DJ ERIK ANTHONY - The Interview

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DJ ERIK ANTHONY
twitch.tv/dj_erikanthony
instagram.com/djerikanthony

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1. What’s your real name and DJ Name?
Erik Gallisa – DJ Erik Anthony (1st + middle name)

2. How did you get into DJing?
I went to my first club when I was 14 in Puerto Rico so when I moved back to the States I wanted to go to clubs but had to get a fake ID. It was the clubs in SF that really got me paying more attention to the DJs since the scene in SF was going off in the early 2000s.

3. What inspired you to become a DJ?
I would listen to a ton of mixes online, or watch the few clubs that were streaming at the time and just got the itch. I bought a belt drive table and janky mixer from a pawn shop and just started messing around.

4. What do you enjoy most about DJing?
I love music. Being able to play it for hours at a time is a gift IMO. To me it’s an art form that isn’t appreciated by most but those that do really appreciate when you’re taking them somewhere or just making them feel a certain way. Connecting with others via music you like without even saying a word is pretty special. You can’t get that deep of an emotional connection with other art forms.

5. How would you describe your music style and what makes it unique?
Hmm. Others have described me as a Chicago-style DJ. I can’t say my skills are at that level but I was heavily influenced by Farina, DC, Diz ,and Heather so I guess that’s my style. I like to play a few different genres in my sets. Too much of the same thing is boring to me.

6. What has been your favorite gig or event to play at so far?
My first gig ever was ugly. I brought my own CDJs to a spot and couldn’t see the inputs I was plugging into so when I played my first track it was so over-amplified the crowd all turned to the booth and wanted me gone! I seriously wanted to disappear and never DJ again. It was a Salsa club too so no one wanted to even hear House. Fast fwd about a month later; I came back on a different night and finally had some people dancing with me. Those two taught me a lot about what not to do and how to bounce back. Other than that DJing on Twitch lately has been really rewarding. Being able to have the freedom and time to do whatever you want is pretty important to me.

7. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
The Beastie Boys, Biggie, Nas, ATCQ, DeLa, Bowie, Prince, early Santana, CCR, James Brown I could keep going but those stick out the most.

8. Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or releases you have coming up?
I’ve been really busy with being a single Dad and DJing is more of a hobby than a career right now. So I don’t really have any projects or releases. I’m just starting to mess around with production software so check back in 2024 😝

9. How do you stay up to date with new music and trends in the industry?
Having made a lot of online connections in the last 2 years got me closer to some people I knew about for a long time but had never met. Being on Twitch a lot and just being more “in a circle” so to speak keeps me more up to date than I ever was before.

10. What advice do you have for aspiring DJs?
Be patient. You don’t have to play a festival tomorrow. Take the time to craft your own style. Get your inspiration from others but don’t be a carbon copy. Don’t be afraid to reach out n ask people you look up to. I’ve found a lot of people are really approachable and happy to talk to you about music.

11. How do you think the role of a DJ has changed over the years?
I think the core of what the DJ does is still there. Expose people to new music, make them feel what you’re feeling etc. But the equipment you use, the way you can promote (online) and the sheer size of some of the events has made DJing a whole other thing that I’m not sure sticks to the “core” of what a DJ is supposed to do.

12. How long have you been streaming on Twitch?
About 1.5 years. A few of my first streams were totally silent, no outgoing audio. I don’t count those. Those would make it closer to 2 yrs I think…

13. Who are your favorite Streamers and why?
BeesusTheDJ, ShoesHouse, DJJayceeATL, DJMes, Ric Viera, LaceyIQ, HouseproudTV, DJ Heather have all held it down for the last 2 years.

14. Did covid and recent lock-downs influence you to start streaming on Twitch?
Absolutely. I’m pretty shy as far as performing goes. At the start of the pandemic/when I first got on Twitch I would say there’s no way I’d be streaming. But the extra time at home led me to practice more and eventually thought why not just give it a shot? I didn’t have a plan or schedule. I’d just turn on the cameras whenever I wanted to play some records. Then one night this guys Frank Amodo raids me when I’m playing records in my pajamas in the middle of the night and the rest is history 😁

15. Anything else you want to add? Good time to shamelessly promote yourself.
I just want to thank everyone that’s checked out my stream, helped with my set up, sent me music, and shared their promos, and everyone that’s reached out and offered their time when I was going through some stuff. And if you haven’t checked out the stream yet I’m on every Tuesday night from 7-10pm PDT.