Candice McKenzie Interview with Vertex FM 2006 

Candice McKenzie the queen of Funky & Disco House. Candice tells Vertex FM about her thoughts on Internet Radio, why she loves her CDJ 1000 and her passion for 80s music

Candice McKenzie is from South East London, stands at 5ft 1 but is making a big impact in the House scene. With regular DJ sets around the UK, Candice has her sights set on international destinations such as France, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Russia,  Slovenia and Georgia to name a few

Where was your born?

London,UK

Where did you grow up?

SouthEast London

What style of music do u play?

Funky House and Disco

What music do you listen to?

House, Disco, Indie / bands Pop

What are you listening to at the moment?

Dimitri fromParis‘In The House of Love’ Graham Coxham’s Album

Who influenced you musically, growing up?

No one in particular, I listened to a bit of everything, Motown, Pop, Dance.  I liked Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Amii Stewart, Tina Turner, Kylie Minogue, Wham! Spandau Ballet… the list is endless.  I loved stuff from the 80’s.

How did long have you been DJing and how did you get into it?

I have been DJing 6 years.  I used to work inClarksthe shoe shop and one of my colleagues was a DJ.  We did a fashion show and he did a mix tape for it.   I was really impressed with the way that two records could be mixed together.  I asked him to teach me how to mix and he ended up lending me his decks so I could teach myself.

How would you describe your DJ style?

Sexy, Funky and Energetic

Tell us about some of the productions you have done?

I have done Two.  The first one is called ‘Body Music’ which I produced with Nick Abnett using the name Opposites Attract.  It is a Funky/Disco House track using a sample from The Strikers 1979 classic ‘Body Music’.  The second is called ‘I Can Read Your Mind which I produced by myself. 

It’s a lot harder than ‘Body Music’ but I really like it and I’m proud of what I have created.  I think that it is a tune more suited for the European market.  I will put it up on www.myspace.com/candicemckenzie shortly.

What do you guys think of theUKunderground scene in 2006?

It’s good, healthy.  I don’t really like calling things ‘Underground, Commercial etc’.  Sometimes a track or scene is classed as ‘Underground’ and is ‘Cool’ then it crosses over to the mainstream and suddenly it is ‘uncool’.  I don’t see why good tunes cannot be classed as just that, a good tune.  I don’t see why we have this separation, good music is good music!

What have been some of your favourite tunes of 2006 so far?

Brian Tappert ‘That Organ Track’, Bryon Stingily & Kimara Lovelace ‘About Our Love’, Solu Music featuring Kimblee ‘Fade’ (Grant Nelson’s Remix), my own productions.

Vinyl Vs CD. What are your thoughts on DJs who play CDs rather than vinyl?

At first I didn’t embrace the idea of using CD to mix as I thought it was taking away the traditional way of mixing.  When I started producing my own tracks it was easier to put it on to CD rather than get a dub plate pressed up so I had to learn how to use CD decks. 

I purchased a CD deck earlier this year and I have to admit I rather enjoy mixing on them.  If you get a good quality CD Deck like the Pioneer CDJ 1000 you can set it the same as if you were mixing vinyl.  I’m not against separate unit CD Players but I hate those dual CD players.

What do you think about the Internet/ Internet Radio and the affect it has had on theUKunderground?

I think that the Internet / Internet Radio has had a huge positive effect not just on the UK Underground scene but on the whole music scene in general. 

People are able to listen to music or check out singers, bands, DJ’s, producers etc from all over the world with site like Myspace or radio stations like Vertex and therefore this boosts music in countries or to new audiences that they never would have been able to reach.  I know that without the internet I wouldn’t have been able to reach the wide range audience that I now have.

Do you have any of your own tunes this year?

Yes, Body Music and ‘I Can Read Your Mind’.

What have you got planned for the rest of the year?

I will be Touring Europe again.   I already have bookings inFrance,Italy,RussiaandUkrainelined up.  I will also be spending a lot more time in the studio.  I would like to have completed at least two or three more tracks by the end of the year.

What do you think of the concept behind Vertex FM.?

I think Vertex FM is a great idea.  Internet radio stations are always great to play on as your set can be heard live anywhere in the world while with pirate stations your audience is limited.  Vertex is not just focusing on one style of music, many genres from House, Hip Hop to Drum and Bass will be played so there is something for everyone.

What can we expect from your shows on Vertex FM?

Great House Music and Classic Disco tracks too!  Gossip and information on the House scene, Competitions and CD give-aways.