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Deejay Punk Roc

Author: Alias
Sunday, January 1, 1995
"Calling all cars: be on the lookout for a mean motherfucker with adimples. Carrying a black beatbox, tapedeck and speakers. He's DeejayPunk Roc, and he's bad." Or so goes his formal introduction to theworldwide music audience, an electro-tinged slice of old school futurismdedicated to his trusty portable stereo titled My Beatbox, which threwthe UK press into a spin as they all hastily reached for their pocketOxford's in an attempt to explain his mix of old school hip hop and newschool beats. The album, Chicken Eye, continued the full frontal PunkRoc assault, and subsequent dancefloor stormers like Dead Husband andFar Out have struck a chord the world over, Australia included, wherePunk Roc will be during the end of January for a set of festival andclub gigs that are anticipated to say the least.

It all started in 1997, when UK label Airdog Recordings picked up MyBeatbox for their Still Searchin' compilation. The label thoroughlyloved the track and signed Punk Roc. The British press loved him evenmore and began building up the unassuming dj as the next big thing, thefresh face that would bring big beat to another level, or as NME stated,"another Daft Punk who has done his homework." It all seemed to fallinto place so perfectly, as styles such as drum and bass and big beatstarted to lose their effervescence, and the house music sub genresbegan to lose all meaning (and people's tolerance), Punk Roc crawled outof his studio with a swag of songs that took elements from all of theabove - the menacing jungle basslines, the energy of breakbeat, theurgency of techno and the groove of house - and blended them into ablippy big beat explosion filled with charisma and charm.

An album of new material was recorded and all of sudden a fresh newtalent had really emerged, the tunes on Chicken Eye proved beyond adoubt that the hype surrounding the oddly named selector were well andtruly justified. Four years after composing his first tune, Deejay PunkRoc was about to crossover, something he had never considered when himand a friend used their limited studio setup to bang up tunes forthemselves and their friends. It was something they did purely for fun.

"I had no idea," states Punk Roc down the line, "It [making music] wassomething I thought other people did!" Now he is in the position ofmaking the music, and whilst the pressure has been placed on him toperform, he seems to take it all in his stride. "I think a lot of otherpeople would feel the same way when they get going and make themselvesas a success they be like 'whoa, what's happening'. I pinch myselfeveryday. Everything I've got is a bonus and I am thankful to be where Iam, and I don't ever forget that. Ever. I take it a lot more seriouslynow, and I know a lot more too because I've been around and have a lotmore influences now seeing I've been to so many countries this year."

In fact, fourteen countries. Apart from travelling all over Europe,knocking up appearances at many festivals, Punk Roc has also toured theUnited States with the likes of the Prodigy, trip hop exponents Esthero,and trash hop stalwarts Korn, a band who he has also remixed. As well asthe touring have come the inevitable remix requests, Force MD's,Glamorous Hooligan and many other tracks have been given the midastouch. Surely Punk Roc's much publicised military background (he joinedthe Army at 16, and was stationed in places such as Japan, Germany andEngland) would have helped him cope with the hectic workload. "Yeahdefinitely. I've never knocked that," he remarks. "Discipline instilledallows you to get things done on time, and you get more achieved thatway. I'm not strict 100% 'yo you must be this, you must do that', but itdefinitely means you try to take care of things. I look at things a lotfurther than what is right there in front of my face, I see beyondthat."

As Punk Roc has toured so many co

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