I'm happy to share this interview with all u guys. We published the translated version on Uepa.mag (Dec issue), but here's the original interview, not edited and in English, as it was.
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| Luka Tacon tocando en Dominicana Moda con Héctor Mendoza |
I first contacted Luka, 'cause i'd followed the attraction he was getting from his dominican crowd. And when i heard him play at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project (Charles Sumner 8) and lately on Dominicana Moda 2011, i had so much fun, that i had to find out where this guy came from.
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| At the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Party |
But what a surprise! The guy also sings and composes on a band, and he does it really well. Remember that 'In this together' video I posted a coupled months ago. Well, he's the one singing on it.
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| With me at the Smirnoff Party |
****
Luka Tacon
Without lot
pretensions, this New York Dj has captivated the local crowd, -and the girls as
well-. But Luka Tacon is much more than any other Dj. On an exclusive interview
for Uepa.mag, we discover his history and his vocal and musical competences.
He tells it
himself. His incursion into the dj scene was just a casualty, but Luka Tacon
has earned his space. Also known as ‘Son of Wolf’, his connection with the
public happens instantly and you gotta see him behind the plates to understand
how much he enjoys what he does.
Having
performed in places like Fellini, Charles Sumner 8 and Peynado GA
However,
behind the DJ, there’s also a great voice, a passionate composer and an exigent
musician.
Have you study
anything related with music?
I
have been playing instruments since kindergarten. I started playing Violin and
have also studied Cello, Piano, Trumpet, Drums, Orchestral Percussion and
Guitar. I studied Jazz in college at Berklee College of Music in Boston and some classical music at Hunter College
Not long ago, you were
part of a band called Outsly. Tell us about that experience:
OutSly
was my first band that I started right after I got dropped out of Hunter in
NYC. It was my brother Travis and I, and some of our best friends. We played in
the bars around where we grew up and in the city. It was a great time but in
the end, I had a different idea of where I wanted to go with the songs I was
writing, and the other guys in the band wanted something else. We are all still
close, some of us more than others, but it was an amazing time and we had a lot
of fun and learned a lot about being in a band.
Now you’re with “Like
Diamonds”, where you’re the leader and songwriter. Tell us a little about its
story.
Like
Diamonds is a project I started when I wanted to play all the songs I had
written that didn't fit in with OutSly or another project I was working on at
the time. I wanted to incorporate the electronic aspect into my music which I
hadn't done before. I recruited some musicians I knew from Brooklyn ;
myself, a drummer and a synth player, and we tried just getting together and
playing the songs to see what came from us jamming them. After a few months we
added a few members, and began playing shows and some light touring. At the
moment, we have made some line up changes and we’re recording songs for an EP
that we will put out soon.
How do you alternate
between the time for the band and your own as dj?
My
DJ gigs are all at night, so I work in the studio recording or rehearsing
during the day, and spend the evenings in the clubs.
Other family members
have been in this with you, where do you all got your musical influence from?
My
brother Travis was the lead singer of OutSly. I think our parents were the
biggest influence. They were always listening to music when we were growing up.
My Dad used to sing to us when were going to bed, stuff like the Beatles, Bob
Dylan and Bob Marley were a big part of our childhood. Also my Mom always used
to sing old girl group songs from the golden age of Motown around the house.
Our parents were hippies so we got a lot of everything, plus we grew up right
outside of New York City and the radio was great in the 90's, I spent a lot of
nights staying up late listening to 92.3 KRock and Hot97 on a small radio my
parents didn't know I had.
Your voice reminds me
of Chris Martin from Coldplay, ¿have you been compared to him before?
I
haven't. But thank you. He is kind of a big deal.
From Outsly to Luka
Son of Wolf, seems like your looks also changed, was that on purpose?
No,
not particularly. I change my style all the time. I guess my fashion sense has
become more refined as I've ripened, but i don't actively try to appear one way
or the other. I just dress the way i feel, sometimes that means sweatpants, but
not if i have to leave the house.
When and how you
decided to dj as well?
I
used to work as an usher at a nightclub called The Box, in NYC. Because I am a
musician, I was always hanging with the dj’s, watching them and asking
questions. One guy named DJ Josh Link, who I became close with, encouraged me
to try to become a DJ. For one reason or another I never really took any
steps towards doing it until after Josh died. About 6 months after he was
killed in an accident, I bought turntables and asked a friend of ours -Dj
Jeffrey Tonnessen- to help me get started. After hours and hours of practice
and searching for, downloading and categorizing thousands of songs, i got some
gigs and now I'm doing it!
