Cape Town was abuzz last week with one of the best parties to take place this year. The good people of Hunter’s Dry threw a party like no other at Laguna Beach, a hotel with sweeping views of the Mother City. Chinas, as Hunter’s Dry consumers are often called, partied the night away on a beautiful Summer day.

Hunter’s Dry flew down some of the best bands, DJs and rappers to come entertain the lucky few. Artists such as AKA, Khuli Chana, GoodLuck, Gangs of Instrumental, JR left the crowd in awe with jaw-dropping performances. DJs Poppy from 5FM, Vigilante and our very own pH bumped some of the best beats this side of the equator.

To say this was a great party would be an understatement … Shout out to Hunter’s Dry for the great hospitality. And to our boy Thapelo Mokoena, the No. 1 China, we see you playboy .. keep doing your thang!

Kamza at work

Our friend Kamza, presenter, voice-over artist & 1/3 of  IV League, took time out of his busy schedule to give us insight into the things that inspire him to be successful. Kamza’s CV will make most workaholics blush. The young music aficionado has worked for numerous companies including M-Net, 5FM, SuperSport and for many voice-over clients. As if that’s not enough, he also forms part of IV League, the super production group that has produced big hits for the likes of AKA, Khuli Chana, PRO, Kabelo et al.

Read on to see what inspires this young Honcho ..

 The Hype Machine

I don’t listen to much radio. Much of the music lacks honesty. I have better conversations with my friends than the ones the DJ will try spark. That said, I do require a source of aural pleasure. I stumbled upon The Hype Machine after visiting a site I frequent quite a bit. On The Hype Machine I found all the music that was thriving in the “blogosphere”. Which is huge for me because I believe blogs are the modern day soapbox – so although highly subjective at most times, it’s “honest”. So I then found all the “honest” music that people relate to, giving a new-found appreciation for modern day music. Contrary to popular belief, there are still artists breaking boundaries and making it sound sonically simple whilst at it.

My peers

I work with some of the best talents – whether it’s Buks my enigmatic business and production partner from The I.V. League, or Romy Titus from SuperSport who has the savvy for sport and spirit of a hustler. I find that being surrounded by the best pays a certain kind of homage to ones own skill. And most of all it aligns people with the same high standards and aspirations, to one cause. And I reckon that can be applied to other spheres – not only the workplace.

www.DJTechTools.com

“Controllerism” is an awesome new scene in DJing where embracing a synergy of hardware and software is allowing more creativity in sets. I’m a technology fiend – so the marriage of music and tech excites me. The likes of Vestax, Novation and Native Instruments have made great strides in these fields, and with the advent of Serato and Traktor, this evolution contunes to gather steam. Ean Golden runs the above site and really is the embodiment of this movement. He’s consulted for the various companies involved in creating this tech and his passion just goes to show a person who respects his craft can soon be respected by the companies who create the tools for it. A young French producer Madeon recently showed just how much prep and care goes into making the sound commercially appealing. Albeit niche, I reckon this culture will catch on with time.

Television

Been involved in TV since I was 10 years old and since then, no matter where I’ve strayed, it’s been good to me. I’ve had to adopt a professional approach to work and my craft since then. And it’s stood me in good stead. In my humble opinion, there’s a higher standard in TV than other forms of media – even more so in sports broadcasting. It’s a billion rand industry so it’s understandable. So being a part of that machine and being given opportunities to increase ones imprint in the scene is a huge honour. The buck starts and stops with me. But in radio lousy DJs are rescued by highly competent compilers, the music comes to the rescue. I can’t hide behind highlights and first halves. And it’s that pressure to produce that both excites me and drives me.

Technology

As amazing as Apples recent numbers were, they didn’t really surprise me. What they’ve managed to do is make some of the worlds most desirable technology affordable. I try keep up as much as possible, but past purchases have shown me that with tech, you just buy what’s necessary because there’s just so much of it, but its not all practical. As more and more “lay” people increase their interest in “gadgets”, producers of it are pushed to innovate. Which brings us to my next inspiration…

Ideas

Nothing beats a good ass idea. When I started with The Essence on 5FM, innovating was my major driver. Just changing the scene and the status quo was a challenge I relished. I think I managed to inject new ideas and energy into radio at the time and I have much respect for people whose jobs it is to innovate on the daily. That sense of the unknown combined with that gut feel of possible success is a rare blend of thrill that innovators thrive on. I think we all have that one idea within us that could be a game changer – often the courage to pursue it doesn’t come in the same amount as the inspiration of the idea.

Music & The I.V. League

I know this would seem like a no-brainer but simply put, there is no bigger inspiration in my life than music. In the 26 years I’ve been around there have been some groundbreaking pieces of music that have been released. Couple that with all that came before and there’s a glut of great music to immerse oneself in. I guess I took the immersion even further by wanting to impose myself on the culture i.e. The I.V. League. Being on both sides of the fence (listener/producer) is an enriching experience – and being around to witness both the old and new only pushes us to make sure we illicit the same feeling in someone who hears a work of ours. The League is a nest egg for those involved – but before you assume it’s a financial one, let me clarify by saying that as musicians, the passion and commitment we put in it will reward us with the experience and satisfaction of having been a part of the genetic make up of modern day music.  One day

Johannesburg

“So if I make it here, I can make it anywhere” Those are the words of my good friend Kiernan Forbes on “Out Like That”. And those words sum up my feelings of the City of Gold. And before anyone abroad imagines Joburg as some war zone, it’s far from it. But it is a tough city where everyone is oft times after the same piece of the same pie.  So to stand out in this city you have to be special. And by stand out I don’t mean be a mainstay of the Sunday tabloids but rather just influence and inform popular culture in your own way. It’s no wonder that anyone looking to be someone tries to go through that metamorphosis in JHB. There’s a stage here but most times the audience wants nothing more than to be in your shoes. That’s a great driving factor for one to always stay on top of their game because there are so many people snapping at your heels.

Friendship

Kamza, AKA & Buks (IV League)

Quality over quantity informs this area of my life. I think social media to an extent has cheapened friendships but at the same time gone on to highlight which of them are genuine. And good friendships don’t exist only between friends. You could have one with your Mother, your cousin or your best mate from primary school. But at the end of the day it needs to be an enriching coming together of individuals that feeds the mind and soul. Good friends are your sounding board and need to be the most honest people in your life. That’s not always easy and possible, but I reckon preening ones list of friends is a lifelong journey.

“Go about your business quietly”

This mantra is one that drives my voyeuristic approach to social media. I think a lot of the time we spend so much time posturing to other people that we forget to just focus on what it is we need to do. And I think that’s why my love affair with Twitter came to a halt – spending so much time saying what you’re doing instead of just doing it makes no sense to me. I have respect for people who just go about their business and allow the success and achievements to speak for themselves. I’m wise enough to recognize how some use social media as a tool – it’s almost like a rap video that purports a life so far from its reality. And just like with those very rap videos, sometimes onlookers don’t have the ability to see through it. “Stealth wealth” is a concept I’ve believed in for the longest, but by my own admission, it’s not always easy to ignore the hype and get caught up in it.