Afriend - The 'Shine A Light On' Ransom Note Mix

Music

Sometimes all you have to do is reach out and a friend will be there. In fact, the best friends are the ones that you don't even have to contact and they're already knocking at your door with something to put a smile on your face. That's pretty much what happened to us with aFriend as he came knocking on the Soundcloud entrance to R$N Towers, beckoning our light to shine down upon him and, without a hesitation, it wilfully did so because of the quality of the mix he'd brought along to show how much of a friend he truly was.

Tune in to the mix as you read on and learn about what it takes to be aFriend;

Who are you, where are you and what are you?

Hi, my name is Dimitris and my DJ name is aFriend. I’m 36, married with two sons. I studied art and design in the University of Wolverhampton. I am from Greece and at the moment I live in Volos. I love listening to music since I can remember myself and DJing is not my main job but definitely is part of my life and will continue to be because this way I relax and I escape from everyday routine.

Describe your sound without using the letter “e”.

Climaxing.

How would you recommend people dance to your music?

Doing your own thing would be nice. Just relax, get loose, get into music and move your feet.

If you could travel in time…where in time would you go? Why?

Definitely I would travel back in mid-August 1969 to attend the Woodstock music and art fair.

What was the first electronic record you heard and how did it make you feel?

Kraftwerk – Computer World. I felt like a kid who just discovered video games.

How does your brain work when making music? How does it work when you aren’t?

Before I start mixing music I always try first for a couple of seconds to come up with an idea of how I want my mix to be. It is important for me not to think a lot while mixing music, leaving my emotions to drive me through. When I am not mixing music I actually think in a similar way. Usually I let my emotional side of my brain take the decisions without thinking about it much.

Who would you say are your biggest influences and what are you hoping to achieve with your music?

Definitely my biggest influences are psychedelic, rock, garage bands of the '60s-'70s. Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, 13 Floor Elevator, Electric Prunes, The Soft Machine and Velvet Underground are some I can think of at the moment. By mixing music mostly I try to introduce my audience to music that they are not aware of. I want my audience to smile, feel nice, dance and to take them on a journey they will remember.

What do you think the future holds for music if people are no longer willing to pay for it?

20 years ago it was much more difficult to listen to an album or a single without buying it. Nowadays you can listen to whole albums on the net and preview songs even before they are released. However, people must understand that artists, producers and bands spend a lot of time, money and effort in order to complete a song and since you like it there isn’t a better way to reward them than buying it. If in future people are not willing to pay for music, then I think it will be more expensive to go to concerts, gigs etc.

Describe the best day of your life to date.

The best day for me was the day that both my sons were born. I still remember the moment I held them for the first time and that was the happiest moment of my life.

If you have to send one record into space, to introduce extra terrestrials to human race, what record would you choose?

I would send John Lennon – Imagine.

You can choose four members of a band to form a supergroup – who would be in it and what instruments would they be on?

I would choose Mick Jagger as a singer, Jimi Hendrix on guitar, Lemmy as a bassist and Keith Moon as a drummer. However, I am not sure how they would sound all together.

What’s the best thing about having friends?

I think sharing is the most important think about having friends – whether it is sharing our problems, success or opinions.

What’s the heaviest thing you think you could lift with your bare hands?

All the shopping bags at once and walking from the supermarket back home. Distance is half a mile and I do it once a week.

When did you last laugh so hard you thought you might wet yourself?

It was just a few days ago. My friends are good at this.

When did you last go ‘clubbing’?

Last time was a couple of weeks ago.

What’s the best thing about airports?

That they have airplanes that can take you wherever you want.

Onto the mix…

Where was the mix recorded?

It was recorded at home.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

It would be nice to listen to it on a Friday night, just before you go outside.

What should we be wearing?

Anything that makes you feel comfortable.

If you could go b2b with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

I think I would choose Andrew Weatherall because I admire his musical taste and love his productions.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix?

It would be on a terrace with a sea view. I would like to have a four channel mixer, two CDJ2000, two SL1200s MK2. I would use usb sticks and vinyl records.

Which track in the mix is your current favorite?

I think I would choose Red Axes feat Abrao – 'Waiting For A Surprise' because it is a new track and I like their music a lot. I believe both these guys are really very talented.