating tracks a little bit kind of like what Armin does. It got to the point where I just ran out of time.
Where were you getting your tracks from?
Beatport, Audio jelly, Chemical Records, 4djsonly, Release Records, every single online site you can possibly think of - I went everywhere - 3beat, tons of websites.
You said on your website on Feb 7th 2007 that you were unable to start up your radio show as planned - is there any new news dealing with that situation?
I've been trying to start my radio show up every two weeks but for now I'm sticking to whenever I got free time. ...I still don't have a set schedule for work and everything.... Its difficult for my listeners to pick up on my live shows but I always post up my records sets or my live shows on my website so they can download it whenever they want.
In 2004 you began working with your friend Andy Chen to produce tracks, what direction in techno were you heading in before you started working with him?
Initially I just wanted to DJ. The more I worked on my music, I realized that you can actually express yourself and put your ideas into music. Its a lot more difficult then I initially expected so its taking quite a long time but I feel that it will be worth it in the end after I get my music out there.
For you which process is better producing tracks or DJing?
...That's a really a tough question. Personally I like DJing a lot, but in the end I want to be seen as an artist. So I really want my productions to shine above my djing eventually. At this point I'm still learning a lot I'm still working on my own music eventually I want to be seen as an artist not just as a DJ
So would you want it 50/50, 60/40 DJing 70/30 DJing? What does it mean for you to be an "artist"?
...I see DJing as something that really interests me right now but I've always wanted to move into producing movie scores and soundtracks. I want to move past dance music. Being classically trained, music has been my life I've always played piano I've always played in the orchestra, eventually dance music will get to a point where I actually want to go beyond that and do other types of music as will
From your start in 2004 to now in 2007, what was the biggest change you went through in relation to your djing or production style besides just becoming better and more experience?
Producing. I've definitely learned more about how to use the software
Where did you go to school?
NYU, right now I'm taking a break for about a year. I just started an internship at Club Low, its a local club in NYC they do a lot of house. I'm interning for a sound engineer 'cause I'm studying music tech at school. I'm looking for a part time job and I'm working on my productions on the side. I'm nearly done with two or three productions projects so I'm hoping to get something released during this year.
How would you describe the New York scene from when you first got into it and how would you describe the New york scene now at the level that you are at?
..When I first got into the New York scene, initially the new york scene seemed almost rave-like but lately, within the last 2 years, it's definitely gotten more bottle service, you gotta dress to impress, and that I dislike that about it. But that's kinda what the law and the government pressuring everyone to go towards that direction. Cou can't really help it, you kinda just gotta go with it...
Where do the rave kids go? Is there an underground scene here?
I'm not really sure, I never got into the rave scene, I started more in clubs. I can definitely feel the whole club scene moving away from the rave feel. When I went clubbing in DC I really got that feel, everyone's really friendly, very rave-like and I love that....Here it just feels like everyone is there to see whats up about the club, not really about the music. I cant say that about everyone... Another thing I noticed, it got more popular, I see a lot more people out at parties. Its weird its not mainstream, like on TV and MTV anymore, but the number of people that actually come to these parties is increasing. Its underground, but its kinda blowing up in a way.
Do you think that that is better? The fact that more people are coming, but its less rave kids.
...Local parties still don't do very well. Most people, they're just attracted to big DJs... like Tiesto, PVD, Ferry - [Local NYC DJs] We're actually pretty descent DJs, we shouldn't be looked down upon. But I guess people just don't want to attend the smaller parties.
Whats is next up for you in both the near and far future?
For now I'm trying to get my sets to as many people as I can. I love spinning out, so for me its all about getting more gigs, making more gigs. I'm actually starting to try plan my own parties, I'm trying to bring in some international DJs, but for now its still in the planning stage. We're trying to gather some money so we can throw these parties. I have connections to Asia right now, my brother lives in Taiwan, he knows a lot of people in China and Taiwan, I'm trying to get over there as well the scene over there is actually really big. ...From what I've heard from friends, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, all those places, the scene is really big. I'm trying to meet more people internationally and trying to work my way over there.
In a perfect world what does the future hold for you?
Hopefully my hard work pays off and my productions eventually get released and more people notice me as an artist and i can get more gigs and DJ all across the globe. That's pretty much every DJs dream to DJ internationally and travel. Honestly its not even about making money, if I can make a living just being able to DJ and travel and support myself that would be perfectly fine.
You don't plan on moving to the suburbs, getting mini van, 2.3 kids, a dog and a white picket fence?
I love NYC too much to move to the suburbs, I'm from New Jersey I gotta a lot of love for NJ but NYC is where its at...
2/27/07
-Maurice Gomes
Zero Hour Radio |
