JIZO:
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Where did you grow up? Where do you currently
live?
Tekneek: My real name is Tommy Lee (no
comparisons please hahhaha!) I was born in
Seoul, Korea but came to the U.S. at a very
early age. I lived in Los Angeles at the age of
4 and moved onto the east coast a few years down
the line. I spent most of my childhood in Philly
and Jersey. I then moved to Queens, New York at
the age of 12. By 18, I was heading south to the
destination of Houston, Texas. From there I
found my way into Dallas, in which I reside
currently.
JIZO: When and why did you decide to
become a DJ? Who inspired you?
Tekneek: While I was living in Philly, I
adopted a passion for Freestyle music. This
genre was very popular in major cities like New
York, Philadelphia & New Jersey (all of which I
had resided in). For those that don't know,
Freestyle music is a mix of 80's break beats
with New Wave style vocals. Very popular among
the Latin and Asian communities. This passion
led me to collect vinyl records. And that’s when
it all happened. But my love for music came way
before any of this. My father was a professional
drummer and my mother was a professional singer
and pianist. Musical talent was in the family
heritage. I sang in the school choir but never
picked up a musical instrument. But that didn’t
stop me from discovering my talent. I remember
when i was in New York, I used to stay up at
night and record live mixes from the local DJ’s
on Hot 97 like Red Alert & Funkmaster Flex on my
little purple boom box onto a cassette tape. I
would edit out the commercials and name drops
and try to make it sound like a whole continuous
mix tape without any interruptions. Then the
next day, me and my friends would compare our
edits to see which one of us did a better job
and play it outside at the park. We did this
every weekend( damn i wish I still had those
tapes). Anyway, this was when my love for music
developed. To think of it, THIS is what inspired
me to become a DJ. Listening to other DJs on the
radio mixing it up and getting me and my friends
hyped....that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to
be on the other side of that radio. Inspiration
came within.
JIZO: Is there really a big difference in
style between DJ's based on their geographic
location (i.e.: Westcoast vs. Eastcoast)?
Tekneek: No. A true DJ should always
adopt to his or her environment. The geographic
location should not make a DJ. The uniqueness
and different style is what matters most. That
is why I specialize in "Mash Ups". This genre
gives me so much freedom to experiment with
music far beyond what’s capable that it actually
opens people’s eyes to the scene. I have had
many people tell me that they NEVER paid
attention to the Dj at clubs and parties until
they heard me spin. Its quite a compliment. I
mean, if you heard a Dj drop Bryan Adams "Summer
Of 69" mixed with Bloc Party at the peak hour at
a club wouldn't you pay attention?
JIZO: Who was your favorite DJ when you
started djing? What other DJ or DJ's do you
currently admire the most?
Tekneek: Wow...this is a hard one. I
can't really say I have a favorite DJ. I grew up
listening to Funkmaster Flex, Kid Capri, Dj
Green Latern, Dj Clue, Red Alert, Dj Enuff, the
list goes on and on. As in the ones I admire...I
have to give major props to Q-Bert and Mix
Master Mike for blowing up the turntablism
scene. Those are 2 of my idols. I also gotta
give props to Dj Z-Trip for pioneering the Mash
Up genre. You can learn a lot from this guy.
JIZO: What would be your definition of a
"bad mix"?
Tekneek: A bad mix can consist of 2
things. One of course is the "Train Wreck". This
is when a Dj plays two tracks at the same time
that sounds like a total disaster in conclusion
makes you shake your head in utter
disappointment. Also the "WTF" look might be
visible lols. The other is when a Dj forces or
tries to hard to blend two tracks to make it
sound as one. This doesn't always work and the
outcome will be a "bad mix".
JIZO: What do you think about while
you're spinning for a party?
Tekneek: I am very focused on my music
whenever I spin. I always read the crowd and see
what works for them. I usually experiment early
with the music to see what people like or don't
like. By peak time (usually midnight) I have the
crowd read and take that to the next level. The
goal as a Dj is to slowly build up and generate
energy throughout the crowd and to leave them
wanting more at the end of the night.
JIZO: What do you enjoy doing while
you're not spinning?
Tekneek: I try to come up with fresh new
mixes and mash ups whenever possible. These are
like my arsenal of weapons as a Dj. I have to
stay on top of things and bring fresh mixes to
my venues. Besides that, I like to workout,
drive fast, play my xbox360(hey, im only a guy
hahahha), go to the shooting range and
shop(honestly, there is nothing better to do in
Dallas lols). Oh, I also forgot to say I love
spending time with my dog Bentley
JIZO: Last time I talked to you, you were
actually DJ'ing full time and making a living
out of it. How difficult was it for you to get
to that point in your career?
Tekneek: It took a lot of motivation and
devotion. Not every Dj can make a living off
just working 12-16 hours a week. I have been
blessed with the people I have met and the
opportunities I have been given. All I did was
embrace it.
JIZO: What would you like to achieve
next?
Tekneek: I would love to get hired for a
gig outside the U.S. and of course achieving
radio airplay. After that, doing cameos for
movies and TV. spots hahahahaha!
JIZO: Do you really hate eating fish?
Tekneek: The only fish I like is Sushi. I
can’t stand the smell of fried fish or eating
it. Also all those little bones are annoying as
hell when you’re trying to eat it. Sushi is the
BOMB!!!
JIZO: Thank Mr. Tekneek and keep on
rocking the DFW club scene.
Tekneek: No, thank you for having me. =)
