Interview with DJ Mo Bass

“Bass”, the lowest note in the music range, is the essential needed to let music reach to your heart and soul. Unlike the high notes, Bass is in the lower profile but deeper and more powerful. All DJs need Bass and can’t be considered a real DJ if they don’t know how to play with it. “Mo Bass” means more Bass. Music is passion and art, joy and happiness and is what we all are looking for. With the great power of DJ Mo Bass, she has turned up the bass volume everywhere she goes and funks up the dance floor. She has a unique mixing style and is an energetic, soulful, and positive vibe-giver. With DJ Mo Bass on the DJ stand, people are always cheering and excited to hear her mixes and there is always a flow of happiness running around the party.

Her music style was influenced by international DJs and music culture from all over the world, especially the U.S. underground scene.

Since 2010 spring, young DJ Mo Bass has DJ-ed in various places, venues, parties, events, and the two biggest clubs in Beijing, the Lan club and Xiu club. She also has become the most popular Mercedes Benz DJ, in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Everywhere they go they take Mo Bass to pump the party up. Her latest event was the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 in Shanghai. Besides those, she also DJs at big outdoor parties. In only 2 years, she has set up her name both in the North and South of China. Most of her gigs are residency jobs.

With her tastes on music and special mixing methods, she has become a star both in the above ground and underground music scene. As a Chinese DJ she is recognized not only for how she looks but for her skills at spinning as well. The real truth here is that Mo Bass knows what music is and how individual DJs can place their own souls and minds into the music they play and make people feel the vibe. The vibe of Mo Bass is always pleasant and energetic and suprisely good.

Dreams never become big if you don’t dream it. Mo Bass believes that we all can make our dreams come true as long as we keep fighting and fighting for it. She is presently the resident DJ in Xiu club, one of the coolest club in Bj, and every night she makes thousands of people happy and cheering on the dance floor……..and with her music lingering in their ears she makes their hearts sing on the way home too……

It is a pleasure to meet you. Can you tell us a little about where you grew up?

I grew up in a small village called Zetang located in the middle of south China.

Were you interested in music as a child? Did you have any musicians in your  family?

Yes, of course. I still remember the first time I listened to the old school cassette which my sister bought home one day. I was feeling the music and later I listened to it everyday. I don’t have any musicians in my family.

When you were young what music did you listen to?

I listened to my mum singing when she was in a very good mood. Mostly I heard those chinese old school sounds and some HK popular music. I found it very easy to learn any new song.

How did you get started DJing?

DJing is a dream that fell on me from the sky and it became true. I met someone who inspired me to become a DJ and it so happens that my teacher became one of the best known DJs. In only one year I have learned so many things. Much more than my previous 20 some years. Only 3 years ago, I was working in an office as a translator and doing some administration work. I never thought I would become a DJ or anything like it.

Was it rough going getting started?

Yes it was rough because I didn’t know all those buttons on the mixing board and I didn’t know how they worked together, plus everything was in English. I would play one song after another one with messed up beats….. It sounded really bad. I still have those recordings and they really are just like a new DJ. However, I think time has helped me become a good DJ for I practice almost 14 hours a day when I first started to learn to DJ for over 9 months without a break.

Describe your style? What would your typical set be like?

My music style is definitely very Jack’in, Technoy and Housy. I call my style: MO’s Jack’in Tech-house. I love any kind of Bass, so in my mixing, I love to play with the Bass from sound tracks and make my set sound nice and flow together. My typical set would be like a mixture, ups and downs and flow along with the music. Let the music lead my listener to the story I want to tell. However, I prefer thick Bass and energetic drums, or sexy sounds…etc.

Describe your creative process when coming up with your mixes and sets.

My creativity comes up with listening to the tracks I want to playor getting inspiration from music videos or movies. Basically inspiration can be found anywhere but only if you are looking for it. It doesn’t come easy sometime and I have to wait for days or weeks to get my sets done. The process could be irritating but the outcome is always a good one.

What do you do that you think gets the audience pumped up?

It depends, different crowd, different kind of vibe. I will organize my set according to the vibe I get. The most important thing is that you play and mix sound tracks together, never lose who you really are in the mix and keep your own style. A good DJ can play anything and people will love what he/she does. In my situation, I am learning this through my DJ experience at residencies in different places, or by DJing at outdoor parties, or DJing for commercial events like Mercedes-Benz, Audi…..etc….

You have played at some big events and clubs. Can you tell us about some of them?

