DJ Jeffree aka Jeffree Attizado is originally from Vancouver but has been making an impact and the global scene for the past 3 years. Luckily for us he is back in Vancouver and has a new residency with Spundae which will be happening monthly in the city. Through his travels Jeffree has picked up a unique sound that has been making dancefloors happen ever since he got home. He has performed alongside world class DJs like Sasha, Carl Cox, DJ Dan, Mark Farina, Donalde Glaude, to metion a few. Jeffree creates an energy on stage that audiences will be coming to see for a long time to come.

INTERVIEW by Graham Robinson

What type of type of music do you play?

I would probably say progressive house but that crosses over into house, and trance, tribal, tech house. Pretty broad now and wide across the board.

Are you under any labels?

I play under progressive management and they basically handle my gigs here in Canada and overseas.

Why did you start DJing'?

It was mostly just playing for my friends; I enjoyed playing for my friends. It was just a natural progression to start playing parties and I just kept on going with it. I enjoy traveling and playing music so it allows me to do what I enjoy doing most.

What's been your biggest gig so far?

Maybe playing with Carl Cox for Subconscious 1 and 3. There have been some really good ones in Bali as well, some really epic moments outdoors. Next month will probably be one of my bigger ones playing for Spundae in LA. It will be a really good opportunity for me to break into the west coast scene in the States so I'm looking forward to that one.

Didn't you mention that you were going to be starting something here in Vancouver with Spundae?

Yah, I've been abroad for the last 3 years playing mostly in Asia and I've recently decided to come back to Vancouver, It's still my home. I've been looking for something here that would be worth putting energy into. So we've hooked up with Spundae out of San Francisco and we're now the Canadian agents for Vancouver and we'll be doing monthly events bringing in international acts. So that will be a monthly residency for me.

How long have you been a DJ?

Almost 7 years now.

How were you discovered?

I don't know that I was ever discovered, I think it was just like a natural progression, like I said. I just started out playing little gigs at cafe's and at house parties. Eventually, I just started playing out at parties.

The scene has definitely progressed since you first started. What do you think about that?

It's been neat to come back after 3 years and see how much the scene has grown and I look out now and it's a whole new generation of people out there dancing and partying.

What's your favourite record that you like to play?

There's a few Sonic Infusion- Reformatted, or Pete Heller- Stylus Trouble 'Sputnik'. I don't know I guess it just depends on what I am feeling and what the right moment is for playing that particular track.

Do have a play list or do you just read the crowd once you get up there?

Oh, definitely no play list. I mean I don't even know what I am going to play until the last DJ plays their last record. And then I decide whether I want to continue on with the energy they have created or start fresh. No I definitely play to the crowd, and try not to play the same set twice.

What has been your best DJ experience?

I think my best experiences have definitely been in Bali, the combination of the people and the environment. I mean your playing outdoors; I love playing the sunrise set, that's always been my sort of trademark. I mean they've been some good times; I've been going there for 3 years now. I think those have been my best experiences, not doing it for the money or for the fame, but just being out there and entertaining people and putting smiles on their faces.

What has been your best worst DJ Experience?

I mean you always try and take the bad ones with the good ones. But it always when there are problems with the sound system and you're struggling to try and fix it. If you are struggling with the sound system you can't really fully concentrate and put your creative energy into it. So anytime the sound system isn't quite up to par. I like to go and do a sound check every time I play to make sure I don't have to deal with those things before I go on but I don't think you ever come across too many sound systems that are perfect. So you just got to deal with it.

Do you prefer playing at clubs, or at bigger shows like raves?

I think they're different. I think my music now is more catered towards clubs; I've played a lot of clubs in Asia. I just like the fact that you are walking into an environment with one stage that usually has a good sound system. You have people's attention span more so than raves. Playing raves is exciting playing in front of 3 - 4000 people, and there is a definite energy created by the mass of people that are there. But I tend to like the smaller more intimate things, I like to play music that can be listened to as well as danced to, not just a pounding beat that people are going to go off to.

Future Plans?

Future plans are pretty straight and narrow. Start to produce music, that's why I moved to Vancouver. It's been something that I have wanted to do for over a year now it's really difficult to do that when you are travelling abroad and are without a base. So that's my main purpose for coming home, to promote myself but more so I can make a base for myself so I can start to produce music. That's really the natural progression for myself as well as all of my DJ friends who are here in Vancouver who started playing music at the same time as me. We want to start pushing our music because its something that no one can take away from us. Once we produce our own music it's going to progress the scene and people are going to accept it much easier than playing somebody else's records.

How do you compare playing overseas with playing here at home in Vancouver?

Completely different! I think that is one of the most enjoyable things about DJing and exposing yourself to new areas is that you can't rely on your records to affect the audience the same way they might in your hometown. You really do have to play to the crowd, and what works in one city might not work in another, you may discover new sounds and new energy. And being able to take that and experience it and take it to different areas really opens up your whole attitude towards music in general. It makes you become more versatile.

What are your feelings about the Momentum World Tour?

We did Momentum last year, and it covered most of Asia including Jakarta, Bali, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and that was awesome. It was an opportunity to just hop on a plane, go to the next destination and play the gig. It was a lot of fun.

How did you go from being a local DJ to where you are now, playing at the international level?

It's everyday waking up and wanting to do things different and try new ideas. I think there is no one way to do it, and I still have a lot to learn and a lot more to see. But as long as you wake up each morning trying to better yourself the only natural thing is to progress. The only reason why I had opportunities to play overseas is because I had a burning desire to travel. Because I thought to myself, if I want to travel it would be more fun to play music and there are certain things I have to do to promote myself, to network. It's been a learning process, I've made a lot of mistakes and I've been living like a starving artist but it's definitely had its perks and some experiences that I'll cherish forever. It's a constant progression; I think that anyone out there who wants to do it can do it as long as they want it bad enough.

Who have been your biggest influences?

I think definitely Sasha, Digweed, Dave Seaman, each time I have seen them live they have outdone my expectations in terms of music and direction. I think that staying on top of your music and always trying to be an innovator, and expose new sounds and new music is where it's at. I always try and keep on top of my music and sometimes that's not the easiest route. Sometimes people want something that is easier to listen to and is a little more commercial but I don't like to compromise. I think those guys really set the pace for the music scene and the direction that it's going. I definitely respect those guys and they have definitely inspired me.

How has your music style changed over the years, and did travel play a part in this change?

(Laughs) My music has changed a lot. I used to play really happy fun house before I left Vancouver but when I went to Tokyo that was probably the biggest change. You know morphing into hard house, because it's a totally different energy. My residency in Tokyo the club wouldn't open until 6 in the morning and it was a really raw environment and it changed my music. Coming back to Vancouver a lot of people couldn't understand that, because it was a different environment but like I said I've always tried not to compromise my music and I hope that my progress is something that sets me apart from other DJ's. I was playing a lot of Trance when I was in Bali and I've kind of moved on from that. I really like the style that I'm playing now it's progressive, it's a lot more versatile, it offers more house techno genres, a little hint of trance and tech house. It just makes me more versatile to play in different environments and different crowds.