easy simon, been a while since i heard anything, thought i'd drop a note and see how everything going, might see you in the summer!!!
adam <adam@trancey.com>
sim city, underwater -

first of all ....thanks to all Friends / Fans that will participate in our adventure in the web site kotomusic.com ........ there will be many surprises. why I make you download free 'koto still alive '-- 'koto still alive tribal action' and ''Visitor still alive'' version ?

further i know that 'Koto is still alive' is not liked by all kotofans.... however you have to think that : a koto years 80s was not proper italo dance but it was perhaps already techno... and if i had had the opportunity to continue my music it would be year for year changed toward future musical horizons so that the fans of koto would also be evolved.

for me ''Koto is still alive ''is a fundamental point in the history of koto music and ''koto still alive'' for me is a symbol of liberty and justice that every artist should have .

your Friend Anfrando Maiola. NOT ONLY ARTIST BUT ONE OF YOU.

I'm one of those "small-name" DJ's and I've been here since '96 working away 4, 5 and 6 days a week. I have the greatest respect for you guys at the "cutting edge" of dance culture. Simon and others have done much for the scene and certainly the local DJ's here are highly skilled and respected. But here's a thing - how many people in Hong Kong actually LISTEN to the music and have some appreciation of it? Although I'm usually working, I've been to a few dance parties and it just seems to me that the majority are there because its simply "the place to be"... I remember Basement Jaxx (long time ago now and great nite) - but it seemed 75% of the guests had no clue who they were and were not even aware when they were playing...

For 5 years I've been struggling with the Hong Kong public, both locals and overseas residents, trying to get out new tunes and innovative stuff. My job is NOT to necessarily play the music I like. I have to "work the venue" and keep the customers happy. So I'm in a very different position to other local DJ's who "play their set". I still play Lady and Grovejet and all that stuff because thats what people want. Getting in the new tunes is a tough job. Time and time again I'll playout one of the biggest tunes around worldwide and it will simply clear the dancefloor. It seems to me that it takes Hong Kong people forever to know the music, and once they do, they stick with it for YEARS! Help! And its not just local Chinese and the VMP / AVEX dilemma, its the foreign community as well. New music is just not appreciated.

In some other countries a DJ would play a thumping new track and people would go "yeah" what is this? Great tune, dance, get off on it, even ask the DJ and go and buy it the next day. Doesn't seem to happen too much here.

Of course thats the DJ's skill. Keeping the crowd but introducing the new stuff. Just the same as on the radio. influencing or taking the crowd (or your regular customers in my case) in a musical direction. But in Hong Kong its a tough task. Getting back to my first paragraph, at the dance party, apart from the "core", the ones in the know, how many actually appreciate the new stuff that is played? What do we need to influence the musical culture here? One thing I have always thought (and argued for) is we need ONE good, international, FM English or bi-lingual radio station that plays the tunes. Remember BFBS? What have we now? RTHK Radio 3 has its good points (gotta say Simon's show!) as does 864, but its AM. Chinese stations always have good content but then you suddenly hear "country roads"... Do we need a Hong Kong version of BBC Radio 1?

DJ's are opinion formers too. I'm in the lucky position now to have worked in the same small bar for quite some time and I'm starting to get somewhere, albeit slowly. At last I'm getting asked for newer tunes (mainly Soul, R&B and lighter Hip Hop which is the direction I'm travelling now and suits the venue), but one thing I notice: its usually the overseas Chinese, the foreigners just arrived back into Hong Kong or even those visiting. Locals still want Ricky Martin and Kylie Minogue or the latest Canto-cheese. Can you tell the background of a customer from the music they want... I think so!

And yes - what about Avex and VMP and the rest? What did "Butterfly" do for the local dance music culture? How can we get the real locals away from badly done europop copies? BOOM club tried it, a lonely outpost of better taste in a TST awash with "aye aye aye". But I think they are closed now... HEY WHAT IS THE BEST SELLING DANCE CD's IN HK? Could it be the latest Avex "Best 2001" by any chance? Heeeeeeeelllllppppp!

I'm a DJ too, here to stay and caring about the music I play and what music is played in Hong Kong. (And by the way, I work fixed hours, with free meals and a regular paycheck. OK I know I use CD's, but I can mix, I can read the crowd, I can build a venue and it is my profession. Too often I think commercial DJ's like me are treated as amateurs who just do weddings and don't have a clue... we're not REAL DJ's, we dont play REAL RECORDS at REAL CLUBS!)

Anyway its a long post, I'm interested to get your opinions and responses. I wish everyone well for the new year and hope Simon and everybody else can continue to move HK in the right direction. This web site is one useful step.

Hi Simon,

You are the sweetest DJ I met on my trip. I think of you often and the fantastic night at Lamma. Did you get the package I sent you? I sent you pictures of the night. Well, I wanted to pass this along to people to check out my site too... www.djveronica.com

not much.. just surfed across your site.. i'm from Canada and i spin mostly deep dark twisted house, some acid and hard trance. will be moving over to HK within the next year to start working at this design firm.. maybe we can hook it upz and throw some tite shiet and blow off the roof at a few parties...!!

your stuff is phat! positivity is in the vibes!! big up to your HK krewz!

sup my school is having a school fair And no body has turntables and since ur better than DJ tommy i heard we would like you to come along with ur turntables reply fast because it starts soon and 17th it starts ( i saw ur sticker in Tsim tai Tua once ) the school webiste is www.sc.esf.edu.hk i beg you simon!!!!

or call me when u email i will email you my moblie on email not on guestbook on the website you will find the address lots of people are coming and I will be very happy if i met a real DJ in my band we have guitarists , drummers , rappers , keyboard techno styles dance breaks NO DJS WE NEED ON WE have MORE INSTRUMENTS IF U WANNA NOW YOU COME!!!!!!! YOUrs Leshan pieace!

yo sup first of wats poppin' peeps,im chillin' chillin'.

holla me if anyone got some music equipments that u dun use or to sell,im willin' to pay though.

THAT WAS THE BEST LAMMA PARTY EVER!!!