My first big event is called Space Ibiza in Lan Club BJ. I was opening for a famous DJ from Ibiza. I started the night with my fresh sounds and the dance floor was filled up with so many girls and boys… and they are all dancing to the beats, at that time no one knews who I was and that was the first time I dj-ed at a real big party. The vibe was strong and I did so good that night that the crowed refused to move to the other room where they had other DJs and better sound systems. I thought it was luck  but now I know I was feeling the vibe naturally from the people who danced to my music. It made it really easy to forget all the pressure that I had before this gig….. so later the club owner had to move the big DJ to my room but people left the dance floor soon after I finished, in like 15 mins.

I was working as residency first at Lan club, then Grand Hyatt Hotel Shenzhen, then Xiu club in the Park View hotel. My favorite club is Xiu, for it is closer to my style and I can play loud music and enjoy the smiling faces when I DJ.

You once told me that you spend a lot of time in developing relationships with people and solving their problems? Why do you think DKs get involved in others lives?

I was only trying to help on a lot of things or a lot of people. I believe that to give is the way to live in this life. To give is a way that we reach a part of the human responsibilities. To give is also a way that I can enjoy, for I enjoy the feeling when I see others smile instead of being puzzled or in anger. I don’t know how I get involved in other’s life, but I guess it is trust. When I meet someone, it is a feeling that they want to trust me and ask me about advices on their issues or problems. After all, I am one girl who is defining my life with a very special way, through music. I see the truth in life, I see love between friends, families, lovers, I see many beautiful things…. I also saw so many ugly things which I never want to be near again. Getting involved with others’s personal life is not what I really want but if I can help somehow and they can move on, then I have done a good deed by making the world more beautiful. The people who are around me, they saw how I came along, they saw how hard I was learning, they saw how much work I have done for my career….. and most of all, they saw me as a honest girl and worthy friend.

How much does the what you wear and your appearance count? Does it all go hand and hand with your music?

The truth of wearing sexy clothes or stylish clothes counts a lot on DJing. the DJ is the center of the attention when she/he plays. If a DJ wore T-shirt and jeans, totally ok, but it is more difficult to be the center of the attention and get people to listen to your sound and keep their attention on you. We all love to see beautiful or sexy or exotic things in life, When a DJ pays attention to what she wears, it also show how much she cares.  To me, I love clothes that shows my strength. Sexy, cute or cool style…etc, I all prefer……

What is the music scene like in China?

The music scene in China is not as wide as other countries. We barely get people to go to the outdoor raves. Or we can’t have one. Right now on big events, no more alcohol is allowed to be sold. It is harder for the DJs to play for when people are sober, they are much harder to please.

In night clubs, there are the same sounds everywhere, if the radio plays lady gaga today, so all other clubs will play the same song. But the china scene is growing, slowly but surely. I have felt a change in this year, even since my first year at Djing, I play my tech-house and people were still wanting to hear lounge music, or just soulful house. Last year Electro house started to be the popular one for it is way higher and harder. I am waiting for my moment that when Tech-house will be the main-stream. That could be a long time, I am not sure how long, but when people changed their attitude towards music and keep their eyes and ears open, that is the time when they let the sunshine through the hearts, and they find a new world in a new type of dance music. Variety is a part of life, why do we have to stick with one genre and stop looking at the whole forest?

When you are not working, what do you like doing?

I like playing video games, especially shooting and games with guns like missiles. tanks, machine guns……I play online so I will spend all day or all night to playing this game. Socom 4 is my favorite right now. Normally I also love walking outdoors, maybe a little sports. I believe that being natural is a good way to go and keep a nice body.

Are there any interesting projects coming up in the future you can share with us?

To me now, I have been given many chances, by DJ agencies, magazines…. in this month I will go to a ceremony for DJs this year, I don’t know what prize I won, but I won something. I am also learning how to make big parties, so hope this year I will have everything I need  together …  I work for P.L.U.R. (Peace, love, unity and respect), it is an attitude.. an idea, a concept, a moral…..many things…….

Anything else you want to say?

I want to tell everybody that we are the dreamer of the dream. If we don’t have a dream, then we are wasting our lives away….. it is precious time that we can’t buy back with anything. So be the one that you parents want you to be, be the one who your friends trust, and be the one your family depends on, and be the one who your life mate like to see. The most important thing is to  BE YOURSELF. You have to be complete yourself so you can handle more for others…….

Where can we go to find out more about you?

You can go to my music site:

www.soundcloud.com/dj_mobass

http://www.mixcloud.com/mobasspage

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