URLOPOP – Hi, VANJEE nice to meet you. I got some questions for you... Where are you from and can you tell us something about your background as a dj?
VANJEE – Originally I was born in Tel Aviv, then I moved to New York where I’ve lived for the past seventeen years. I have been deejaying for about 25 years. Now I’m forty. Travelling the world and playing music for people!
URLOPOP – At what age did you start to dj in clubs?
VANJEE – I started when I was thirteen years old, very young! It started as a passion, it didn’t start because it was cool to be a dj, nobody wanted to be a dj back then. You had to have something behind you to deal with music, you had to love and appreciate music.
URLOPOP – Did you study music?
VANJEE – Not before starting my career as dj, as I said before I started in a very pure way. But later on I studied audio engineering when I was New York. Most of my studying was from “live and learn” I had really great role models that I looked-up to. Nobody showed me what to do, I just picked up whatever I wanted from different people.
URLOPOP – What is your music style?
VANJEE – Right now it is really hard for me to describe my sound, it’s a mix of a couple of things together. It is definitely on the tech-house, techno-vibe, but it could be a little of a deep-house, progressive I’ve found my unique way to put it all together.
URLOPOP – What are the major milestones in your career?
VANJEE – I got lucky in my career meeting special people that as I said, each one of them gave me something to learn from, and I put it all together in my way. But definitely the event Burning Man, it’s a big festival in the Nevada desert, was a big influence on me.
URLOPOP – Wow, Burning man is a really a world famous festival!
VANJEE – It is famous now, but back then in 2006 it was a very special unique moment for me!
URLOPOP – Tell us something about the Burning Man festival. Is it really as you see it in the newspaper or on TV?
VANJEE – Probably you know the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Unfortunately the pictures are not even close to the real feeling, because you are really out there in the desert, with no phone, no communication, you get lost, you create your own experience. You may lose some of your friends and find new ones. It is really a special place to go!
URLOPOP – When where you there?
VANJEE – I’ve been there in 2006 and the following seven years.
URLOPOP – A part from your work as a dj, do you also produce music?
VANJEE – Sure, I have records on Saved Records, Stereo Production, Get Physical Music.
URLOPOP – When was your first time in Italy?
VANJEE – My first time in Italy was in Venice, I got invited by a friend that I met at Burning Man, this was my first introduction to Italy. I had the chance to play in Naples as well. I always look forward to coming back here, I love it here. Beautiful places and beautiful people, I get really connected with the warm hospitality of the Italian people. I love it!
URLOPOP – Which are the most important clubs where you have played?
VANJEE – New York, my city has given me a lot during these years, but one of my special places is Space in Miami, I get really a home feeling when I’m there, I have a group of friends there and I love to be there.
URLOPOP – What are your projects for the near future?
VANJEE – I have a couple of releases coming up with remixes of different artists, and as I said in the beginning, travelling the world making people happy with good music. Good music connects people.
URLOPOP – What about your private live? How do you cope with all your travelling?
VANJEE – Well, I have three kids at home, this is actually what keeps me balanced. After this date, I am going home for a week after travelling for a month, I am looking forward to that! I take my pause, relax a little bit and enjoy my family. I love the fact that I have kids.
URLOPOP – Final question. Maybe a little cliché: what is Music for you?
VANJEE – For me it is really important. I’m the type of person that doesn’t do extreme sports, for me music is what drives my adrenalin. It is in my blood, I was doing it before it was fashionable to be a dj. Music for me is a different dimension, it makes me happy and peaceful. I am grateful every day that I am involved in music, and I do what I do with a lot of love, respect and passion.
