The Beat Bali 496

FEATURE
I’ve heard that there is a healthy underground
scene going on too.
Yeah, it’s growing from strength to strength
recently, with KYO, The Sweatbox and Jiro
being the biggest contributors.
So before that you were in the UK. What was
happening back there and how did you make
the move to Asia?
I was teaching music technology in colleges
back in the UK before I moved out. Did the
whole teaching thing. Then got climate sick
and moved to Asia, first Thailand for nearly
five years where I learnt my DJ craft playing
on Koh Phangan and all over Thailand for the
best part of three years. The scene in Cardiff
where I was living before was non-existent,
so I couldn’t settle. Asia seems to have a
much more immersive and strong upcoming
underground scene, that supports new
talents, more than back in the UK.
Have you been touring around Asia much? What
were some of the highlights?
Yeah, I played twice at Beam in Bangkok with
Neverest Records (Bangkok’s finest label), the
jungle experience in Koh Phangan was fun.
I played for years with some of the biggest
names around. I also played in Singapore
recently, for Eyes To The Front.
How were those Koh Phangan full moon parties,
are they as good as they say?
Full moon parties are nice a few times, but
after a while it gets very tiring, too many
stupid kids around. Playing there, though was
a lot of fun.
How did you get involved with Escape?
I played in Singapore last month with Kaiser.
He liked what happened and invited me to
come play this month.
messages here and there from people asking
me if I was the real Rory Gallagher. Needless
to say the guy was a heavy weight.
Would you say Westseven is a different sound to
your original Rory Gallagher?
Yes, I’m making more dance floor aimed
music at the moment, as you will hear on my
upcoming EP on Anjunadeep later this year.
What would you play at Escape for example?
Captivating melodic music. Deep and dynamic
with lots of highs. (You can check this article
on thebeatbali.com for Westseven’s tracks).
Who would you say are your greatest
influencers in music?
So many greats to mention but recently I find
guys like Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Jody
Wisternoff, Cubicolor & Hayze!
Ever been to Bali before?
Yes a few times now, but just for short
breaks. This will be the first time I’ve spun
there.
How did the Anjunabeats signing come about?
They contacted me in late 2017 to see if I
had any unsigned music. And Voila! The story
continues soon.
What do you like most about spinning/making
underground music?
The creation of unique moments and
emotions that you conjure up with a
production or a good performance are what’s
most enjoyable for me.
You can catch Westseven spinning live next
Wednesday June 19 at La Brisa, Canggu.
Doors open at 4pm and close at 4am.
BTW, you aren’t related to your guitarist
namesake, are you?
Haha no, it was one of the main reasons I
changed the name in the end as I’d get a few
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