OUTPOST1 Mixtape and Interview: MikeQ

Sup it’s Mycon and KC. This is the third Outpost1 mixtape, created by none other than DJ MikeQ, whom we’re very excited to say will be visiting us this Friday at the Fuze Box, to have fun wrecking the club with Deep Children, Party With Tina and Dwell.

Not only that, but KC interviewed him. I love Mike’s answers and can’t wait to meet the man. Check it out beneath the jump and show love this Friday!

KC Meets MIKE Q

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In the game since: 2004

Can you tell us a little bit about the history of vogue culture; or at least your introduction or spin on it? Tell us a little bit about how you arrived at your signature sounds and how you became a part of the scene?

WELL FROM WHAT I KNOW, BALLROOM/VOGUE STARTED IN JAIL BACK IN THE 60’S I BELIEVE, THEN THAT TURN IN TO HARLEM DRAG BALLS AND SO ON AND SO FOURTH. MY INTRO TO BALLROOM WAS IN OCTOBER OF 2003 AFTER MY VERY 1ST TIME GOING OUT TO A CLUB WHERE I HAD 1ST SEEN VOGUE AND HEARD THE MUSIC, BUT I HAD NO IDEA HOW HUGE BUT UNDERGROUND THE BALLROOM SCENE WAS. THAT 1ST TIME CAUGHT MY INTEREST WHICH LED ME TO LOOKING FOR MORE OF THIS MUSIC, AND WANTING TO HEAR MORE OF IT LED ME TO CREATING IT.

With the ballroom/vogue scene on the rise, how do you feel about the future of the genre as other producers begin to experiment with the sound? There’s no doubt that the recent write-ups in xlr8r perked the ears of many new listeners to ballroom sounds and scene but also to your music directly. What’s it been like in the couple months following that feature?

PERSONALLY BECAUSE I LOVE THIS MUSIC SO MUCH I LOVE HEARING WHAT DIFFERENT PEOPLE CAN DO WITH IT, BUT IF YOU’RE GOING TO DO IT, IT HAS TO BE RIGHT, OF COURSE YOU CAN USE THE SAME SAMPLES, BUT YOU’D DEFINITELY HAVE TO KNOW BALLROOM TO DO THIS, BUT I DO FEEL IT’S A GREAT THING ABOUT TO HAPPEN WITH THIS AND I GUESS I HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THE LEADERS ON THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT AFTER THAT XLR8R WRITE-UP AND A FEW OTHERS I’VE JUST BEEN TRAVELING SOO MUCH, LIKE MY NAME IS ON THE RISE AND I LOVE IT, NEVER EXPECTED IT, BUT LOVE IT.

What are you listening to these days? How do you remain inspired and creative while touring the
country fairly extensively?

WHAT I LISTEN TO DEPENDS ON WHAT IM DOING, MAINLY IM USUALLY IN A LAID BACK CHILL MODE SO I LISTEN TO A LOT OF 90’S HIPHOP & R&B, SLOW JAMS, EVEN SMOOTH JAZZ WHICH I JUST ABSOLUTELY LOVE. I ONLY LISTEN TO BEATZ & HOUSE IF IM OUT ON THE STREET WALKING WITH MY IPOD, IN THE CLUB PLAYING IT MYSELF OR CREATING IT. MY MAIN INSPIRATIONS JUST COME FROM OTHER PEOPLE VOGUING TO IT, I ALWAYS PICTURE SOMEONE DOING SO WHEN IM CREATING OR JUST WHATEVER I FEEL IS “NASTYYY LOL..

If you could DJ anywhere in the world, where would it be and who would you like to split a set with?

WOW, THIS IS TOUGH, LIKE RIGHT NOW ANYWHERE OVERSEAS WILL DO ME JUST FINE, LIKE LONDON OR SOMETHING, THAT WOULD BE COOL AND IVE ALWAYS HAD DREAMS OF PLAYING IN FRONT OF LIKE 20’000 ALTHOUGH AS SHY AS I AM I DUNNO HOW ID DO THAT…. AND DEADMAU5 WOULD BE COOL TO SPIN WITH AS HIS PRESENTATIONS ARE EVERYTHING!!!!! BUT YOU KNOW ALSO JUST MY FRIENDS WHICH WOULD MAKE IT MORE FUN FOR ME LIKE KINGDOM, VJUAN ALLURE, TOTAL FREEDOM, NGUZU..

Do you remember the first party or event you played? How shitty was it? What did you learn from it?

