On the eve of Tenishia's debut set in New Zealand we catch up with one half of Tenishia, Joven Grech.
To get straight into it.. What do you feel your biggest achievement as a DJ/Producer is to date?
Well every step forward in my career was always a satisfaction for me as I am a very ambitious person, but I think signing five tracks to Armada Records which is owned by world no 1 deejay Armin Van Buuren, is my greatest achievement so far.
How old are you now and what age were you when you started DJ'ing?
I'm 26 and i Started deejays at the age of 15 on a small radio station in Malta. By the age of 16 I had my first club residency at one of Malta's best clubs at the time. I was so young that people hardly saw me in the dj stand, but i think it was one of the best times of my life!
What inspired you to start producing?
Im not sure what was it but, i first started playing around with sequencing music on playstation... just experimenting and it took off from there.
Tell us about your recent tour with Summadayze in Australia?
Yeah Summadayze was amazing, its the biggest event in Australia soo bieng part of it was surely an honour.
What other cities/events have you played in Australia so far? Any particular highlights?
I played also in Adelaide at an event with Paul van Dyk, and that I think was the best gig I have had here in Australia, the crowd was crazy when i came on and played the Tenishia remix of EBTG - Missing
You have 3 tracks that are signed to Armin van Buurens personal imprint 'ARMIND', how did this come about?
It all started with Outsiders, and it was a big surprise for us to see Armin supporting it as we were only at the start of our career as Tenishia. Armin kept himself intersted in us and the three tracks we sent to him were all signed to his personal label. Other than that we also have 2 other tracks signed to Markus Schulz's own Coldharbour sub label on Armada.
You have collaborated with Kirsty Hawkshaw on a number of productions now, how did you meet Kirsty and what inspired you to work with her?
We met Kirsty at a 2005 new years eve party in Malta's sister island in Gozo. We invited her to the studio and she liked our sound so we agreed in trying something out.
The dance scene in Malta.. what is it like?
It's great! All the young teenagers are talking about Electronic dance music. It is a very healthy scene as the people love to party. The only disadvantage is that Malta has a very small population (400 000ppl) and monopoly and politics take their toll.
How would you describe your DJ sets?
A journey from groovey progressive trance to trance.
Any other favourite DJ/Producers that have inspired/influenced you over the last year?
To be honest i'm not very impressed with the big names lately, but sounds from new names like Marcus Schossow really hit the spot for me.
What do you do in your spare time?
Spare time doesnt really exist when your a Dj/Producer as the bit of time I do have usually gets spent on the net seeing whats happening around the world; but if i do happen to get soem free time.. well then i can do anything from fishing, playing xbox games and hanging out with friends.
Finally.. any advice for up and coming DJs and producers?
one word says it all ... Determination!
Don't miss TENISHIA this Friday the 11th April @ Space Nightclub in Auckland.
Main Room
10:00 - 11:00 Maas
11:00 - 12:00 Mike V
12:00 - 02:00 TENISHIA (Malta)
02:00 - 03:00 Jared Knapp
03:00 - 04:00 Kurt Erickson
04:00 - Close Claude Sabatier
10:00 - 11:30 Rohann
11:30 - 12:30 Andrew H
12:30 - 01:30 Alex Q
01:30 - 03:00 Grant Robertson & Jamie White
03:00 - Close Mark Osborne
www.biggie.co.nz/tenishiamusic
www.incline-events.com
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