Phanganist Speak to Snake DJ

Artur, from Russia, is Snake DJ. Mixing in a variety of styles using vinyl turntables, we catch up on his latest ventures…. Snake DJ will be playing alongside DJ Chubis at Phanganist Hostel’s event tonight…..

Snake DJ great to see you. What's your Koh Phangan story?

I moved to Koh Phangan in 2014. Almost 3 years ago in January. I’d been here one time before, again in January. I came here for a holiday. After that decided to change all of my life.

I close all of my business. I finish all my deals. Sell all my stuff. After that I move to Koh Phangan.

How do you like living here?

100% I enjoy my life. It’s really a paradise island. A place where people can really enjoy their life. They stay pretty much close to the nature. They can meet a lot of gorgeous people, cool people. It’s not simple place. It’s a place where the beach connects a lot of people from all the world, not just simple people, special people, creative people

Many of my friends, we met here before and after the first time here, Koh Phangan stayed inside their heart. They want to come back here. It’s not a simple place.

Koh Phangan it’s my real home. I feel really at home. It’s a feeling from my soul.

Which parties have you played at?

When I moved here my dream was to start to be a DJ on Koh Phangan. The first parties I started to play at were at the Full Moon Sunrise Resort in 2014. At the same time I was also playing at my friend’s bar One Love bar.

After that, I think it was in Dec 2014, one of my friends invited me to work in Amsterdam bar.

So from that time I start to work in Amsterdam bar and feel the moment. I do some sunset sessions. In high season I’m playing almost everyday from 5 o’clock till 8.

This place is my favourite place because there you can really enjoy your life. You’re playing in one of the best places on Koh Phangan with one of the best views of the sunset. So you can play your lovely tunes and enjoy the sunset too.

Where did you DJ name come from ?

I used my nickname of 11-12 years. After that some French guy became famous by rap music and after that I must change a little bit my name. I simply moved ‘DJ’ after ‘snake’.
 

Ah… so, you’re not a DJ for snakes?

No! Ha ha ha. 

Yes, I like snakes but my nickname was created before.  I used to do graffiti. So, my nickname came from this. Maybe 15 or 20 years ago.

All my friends were calling me snake - like, hey snake - so then it became my DJ name.

How did you start DJ-ing?

I started DJ-ing in the year 2003. The first time it just was for fun. I was a teenager. It was cool at that time. There was famous hip hop music and DJing was famous also.

The first thing was I started learning how to scratch.

I had one friend who had already DJ’d for 5 years so I asked him to teach me. He said “okay, no problem”. He had turntables before I bought some myself. So, after that, the next year in 2004, I bought some myself but not Technics - Vestax. Vestax they cost around the same (as Technics) but are a different company.

So, after that I start learning how to do the scratch, how to mix the tunes and from that time I really like drum ‘n’ bass music. It was my favourite genre. I bought my first vinyls in drum ‘n’ bass. After that I start to learn how to mix drum ‘n’ bass tunes. My friend before played only house music so he couldn’t teach me this.

In 2004, it was my first time when I start to play parties.

It was a small party. Kind of like a school party. All my friends invited me and I just played. After that I played many times at the same parties. The next year 2005, I joined with one more of my friends to play also drum ‘n’ bass tunes. So we create our promotion group.

At this time we start to do ourselves drum ‘n’ bass parties - private parties- we sell tickets for the real drum and bass lovers. Not for everyone. After that we start to invite many famous Dj’s - Aphrodite, DJ Fresh, Jon B, Terry Hooligan, Chrissy Chris and many more.

Also, I created my own tunes around the same time in 2002. I had before some releases on Juno downloads record label. So, around 2009-2010 I had a few single releases, EP’s, and at that time one of those releases was in the 8th place of the top 100 selling in the world!

What’s the name of the track?

Aerosoul by Snake and by this tune the people can find more.

It’s under the same name I have now so people can find it, from 2009/2010.

Did you have another profession before you did DJing?

I was a sound engineer. In televisions and radio stations. I did  advertising. I was also the sound engineers for television and radio stations.

I did some promotions - created the music for some TV programmes. From 2004 - 2010.

From 2010 I changed my profession to a designer.

What kind of designer?

Art designer. Before it was polygraphic and now it’s web pages.

Designer of everything. Posters, menus, brochures. Now I’m doing only web pages. For me, it’s more fun from the web pages now. I really enjoy when I’m creating a design for a web page.

All my jobs in life came from my hobbies. So now my hobby is DJing and my job is web design.

How do you want people to feel when they listen to your sets?

Before they leave, people come up to me and thank me. They ask about my soundcloud, my FB. They really enjoy them. As it’s sunset time. Usually for these sets it’s deep house some progressive house, some techno tunes sometimes.

Coming up, I’m going to make some parties with my friend Jack from Ku Club. One of the best place for famous artists from England. From England there has been Goldie, DJ Hype, DJ Fabio, Leroy ex-prodigy. Many many famous artists there. From 28 / 29th Dec it will open again for high season.

There they have also Tiki bar, that place I’m usually playing each half moon, full moon and jungle warm up.

Leave us with your DJ Philosophy?

My DJ philosophy is that DJ’s must love the music.

I think, DJing not have any rules. But one of the most ‘rule-like’ things is that you must love the music. The music is energy. The love is energy. When you play the music you are spreading the love for the people. You are spreading your mood. After that they are giving it you back in feedback and after that you are retaining this energy.

You must love what you do.