EDJ Local Spotlight - WeRm by junglist247365, 05/08/10 01:55:10

WeRm INTERVIEW

Questions By: DJ Medicine Man

http://www.everydayjunglist.org/Werm/

EverydayJunglist: When did you first hear Drum & Bass music and how did you get addicted to it?

WeRm: I first heard dnb around 2000 when i first started to go to underground parties in Houston. I was actually into house music at the time and just started spinning and didn't really care much for dnb because all it was to me was just some loud, bass heavy music that i didn't want to listen to for long periods of time. I went to an AK1200 show with some friends that were dnb heads and AK dropped this vocal track that blew my mind. I later found out that it was SHY FX-"Shake Your Body" and it was the first dnb record it bought along with the infamous "Drowning." Since hearing that track I was hooked on dnb for life. I started to become a big fan of that loud, bass heavy music wanted to try and spread the word to people who were also on the fence about dnb.

EverydayJunglist: What led you to decide to become a DJ and who would you say has personally inspired you the most?

WeRm: A few of my friends actually bought their own decks and mixers and started spinning so i took an interest in it and began to practice with them back in 2002. Since I was younger I've always been able to understand music and how it works, so djing really almost came naturally to me. As I said I spun house at first, for about a year, then i got into dnb. I reeeeaaalllyyy sucked at spinning dnb at first but my ex-girlfriend bought a pair of Techniques and a Pioneer DJM 500 and coincidentally I lost my job about the same time. I spent the next couple of months just basically mixing all day. When I first started spinning dnb I was highly influenced by Dj Dara, Dieselboy, and AK1200. Then a homeboy put me on to Andy C and I was just blown away because I knew how he was doing some of those mixes and I just didn't think a human was capable of doing the things he was doing.

EverydayJunglist: What advice would you give to someone trying to establish themselves as a DJ in a world where DJ's are a dime a dozen?

WeRm: The best thing to do if you are new to the scene is to promote yourself and go to every event you can just so you show your face. Hand out mix cds and make sure its proper.

EverydayJunglist: How/when did you get involved with Purrin Lion Crew and what have you been involved with during that time?

WeRm: I got into Purrion Lion thru Brad Slack and Audio 3, local Houston DJs. They liked they way I mixed and introduced me to the other members of the crew and they asked me if I wanted to be crew and I accepted cuz I knew Purrin Lion was a well respected clue and still is. Unfortunately I started to ascend in the dj scene as the "rave" scene was on the descend. I didn't get a lot of bookings at first ,but I was in a badass crew with a group of solid djs and friends so i didn't care.

EverydayJunglist: Haven't you recently gotten a bit of a bug for Dubstep?..how did this come about and what is it that drew you to it?

WeRm: Ya the dubstep bug just came up and bit me in the ass out of nowhere. I actually didnt like dubstep at first but i went to a dubstep weekly here in Austin for a couple weeks in a row and I started taking a liking to it. I think it was the sound system in that club that allowed me to hear dubstep like its supposed to be heard....with as much bass as you can tolerate!

EverydayJunglist: Is production in your plans for your future and if so please "do" share..?

WeRm: Production has always been in my plans but has never really come to fruition. Honestly I've just never put forth the effort to buy the equipment necessary to start making tunes. Maybe one day I will just get the equipment and just lock myself in a room with some Ramen noodles and Kool-Aid, and not come out until I have a tune ready.

EverydayJunglist: You are known for your perfectly executed double drops and making it look easy, when did you first discover this "recipe" and how did it change your outlook on how you wanted to play DnB music?

WeRm: I vividly remember the first time I learned to double drop. It was with Roni Size-Snapshot(remix) & Dillinja-Twist Em Out. It really opened the door for a whole new way of mixing for me. Then, someone put me on to Andy C- Nightlife and through paying attention to his EQing and such I was able to polish my mixing style up to where it sounded clean when I double dropped. I love mixing the way I do, especially now since I've been able to pick up a third deck. Plus there is a lot of energy that mixing style brings that the crowd can feel and it reciprocates to me.

EverydayJunglist: Do you have a most memorable gig or something unique and funny that has happened while playing out?

WeRm: Opening for DJ Fresh in Houston was quite memorable and funny...I'll explain. After the show I brought one of Fresh's records over to him to sign. It was a white label so I of course had written the name of the track on the record and when I gave it to Fresh to sign, I go the record back with a signature and a spelling correction. It was pretty embarrassing that I handed the biggest producer in dnb at the time a records to sign and I misspelled the name of the track. Fail!

EverydayJunglist: What tracks have you and do you plan on keeping in your record bag for quite some time?(classics)

WeRm: Ed Rush, Optical, & Fierce-Alien Girl, Hazard & Dminds-Mr Happy, Pendulum-Vault, and although its a newer release Fresh-Heavyweight will not leave my bag for a long time.

EverydayJunglist: Discuss your position on the vinyl/digital djing debate..how do you think djing is changing in regards to..and what is your opinion of it all?

WeRm: I think that the digital era has its pros and conns. I mean its soooo much cheaper to buy digital compared to vinyl. I think that some of the digital programs out there take the fun out of djing and learning to dj by doing some of the work (i.e. beatmatching) for you. I can tell you that I will always spin vinyl although I have been playing around with some digital tracks lately. Plus there is no way I could spin the way that I do mixing digital tracks, whether its Serato or CDJs.

EverydayJunglist: What and whom are some of your influences (musically) outside of Drum and Bass music?

WeRm: I am into most types of music. I cannot stand Country, Smooth Jazz, or Ashlee Simpson. I listen to hip hop and rock the majority of the time I'm not listening to dnb or dubstep.

EverydayJunglist: There has to be a story as to how you became known as "WeRm"..are you willing to tell us about that?

WeRm: I was at a party one night and needless to say I was not sober. At some point, and this is before I started mixing, I declared myself DJ Tapeworm. When I actually learned to spin, the name stuck for a bit until I realized how retarded that name is so i shortened it and traded in the "O" for and "E".