Exclusive Interview with Jenil
Jenil is one of the leading figures in the EDM scene of his home country The Philippines. The up-and-coming Open Format DJ and music producer has played all over South East Asia, and holds a residency at Illuzion, Phuket.
Siam2nite had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with Jenil and find out more about him!
Where are you answering these questions?
Currently, I'm back here in Phuket, Thailand. Preparing a good set for my upcoming tour this December.
How did you get in touch with electronic dance music in the first place and how did you get into DJing and music production?
I heard my first electronic dance music through car shows, and as I remember the first track that got me into this was Paul Van Dyk's "For An Angel". I got into dj-ing when my friends and I got disbanded because of work, so I decided to play my own music thru dj-ing and music production.
You play and produce a mix of Progressive House, Electro House, Tribal House, Trap. How would you describe your own music, what is distinct about it?
Being an open format dj makes me different from other djs, I also mix it with rock, hiphop, reggae and famous oldies. I produce my own mashups, bootlegs and originals so mostly what you hear in my set is exclusively made for the show.
What tracks, remixes or mix-sets would you recommend to someone that is not yet familiar with your music?
They should listen to the tracks released by Wall Recordings & Revealed Recordings. I mostly use their releases for my set and put my own style into their tracks.
What are you currently working and focusing on? What’s on your agenda for the near future?
I'm working on a new album for my team, Sora Nation, to be released this late December on Sora Beats Records and focusing on making new tracks this 2017. I have 3 good tracks coming out very soon on different european labels so watch out for it. 1 is a solo track and 2 are in collaboration with Ibiza Legend Jesse Garcia and upcoming artists KEVU.
You hold a weekly Residency at Illuzion Phuket. How did that come about?
I sent them an email and they got interested in booking me. I played once and told me to go back next month. Once became twice and twice became 4 times a week. I guess they liked my presence and performance on stage. I'm very lucky to have chosen by the best nightclub in Southeast Asia. We have a great team. We're like a family.
You have played all over South-East Asia. What were the best and the worst gigs you ever played and what were the funniest things ever occurred during any of your performances?
I could say the best gigs will always come from Illuzion. Its like playing in a festival. We got 3000+ people come and go every night and we can hold up to 5000+ on special occasions. Most people come from different countries so its a mix of foreign and local ones. Fortunately, I don't have a worst gig, well I do have bad ones but I don't want to mention them they might hate me for that. Haha! Most of the clubs I've played at around Southeast Asia have good hospitality and they're nice people. Funniest thing maybe when I almost fall of the stage because I tried walking around the djs booth. Thank God I got a good balance and still not drunk hahaha!
You are from Manila– the capital and the second most-populous city of the Philippines. What can you tell us about clubbing and nightlife there? Do you have any nightlife related suggestions for first-time visitors?
Manila is a great place for people who loves to party. Most of the talented djs I know comes from Manila, so its guaranteed that you'll have the best time of your life. For first time visitors, you should watch out for Djs like Ace Ramos, DJ Coki, DJ Kimosave, Ron Poe, Cathy Frey, Clyde Harris, Carlo Atendido, Sndrz, Katsy Lee & Mecha. Also check out Manila's premiere venues for clubbing, Valkyrie, Chaos & Haze.