Taj

Origin: San Francisco
Years Playing: 15 Years
Style: house, funky house, progressive house, breaks, trance and techno
Affiliation: www.djtaj.com | Endup | U.S.C Seattle | 1015 |

The track/DJ/party that made me want to be a DJ was:
There was not 1 particular track/party/event club or rave that made me want to be a DJ.  I have been going to clubs since 1987 and I’ve always felt a very strong attraction to seeing people move on the dance floor.  As club life progressed I as well progressed with the music & nightlife. Soon realizing in 1991 that DJing was what I was meant to do with all my desire, passion and love.

Influences:
People who have the same desire in EDM music as I have.  Also, people who come strong heartedly to the dance floor week after week striving to have the same connection as I do when I am behind the decks.  My family, my beautiful woman and all the producers of EDM music in the world, and of course life itself.

I got my first break:
I made my first break by throwing my own outdoor events in San Francisco in late 92’.  From there on it was all D.I. Y, do-it-yourself.

Some DJs I like playing with are:
I love to play with San Francisco local DJs and I have been blessed to perform with most of all the top DJs/producers in the world.

Favorite thing about the SF scene:
For sure the diversity in crowds music genres, club life and longevity of the club scene as a whole that San Francisco has created throughout all the years.  I’ve traveled the world and there is no “scene” like what we have here in San Francisco

Least favorite thing about the SF scene:
Truthfully there’s not much to dislike, there are things that are more of annoyances like with the “categorization” of DJ’s into a particular genre without completely understanding who and what that DJ may be about, (this is a worldwide epidemic).

My favorite SF party is/was:
As of right now 1015 Folsom every Saturday night is rockin’ great vibe, great music, and wonderful crowd.  In the past, parties like Zendada, Wicked, Community, the earlier rave scene, Nikita, Spundae and Release were/are phenomenal parties.

My favorite Club to play in is:
I have a few favorites in no particular order, 1015 Folsom, The Endup, Ruby Skye, Circus Las Angeles, and Raw Las Vegas. Internationally, Bodrum nightclub, Turkey, Centro Club, Jakarta, Centro Club, Singapore, and the Rex Paris.

If I could put together MY dream music festival, the Entertainment would be:
Faithless Live, Fatboy Slim Live, Chemical Brothers Live, PVD, Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto and all the rest of the worlds top DJs, performers and acts, playing only 1 hour sets giving everything the have due to the short set time; all under 1 roof.

If I couldn't play records I would probably be a professional:
Something in another field and I’m not too sure what it would be...Thank you to the higher power of EDM.

I want to thank these people for helping me get this far:
My beautiful woman, my family, 1015 Folsom, Spundae, U.S.C Seattle and most of all you the people throughout all the years that have been on the dance floor feeling what I feel, and furthermore all the producers of EDM because without them there wouldn’t be Music

What you want people to know and we didn't ask:
I want to DJ for the rest of my life.

My motto is:
Record stores...