1. CHAT
RAH
Allow us to introduce you to the
newest member of the Darker
Than Wax family – DJ RAH!
Folks like Dean and Kaye are
known for their flawless taste, so if
you don’t trust our assertions on
RAH’s immense dopeness, you
should at least take their word for
it. But while she’s new to the DTW
stable, RAH has actually been
around our grimy bass scene since
the Exitmusik days. She’s quickly
gone from a fan to a fan-favourite,
showcasing her hood-wise brand of
old school hip-hop and deep drum
& bass at legit music-first venues
such as Blu Jaz, Home Club and
Broadcast HQ. RAH’s the kind of
DJ that gets miles better every set,
so we decided to chat her up before
she gets too big for us to catch.
rah-present
Text Hidzir Junaini
Image Farah Azizan
43
Hi Farah! So tell us, how did you get your
start DJing?
Yo ! My interest with electronic music and
drum & bass spawned from random weekends
at Mad Monks, now known as Home Club, and
the defunct Guerilla and Exitmusik events circa
‘06—’07. A few close friends were already
spinning, and we all shared the same interest in
music, so there was always that influence – I’d
mess around with turntables and had opendecks
sessions. I’m fortunate to have had people like
DJ Nez, who helms the monthly drum and bass
nights +65 at Home Club, showing me the ropes
on DJing and music.
How would you describe your style?
Essentially black, beats and bass! It’s mostly
low-end, left-field hip-hop, drum & bass, with
the occasional Balearic, Afro-Brazilian percussion
based stuff.
Who were your biggest influences in music?
I listened to a lot of the ‘90s R&B and hip-hop like
Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Fugees, Darkchild’s stuff
– the 808 sound. I’m still big on melodies and
catchy hooks, even in my EDM selections.
As someone who’s spun all over the place,
could you fill our readers in on some of your
personal favourite event nights?
Gladly! Darker Than Wax have recently adopted
me to be part of their family, which is awesome,
because I have always loved their sound and
events – like Beats and Beyond at Broadcast
HQ, unassumingly located in the gritty depths
of Rowell Road. It’s got lovely brick walls, and a
crazy smoke machine. A perfect backdrop to the
night’s nice, spaced-out and future funk vibes.
There’s also an inner raver in me that is always
unleashed with drum & bass, and I always get
my fix at +65 at Home Club. I also like Syndicate
because they’ve always got a Beat Invitational
session earlier during the night. We’ve got quite
a pool of talented producers roaming our little
island, so that’s a great platform!
Describe your first ever gig! Where was it?
And how was the experience?
My first gig was in December 2009, at an all-
girls edition of Good Times at Blu Jaz, a wicked
monthly party organised by a couple of friends. It
was alongside the FFF Bootcamp girls, Cherry
Chan, Natalie Pixiedub and Pamm Hong (aka Suki
Quasimodo, also my other half in Hirahki). I was
a nervous wreck, but somehow managed to pull
through, and it ended up being a really fun night!
What do you consider to be the most
important ingredient of a good set?
Steady hands. (Laughs)
There’s been a lot of good quality female DJs
coming up lately. What do you attribute that
too?
The Internet and technology are making it
very accessible. A lot of music is free, through
Soundcloud and Bandcamp, and now you can play
your music out through different channels besides
the conventional turntables and vinyls such as
CDJs, Serato and Ableton. Also, with courses
like FFF Bootcamp dedicated to educating
females who are keen to learn about electronic
music and production. I think that the “girlfriend
camaraderie” plays an important role in
encouragement as well.
We won’t name names but there are a few
female DJs out there who aggressively
market their sexuality. In your opinion, is that
a smart or demeaning move?
I think anyone, regardless of whether you’re a
DJ or not, aggressively marketing their sexuality
is distasteful – it’s all about the subtleties. The
girl who has her sh*t together behind the decks,
knowing which knobs to turn, is way more
inspiring. And sexy!
What would be your advice to aspiring female
DJs?
Listen to good music. Share the good music. And
have fun playing them out!
soundcloud.com/rah_sg