Review on My First Month as a DJ
Intro
I currently live in Bangkok, Thailand, and started DJing this year.
My first DJ performance was on October 24, 2025, at Goja in Bangkok Phrakanong. Thankfully, the more I did DJ, the more I got new opportunities. Since then, I was getting DJ gigs every week. I’m writing down what I found through my first month as a DJ, and what I plan to do going forward.
My DJ Style
As I wrote in this article, Tinzo was the reason I decided to start DJing. Influenced by how she builds her world, I resolved to become a House DJ. That was around May this year. I began by digging into the tracks and artists she plays. On top of that, I took an approach mixing in UK/EU House, Garage, Electric, and other Dance Music I already loved. My track selection centered around BPM 120-128. I deliberately incorporated not just tracks built on short loop repetitions, but also ones featuring outstanding multi-minute instrumental performances and vocal overdubs. I challenged myself to control energy through the narrative flow within the tracks themselves, rather than relying on drop-driven structures.
Wanting to preserve the original tracks’ dopeness, I often mixed using only EQ and volume control, minimizing loops and Color FX.
On the other hand, I heavily incorporated mashup techniques during mixing. I focused on finding perfect melodic harmonies between tracks, using long mixes to carry the attack of the drums into the next song, and emerging out the new texture from the tracks being mixed (because of this, I tend to be very particular about mix points, and my mentor DJ Toru has advised me, “You should play the same track a bit longer”).
What I Learned from DJing
My previous live experience before becoming a DJ was limited to band gigs and beat live performances. It means that I’d only ever performed in situations where I played my own songs and had a core audience coming specifically to see me.
DJing, on the other hand, is different. Partly because I have no career as a DJ though, it’s natural that there’s almost no audience specifically there to see me. Fundamentally, DJ’s role is to be the musical manager responsible for creating a good atmosphere, rather than expressing out myself. Because of this, I realized how important it is to imagine what kind of event it is, what kind of atmosphere the venue has, and what kind of people will be attending – and to prepare a setlist to some extent in advance. This is a process I hadn’t really prioritized before. I also learned that even after arriving at the venue and during the DJ set itself, the skill to observe the crowd and adapt song selection and mixing on the fly is essential. Since I, as an audience, was the type who cared more about effects and mixing skill (which is why I preferred pre-planned sets over improvisation), this was a fresh lesson.
However, I also learned that if I maintain smooth, error-free mixing and intentionally control the energy, a certain level of heat builds in the space, and people will start dancing.
About Track Selection
For my DJ sets, the track type ratio was roughly 90% House (BPM 120-128) and 10% UK Garage/Electronica (BPM 135-140). I played UK Garage/Electronica partly because Garage has always been a personal favorite genre, and partly because I felt (within my limited observation) that songs with that faster BPM were trending, so I wanted to try it out.
As a result, I got more noticeable reactions when mixing Garage. I also got feedback several times from young people working at bars and clubs who see various DJs daily, saying they preferred the faster ones.
Honestly, in Bangkok, House music is everywhere, and I think there are tons of DJs. I’ve also gotten feedback like, “I think a lot of young people feel House is old music.”
I don’t care if the House I like is old or new — I just like it, so I’ll keep digging deeper. But going forward, I plan to increase the ratio of my DJ sets featuring faster BPM Garage tracks.
Bangkok’s DJ Scene for Newcommer
There are plenty of places, mainly bars, hosting open-deck events. You’ll find that just connecting with one DJ in Bangkok can open up many opportunities. Some venues will even let you play right away if you bring a USB.
However, it’s important to note that some venues merely install DJ equipment without any further commitment. In such places, customers may only want quiet background music and have no desire for live DJ sets, while the staff themselves may show little interest in music.
Of course, the sound systems at these places are what they are, but I think it’s a fantastic environment where you can easily get chances to perform in front of people. I think everyone agrees that DJs should play at venues that match their style, but it’s incredibly valuable that there are places where unknown newcomers can gain experience.
Future Challenges
Next year, I plan to restart producing tracks.
It’s been about 6 years since I last produce my music, so it might take some time at first. But the more time I dedicate to DJ and music, the more motivation and ideas come up. I want to make them real.
Frankly, What I wanna do is to have fun, which is not only DJing but also creating something new.
Playing DJ sets with my own tracks which are already out there can become a reason to come and listen my live. I enjoy suggesting new things to people, and of course, I want my friends to come.