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“Old friends ask me why I am still doing the same job, and why nothing has changed...”
could just click on a song and have a really good quality track and that I could have 2000 new songs every day.’ ? And how does Dave feel now that day has arrived? ‘Technology made it easy but maybe destroyed things too. But it’s still good. I love to use a computer to play music because I’m lazy!’ ? Dave spent years working in clubs but felt he could do more for the music scene here in Shanghai. From humble beginnings and a simple idea, UDance has come a long way and is reaching more and more listeners increasingly further afield. ? ‘Just playing in clubs was not enough. We needed more power so more people could listen. I had a one-hour radio show from midnight till 1AM on East Radio Station in ’99. From 2000 I started playing electronic music on 101.7 and we had to buy a big bag to hold all our fan mail because so many people were writing in! But my
boss said the music wasn’t good for them or for the government so I got kicked out from the radio station. It was 2002 and FM wasn’t working [for us] so I decided to use the Internet to make radio. I spoke to my now boss who was doing top 10 DJ parties all over China, and said we need to reach more people and get a channel, then one day he called me and said ‘OK David, let’s do this’.’ ? UDance has been running for nine years and is getting better reach than ever across China. ? ‘Before, people were just listening from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, places by the sea, but now we’re going inside China to places like Chengdu and Chongqing. My boss has been really supportive and we’ve been the only Chinese introducing dance music to China.’ ? From spending five minutes talking to Dave you realize he is wholeheartedly in love with what he does and passionate about his goal of spreading decent dance music to the masses. ? ‘The Shanghai underground scene is doing very well. Also Beijing and Guangzhou have cool people doing the same job, and making the parties more interesting with good music. They focus on the local DJs like we do. Right now in Shanghai there’s STD and many other groups doing a good job and I love to see this going on.’ ? So what’s the secret to making it as a DJ? ‘Be yourself,’ says Dave. ‘Make yourself happy. In your heart you are the best DJ because no one knows what music you like, but you know.’
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