THE VERY 1ST TIME I PLAYED BY MYSELF WAS THANKSGIVING NIGHT 2005 IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I WAS NERVOUS AS SHIT BUT I WAS THE ONLY ONE AVAILABLE TO DO THIS, IT WAS AT THE LEGENDARY CLUBHOUSE UPTOWN IN HARLEM, THE ONLY SHITTY PART ABOUT IT WAS THAT IT WAS MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY AND THEN I HAD TO LIKE GO DEEP IN BROOKLYN TO GET THE CD PPLAYER AND MIXER THEN UPTOWN AND TO MAKE IT WORSE IT WAS LIKE THE COLDEST NIGHT EVER! I JUST LEARNED TO BE MORE COMFORTABLE THOU AS BEING ALONE ON THE TABLES WASN’T TO HARD. AS FOR SHITTY SITUATIONS!!! LET’S SAY ONCE I A CLUB DJ’N WITH “1 SINGLE HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM CD PLAYER, AND AT ANOTHER LOCATION WITH 1 CD PLAYER AND 1 DVD PLAYER… WHAT DID I LEARN? GET SERATO!!!!! LOL.

How organized is your personal music collection? What was the first piece of music that you bought that you can remember?

IT’S GETTING THERE, MY CDS WAS ALWAYS ORGANIZED BUT MY COMPUTER FILES WERE A MESS WHICH I HAVE JUST STARTED ORGANIZING IN JANUARY 2010 WHEN I GOT SERATO. I MUST SAY I CANNOT REMEMBER THE 1ST PIECE OF MUSIC I BOUGHT. OR THE LAST….

What’s your favorite drink?

I ACTUALLY HATEEEEE ALCOHOL ITS DISGUSTIING, I DRINK IT.. BUT ITS LIKE A BEER AND MAYBE A SHOT OF SOMETHING, COCKTAILS OF ANY SORT ARE A NO NO, THAT’S TOO MUCH DISGUSTIING LIQOUR TO DRINK. MIKEQ IS MORE OF A SMOKER…..

What’s your favorite part of DJing and producing? Your least favorite?

MY FAVORITE PART OF DJING IS BASICALLY PLAYING AND MIXING MUSIC, ITS SUCH A HIGH TO HEAR SOME THUMPING ASS BASS AND PERFECTLY MIXING IT WITH ANOTHER TRACK AND BEING KNOWN FOR IT.. LEAST FAVORITE PART OF THAT WOULD BE PEOPLE, JUST REGULAR PATRONS OF THE CLUB HAVING ACCESS TO ME AND FUCKING WITH ME THE ENTIRE NIGHT WHEN THEY CLEARLY SEE IM BUSY, LOL. FOR PRODUCING I JUST LOVE BEING ABLE TO CREATE WHAT I WANT TO HEAR ONLY THING I HATE ABOUT THAT IS NOT ALWAYS BEING ABLE TO GET AN IDEA OUT WHEN I WANT TO, MOST OF MY MUSIC I PUT OUT WAS A MISTAKE OR JUST A RANDOMLY TRYING SOMETHING.

How do you combat boredom? What do you do when you’re not making or playing music? When
you’re traveling, how do you like to pass the time en route?

WHEN IM NOT MAKING OR PLAYING MUSIC, IM LISTENING TO IT! I LISTEN TO IT WHEN I TRAVEL, WHEN I WALK, SLEEP, ANYTHING IT CONSUMES MY LIFE.

Tell us a little bit about your experiences running Qween Beat!

WELL QWEEN BEAT IS JUST A TEAM, NOT LEGALLY A LABEL (YET) IT DIDN’T START AS A TEAM, IT STARTED AS A NAME FOR ME TO PUT MY MUSIC UNDER, “QWEEN BEAT (BEATZ FOR THE QUEENS) THEN ONCE I STARTED PRODUCING FOR MY FRIEND AND BALLROOM COMMENTATOR GREGG EVISU, IT BECAME WHAT IT WAS AND NOW IM UP TO 12 MEMBERS INCLUDING MYSELF. BASICALLY MY VISION FOR THIS IS BASICALLY TO SCOOP UP ALL THE NEW BALLROOM MUSICAL TALENTS AND I HAVE ASKED EACH MEMBER PERSONALLY TO BE APART OF IT RIGHT NOW IM THE ONLY DJ BUT WE HAVE PRODUCERS, COMMENTATORS WHICH ACTUALLY HOSTS THE BALLS ON THE MIC, MC’S PHOTO & VIDEO EDITORS AND MUCH MORE, JUST ALL OF OUR TALENTS IN SOME WAY POINT TO BALLROOM ALTHOUGH THAT’S NOT ALL WE ARE LIMITED TO. AND EVENTUALLY I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT INTO A LABEL.

What can we look forward to you in the future with the label or with your music?

I HAVE SO MANY PLANS AND SO MANY THINGS I WANT TO DO WITH MY MUSIC, LIKE I SAID B4 I NEVER EXPECTED ALL OF THIS TO HAPPEN OR GET ATTENTION SO NOW WITH MORE DEMAND I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO EXPAND ON WHAT I AM CREATING AND CHANGE IT UP A LITTLE BIT WHICH I AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF DOING WHETHER IT’S A NEW TECHNIQUE OR THE USE OF MORE AND VARIOUS SAMPLES. BUT MANY MANY GREAT THINGS TO COME.