Featured Base DJ – Zeb Beall

 

This week’s featured DJ is Zeb Beall from Friday night’s Close Encounters. He’s been laying down the beats here at Base for 5 years now but this week is his last show before he leaves us for that DJ stealing seductress, Melbourne. He was kind enough to sit down this morning and answer these questions after a massive weekend. Make sure you tune in Friday from 8 – 10pm this week to catch what is guaranteed to be a memorably dope show. Make sure you txt in some love to 379 during the show and we’re sure he’ll give the love right back.

 

When and how did you get into DJing?

I had been snowboarding in Queenstown every winter for a few years and regularly saw Downtown Brown and loads of other QT DJs spinning at Tardis and thought it looked fun. I’ve always been into music and grew up in a house where music appreciation was encouraged. So, upon returning to AK one spring my good friend Kerry Peck basically locked me in his tiny room for 2 weeks with ten crates of records and a DJ setup. It rained every single day that fortnight so I made a minidisc mix of tunes everyday and the DNB ones had the most impact on me. Shortly afterwards Kerry took me to see DJ Friction at Fubar and I was instantly hooked.

 

When did you start DJing at Base?

A friend of a friend gave me Bridge’s number and said to call her if I wanted to play on the radio. I trialled during someone else’s show very late on a Sunday night about 5 years ago and slowly chipped away the days of the week to finally end up on Friday nights.

 

What song got you out of bed this morning?

I’m currently on Danny’s (2 Chains) couch and haven’t heard any music yet but the first thing I’m probably gonna listen to is Roska’s essential mix from 2010. Been banging that for days.

 

Favourite show on Base?

Well I have to say Sandy Bay Social Club Friday Night Take Out. Those boys have been so nice to me the last couple years and they always have the freshest new riddims (even if they do steal the first ten minutes of our show every week).

 

First record/CD/tape cassette you ever bought?

First record I think was either Black Flag – The First Four Years or The Smiths – Meat is Murder. Pretty sure I got them on the same day. But I remember frothing over Guns n Roses – Appetite For Destruction on cassette when I was 11 and in 3rd form I started listening to NWA – Straight Outta Compton on a dubbed cassette.

 

Top 3 concerts/gigs you’ve experienced?

This is tough to answer but Gorillaz was amazing. Snuck into The Eurythmics at Western Springs when I was 9 which was rad. Seen so many DJs over the years it’s too hard to say really . Technically speaking Kentaro was the best I’ve seen and vibes wise I would have to say Calibre or D-Bridge.

 

Guilty pleasure?

Olives, I could eat them all day, any kind.

 

Michael Jackson or Prince?

Love them both, pity one couldn’t have been a woman so they could have a baby.

 

What would you save in a house fire?

Family and pets, everything else is just stuff.

 

Worst job you ever had?

As a teenager I worked in a horrible engineering workshop making seemingly endless amounts of sewing machine stands and curtain housing brackets. Did about 6 years of scaffolding too which literally had its ups and downs (pun intended) mostly though it is a backbreaking bitch of a job with little to no job satisfaction

 

What track do you open with to revive a dying dance floor?

Depends on the night and the crowd, something everybody knows is always a good start in that situation, I pride myself in being quite good at reading crowds and people in general really. A big vocal tune or aim something firmly at the ladies, if they start dancing the boys will follow. That’s DJing day one shit right there though.

 

Favourite holiday spot?

Anywhere that has good skate spots, good people, good weather, and good times. I’m pretty easy to please if I’m getting out of a routine.

 

Best music festival in New Zealand?

I had an amazing time at Phat ‘07 but to be honest I haven’t really been to a lot of the other ones so I can’t really comment fairly. I kinda prefer to see DJs in a more intimate club environment instead. They go deeper into the groove in clubs.

 

What do you do for fun when you’re not DJing?

Skateboarding, teaching myself music production.

 

What’s your proudest achievement?

There a few things I’m quite proud of. Winning the NZ Skateboarding Nationals in 2002, 2nd place at the Vans World Amateurs in Arizona 2003 and just recently I graduated from SAE with a diploma in Audio Engineering which I’m amazed I accomplished, never passed a single thing throughout my school years. Didn’t even get school certificate.

 

And lastly…. what’s next?

I’m moving to Melbourne in 7 days to give my music a real nudge this year, I need a new environment to stimulate and motivate me to take it to the next level and I’m very excited about the unknown and the opportunities and possibilities to grow. I just wanna say a huge thanks to Jazz and Dylan for giving me an opportunity to play music to people on Base FM each week and for encouraging me to expand my musical horizons by playing a broad range of music. Also a massive thanks to my homie Danny 2 Chains who hated some of the stuff I played but he believed in what I was doing regardless and for that I am forever grateful. We have both become better DJs by going through that process and I wish him all the best for his own endeavours. I’m very sad to be leaving Base FM as it has been the best 2 hours of my whole week for the last 5 years and 8-10 on Friday nights will always have a special place in my thoughts for the rest of my days.. Big up Base FM family/crew/supporters its been a blessing for me to be a part of such a dope bunch of humans. This week is my last show and I am going out guns blazing with an extended show pulling out all the big tunes we have championed over the years..!!!

Thanks and love to everyone that tuned into my show each week..

Don’t really know how to finish this so I’ll just say ” catch you’s up ” JAH bless!!!!

 

Get more Zeb in your life:

Soundcloud
Mixcloud
vimeo
Twitter
Facebook (motion tracker)
Facebook (Zeb)