On The night of Thursday, May 28th, MMIBTY Writer Michal attended Torq San Francisco’s 6th year anniversary party and sat down with up-and-coming artist Ookay. Check out the interview below that talks about what Ookay’s journey as an artist has been like and how he got to where he is today.
****Check Out Ookay’s Tour Locations Here****
MyMusicIsBetterThanYours.com (MMIBTY): What music did you listen to growing up?
Ookay (O): I was very away from what was popular, I grew up on Soul music, Jazz, and RnB. More Neo-Soul type music, a lot of fusion. In high school I got into Death Metal and Ska, I was a drummer in a band for a bit and I guess that’s kind of how I got into DJing.
MMIBTY: Who are your main influences?
O: My dad. He’s been a musician since he was ten. He taught me everything I know. I also grew up watching Michael Jackson, Prince, Camio and stuff like that. I already new the songs, I knew they could sing them. I was more focused on the performace, watching how they interacted with the crowd, how they play live and the energy that goes with it.
MMIBTY: What kind of Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) do you use?
O: Fruity Loops Studio, I’ve used that since I started. I’m using Ableton more, but Fl studio is my first base. I’m learning how to do recording sessions and work with vocalists as well.
MMIBTY: If you did it all over again what would you do differently?
O: Not choose such shitty names. I’ve wasted so much time making music with terrible names and terrible branding. I wouldn’t focus on the future. I wasn’t worried about that, I just thought about stupid names that were in the moment. So I guess when I came up with Ookay, its was easy for everyone to know the word. It’s known in any language and in any country. If you say it they known what it means.
MMIBTY: What helped your upcoming in the industry?
O: Being friendly. A lot of these new DJs and Producers forget that the people they’re trying to reach are still people and they don’t always want to talk about music. I always became friends with people first, because when you build a relationship they’re more willing to support you and understand where you’re going.
MMIBTY: What shocked you the most about touring?
O: I thought it would be a lot less stressful and carefree than it is. It’s quite lonely, you often have a lot of quiet time to think. I like traveling, and meeting fans so I guess that’s what gets me through being tired, having no sleep, and being hungry. You get to have a great time with people who love what you do and I think that’s a special thing and I couldn’t have asked for anything more than that.
MMIBTY: Most insane thing that happened on tour this past year?
O: Doing a B2B set with Carnage, Martin Garix, AfroJack, Damitri Vegas & Like Mike, Borgore, Benni Bennassi, Laidback Luke and Steve Aoki. That was the one of the most special moments of touring. I also messed up my arm pretty bad.
MMIBTY: Biggest mistake you have made touring, and how you fixed it?
O: Not drinking enough water. I would feel very woosy and out of it due to being dehydrated.
MMIBTY: What was the best moment of the touring in the past year?
O: Being announced For EDC. That was a very tear jerky moment for me. It’s the super bowl of festivals in US. Everything I have ever worked hard for, as far as being a DJing, has paid off.
MMIBTY: What Kind of Pizza do you like?
O: I got mad love for the pepperoni pizza, and the combo pizza at Costco. but I’ve made some interesting life choices in the past few months, and becoming a vegetarian has kept me away from the greasy foods and helps me eat healthier. But right now i like any pizza with out-meat on it.
****Check Out Ookay’s Latest Songs Here****