Why the name “Son of
Wolf”?
If
you've ever seen the movie Pulp Fiction, you know there is a character played
by Harvey Keitel called the Wolf. He is the man! Anyway, my cousin gave my Dad
the nickname of "The Wolf", because my father operates in a similar
fashion to the character of the same name in Pup Fiction. Therefore, i am the
Son of Wolf. Kinda cheesy i guess.
Are there differences
between Luka the singer and Luka the Dj?
Hahahaha.
Yes, there are. Luka the DJ doesn't have to warm up his voice or play guitar.
Luka the DJ has more gigs at the moment. Luka the DJ travels to the Dominican Republic
How do you describe
yourself as a dj? Under which genre you’d rather be classified?
I
love to play Disco and House. I also love new Indie music. But in New York City
Brooklyn seems to be a
really competitive city for musicians, what’s your strategy to succeed?
Be
better, try harder.
Have you thought of
creating dj sets including your own vocals?
I
have. My friend Chris from Penguin Prison sings sometimes when he DJs and I can
dig that. For me, I would rather play a live show with a full band or dj. But I
could probably be persuaded.
How did you got to
come to Dominican Republic
This
is good... I was playing at a club in NYC when a guy came up to the booth. He
said he liked my music and we immediately realized that he was a college friend
of my brothers. Jorge Brache was only in the city for the weekend and when he
got back to the DR, he sent me a message on Facebook saying he thought he could
get me a gig in Santo Domingo
Have you heard
anything about our country before? What you thought when they booked you?
My
grandfather was born in Puerto Plata. Other than that, i didn't know much about
the DR besides the obvious: that it was warm, and the women were beautiful, and
it was on the same island as Haiti
You’ve already played
here in different venues and with different crowds, what do you think about the
public here in general?
I
love it!! I love all the people, the city, the smell, the traffic, the weather,
the food, the vibes are great! It’s so different from my other gigs and to be
able to come down as often as I do is really a treat. All of the parties I've
done have been great.
How do you prepare
your sets when you come to play here?
The
good thing about coming to the DR is that I can get away with more of the stuff
than in NYC. I always choose my favorite songs at the time. The best songs!
I
think what is great about what ShaveUrLegz are doing with their parties and
concerts is bringing in new music. People who want to see new and different
stuff are coming to their parties and i feel like I should play the newest and
best stuff I have for them. Some of favorite sets I've played have been in the
DR.
Your last event was
Dominicana Moda, one of the most important locally, tell us about the feedback?
It
has been great actually. That was the first time that Hector Mendoza, from
EtMusiquePourTous.Com, and I have played together and I think it went really
well. The party was so much fun and there were a lot of people there who
wouldn't have come to a ShaveUrLegz party before. Now they will.
When would we have you
here with the whole crew from Like Diamonds?
Like
Diamonds will be down as soon as we finish our EP.
Which plans you have
for next year with the band and as a dj?
For
the band, get this EP finished and out to the people and then support the album
with a lot of shows both in NYC and on the road. As far as djing, I am looking
to play in all the big cities, all over the world, all the time. No big deal.
Also, I've been working on my own producing tracks, I am really looking forward
to working with other artists on those jams.
What would you like to
achieve in music?
Success!
Plus
Birthdate: 11/23/1983
Birthplace: Armonk , NY
Music influences: Radiohead, The Mars
Volta, Deftones, Queens of the Stone Age, TV on the Radio, Tupac, Notorious
BIG, Nas, JayZ, Aeroplane, Daft Punk, SBTRKT, Sebastien Tellier, Larry Levan,
Arthur Russel, Robin S, Grace Jones, Holy Ghost!, LCD Soundsystem, Soulwax,
James Brown, Miles Davis, The Pixies. There are really too many, i can't think
of all of them...
Favorite dj’s: Fred Falke,
Treasure Fingers, Free Radicals, Whitney Weiss, The Knocks, Dj Equal, Shane
Daddy, Atrak, Aeroplane, The Magician, Larry Levan, David Mancuso, Diplo,
Rusko, Skrillex, Madeon, Lenno, Classixx, RAC, Laidback Luke, Calvin Harris,
Eddie Mars, Jacques Renault, Eli Escobar, Blu Jemz, Lloyd Harris. Again, there
are just too many.
Favorite spot in DR: (no necessarily a
venue).Where
Salomon (Sanz) lives. Or the coast between Santo Domingo
***
All pics taken by me. Please give me credit!!
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