The up and coming talent
Dickie DrysdaleFresh from Edinburgh, this new face to St Andrews was totally unknown. In the bubble of music that St Andrews maintains, there are a handful of well known DJs that seem to play all the gigs. Recommended by several people, Dickie Drysdale held several sets at the festival, each one truly exceptional. He was an unknown entity, his musical taste and DJing style totally different to the norm in St Andrews. A mixture of house, electro and breaks, Dickie's set was refreshing and very welcomed. His energetic and charismatic antics on stage won over the crowd and created the perfect party atmosphere, captivating everyone with his skills on the decks. Dickie, a regular on the Edinburgh club circuit, is definitely one to watch out for.
Cristiano Van ZellerA new comer to the St Andrews event scene, Cristiano hasn't had the same exposure as some of the other student DJs seen at the festival, but none the less he put on a great performance. His style features heavy elements of electro and his personal choice of minimal techno. There are not many DJs in St Andrews who deviate from electro house and whether you think it's good or a bad thing, variation is always highly welcome.
Cristiano holds a residency in Catch Beach Bar, situated at the start of West Sands in St Andrews. Every Thursday he entertains a full venue, playing bass heavy tracks that resonate throughout the two floors of the Ibiza reminiscent beach bar. What the future has in store for Cristiano, only time will tell, maybe he'll follow in the footsteps of previous St Andrews DJs and become a mini celebrity like others before him, notably Rory Mitchell, DJ Weatherbeats and James Matthews; or maybe he'll be content in staying for what is St Andrews deemed as an 'underground DJ'.
Over the past year in St Andrews, there has been one DJ in particular who has ascended to DJ fame. James Matthews has gone in one year, from being relatively unknown to one of the most in demand DJs in St Andrews. He used to hold a residency at The Lizard and this year has played a few nights in Mackays, but his main love is big events and the crowds they attract. Starting from a young age and getting his set of vinyl decks when he was 12, James' musical heritage rests with breaks and drum and bass. He then moved into house and electro, purchased a pair of CD decks, started breaking into the St Andrews scene and the rest, as they say, is history. Playing nearly every major last year, from the original Starfields to SF:08 and the May Ball, James has had widespead exposure.
One of James' talents is knowing how to read a crowd and give them what they want. He may
not have the onstage antics of someone like Dickie, but what he does have is an eye for what people want and is a master of controlling atmosphere. At Starfields Vanquish he played a house set that perfectly set the stage for Bodyrox and cemented his status as one of St Andrews premier DJs. Winning the St Andrews branch of the Corona DJ competition and coming second in the Scotish finals, James is rare talent for St Andrews and the prediction is that he will go very far indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment