The long battle to make a name for myself in the club industry taught me that to stay in the game you have to constantly keep working like nobody knows who you are. Fighting makes you stronger.
What’s the secret to being a successful DJ?
To be really successful, a DJ should prepare to give up his life. I travel nearly every weekend and during the week I spend most of my free time working on the music I’m going to present at the gigs.
What’s your favorite kind of music to spin?
I genuinely love all kinds of music. I love tribal, EDM, progressive house, and then sometimes I simply love a good commercial vocal anthem. I’m always trying to keep my sound fresh, incorporating new beats and sounds to keep the momentum going on my dance floor, yet still staying true to who I am. The worst thing a DJ can do is get stuck in a certain sound for too long. Music is constantly changing and evolving. If you don’t change with it, you’ll get left behind.
How do you prepare for a DJ Set/gig?
Club revelers simply want to have fun. That’s what I tell myself when I go into the booth – make it fun. Sometimes that means a full on banging tribal set, or if the party is on a beach in Miami, it’s a lot of anthems and some EDM styled tracks. Whatever the event, I want people to think the experience was worth the cover charge and the long line they waited on to get in. I don’t take anyone’s time or money for granted. I aim to give them something they can’t get on their own – something new and original.
Kristine W, Jeanie Tracy, Tony Moran, NeYo, The Wanted, Melanie Amaro, and even Justin Bieber. It was for ‘Boyfriend,’ the first single from Justin’s new album. At the time, nobody had heard his new direction. I was excited to have the opportunity to present his voice in a clubbier production. I think my favorite thing about that project is that I helped show people in the dance community that Justin’s a real artist with talent and a great voice. It’s also kind of surreal to open up iTunes and see my remix on such a popular artist.
Who are some of the DJ’s/producers you look up to?
DJ Chus, David Penn, Tiesto, Avicii, Peter Rauhofer; and new Brazilian producers like Mauro Mozart, Enrry, and Rogerio Lima.
My next step is to write and produce my own original music with major artists. But right now I want to build up my name as a producer and get a couple more #1 remixes by major artists under my belt.
For additional information on Joe Gauthreaux, visit his website at DJJoeG.com and for more info on Winter Party go to WinterParty.org