AJ Gibson: I Live For Godskitchen

6 years after joining Midlands superclub Godskitchen as their principal resident DJ, AJ Gibson has leveraged his position to become a globe trotting international DJ, spinning from Ireland to Australia in between weekend's at Birmingham's Code.

Passing through Kuala Lumpur recently, he chatted to Skrufff's Angie Ng, live on her radio show on Malaysia's Wow FM and revealed an unusually single minded approach to his career.

Skrufff: You joined Godskitchen 6 years ago, yet I read somewhere that they're celebrating their 5th Anniversary this year…

AJ Gibson: "It's very confusing because Godskitchen has actually been going on for longer than they admit. We did monthly events in Bedfordshire but it wasn't until we moved to Coventry that the club really kicked off, which was 5 years ago."

Skrufff: You're in here KL representing them; What sets Godskitchen apart from clubbing organisations like Gatecrasher-

AJ Gibson: "I don't know because I don't know too much about Gatecrasher. I live for Godskitchen. I do see a lot of the big name DJs but just in passing. I think compared to a lot of the other superclubs, Godskitchen haven't gone too deep with their music policy. They aim to provide something a little different with a carnival sort of atmosphere. It's for kids aged 18-25 and they stick to the music they like rather than trying to push boundaries and prove points which don't always work."

Skrufff: How much do you approach Godskitchen sets differently from playing under your own name-

AJ Gibson: "It all depends on what time I'm playing and who's on after me. As the resident DJ at the club in Birmingham, I'm not there to be the guest DJ, I'm there to get the music right FOR the guest DJs. So if I've got Tall Paul on, for example, I'll play so Paul can carry on; or if it's Fergie, I'll play so Fergie can, which, believe it or not, means very different music styles. A lot of it is about being versatile as a DJ."

Skrufff: The name Godskitchen is somewhat unusual, is there some kind of religious connotation behind it-

AJ Gibson: "No, not at all, it's linked to house parties. It all came from the idea that if you're at a house party, where's the best spot- -Usually in the kitchen. You get people in lounges and bedrooms but all the people that are nattering (chatting) about nothing and 'going nowhere' are always in the kitchen."

Skrufff: What do the initials in your name stand for, Andrew James-

AJ Gibson: "AJ. just AJ. . . .Andrew James- I've never been called that before, that's new."

Skrufff: Godskitchen is based in Birmingham, right in the middle of England; do Birmingham people generally consider themselves Northerners or Southerners-

AJ Gibson: I think Midlanders generally don't get caught up in that North/ South thing; we're just 'up for it'. People go round saying, "It's so different to the North…or to the South"; but I don't notice it. It's like Kuala Lumpur, people say that clubs around the world are 2 or 3 years behind the English clubs; but the last time I was in KL was probably one of the best nights that I had last year."

Skrufff: Did you fall into DJing or did you actively set out to become an international DJ-

AJ Gibson: "I don't think anybody sets out to do that, it's just a dream that comes true. I started out playing in local clubs and I've just stuck at it and worked at it and it's just developed. Sometimes you wake up thinking "is this really happening-" It IS a dream come true."

Skrufff: Have you ever cleared the dance floor-

AJ Gibson: No I haven't, but I was telling my lads on my way out that what I did do on Boxing Night was play Wham's Club Tropicana in the middle of my set. I thought I'd have to run from the DJ box but actually more people danced to that record than any of the others."

Skrufff: What does AJ you listen to when you're back at home chilling, kicking back; other styles of music, maybe Rock or UK Garage-

AJ Gibson: "Uplifting Trance. Yeah,< Tags

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