Steve Powers Continues to Distinguish Himself, Playing Alongside Major Artists and Producing

Of all the DJ’s to infiltrate the music scene in New York City, DJ Steve Powers has found a way to distinguish himself from the rest. Steve holds a weekly residency at the ultra-exclusive restaurant/club Lavo in New York, Dusk in Atlantic City, and Board Room in Chicago. He has played with countless big names including LMFAO, Avicii, Kaskade, and Laidback Luke. The New Jersey born DJ is one of three official G-Shock DJ’s (register & login to view link). Coming off a recent performance with Deadmau5 on New Years Eve, I sat down and spoke with Steve Powers to hear about that and much more.

• What is your ideal deejaying set-up?
• For me, I’m a Pioneer guy so I keep it pretty simple.  A Pioneer DJM-800 mixer, 3 Pioneer CDJ 2000’s, and a microphone.

• How has your sound or sets changed since you’ve started deejaying?
• Being based in NYC, you have to evolve with the crowd.  Especially as a working DJ because it’s so saturated.  There are a lot of people that are pretty good DJ’s so the more music you are aware of, the broader range you can cover when you are just starting out.  At first it’s all about being heard and proving your worth.
• Your first big performance, tell us a bit what that was like for you.
• Luckily for me I’ve gotten to play with some of the best DJ’s and entertainers in the world so soon, and it’s very hard to say which one was the first big one.  But for me I’d have to say the first time I got to play with DJ Chuckie, that was the most memorable.  He is known for such a high-energy performance, with a finely crafted sound that really is a sight to see.  I just wanted to put the crowd in the right mood for him to blow the roof off, and he did!

• One thing everyone is probably asking you about now, and I have to ask, what was it like playing with Deadmau5 on New Year’s Eve in New York City?
• Wow.  In all honesty, I have a newfound respect for him.  He has such a following of extremely loyal fans.  People came in from LA, Vancouver, Calgary, London, literally all over the world to ring in the New Year with him.  And he didn’t disappoint.  He is one of the most respected guys in the electronic industry, and I was just fortunate to be apart of it.  Not one person left the whole night it seemed, right up until the lights came on.  Everyone there was truly there for the music, which is how it’s supposed to be.  And that’s the ultimate compliment, which Deadmau5 has earned through years of consistent music and performances.

A packed crowd on hand for Steve Powers and Deadmau5 on NYE, 2012

• Which artists/DJ’s currently influence your style of play or production?
• My influence really just comes from within when I am playing.  It’s really no secret what I am about on stage.  I want every single person to have the time of his or her lives, and reach the highest energy level possible.  And now I am trying to match that from a production standpoint.
• Are you currently producing original tracks in addition to the remixes and edits you have?
• Right now, most of my time is in the studio, really crafting my sound, and coming up with as many original tracks as possible.  I’ve always wanted to have my music being played by others, and just walk into a room and hear one of my tracks playing at some massive event.  I’m currently working on a video and a release date for two tracks, which you guys will get the inside info on!

• I’ve seen some of your edits/remixes are co-produced by Brian Morse; tell us a bit about how you guys work together and that relationship?
• Brian is one of my close friends, and he truly is a musical wizard.  When I first started DJ’ing, he kind of took me under his wing and really helped me sound better sonically, and be aware of what I am doing at all times.  Now in the studio, we have a relationship that really makes it fun and easy to be creative because we both are passionate about the music, and we both trust our ears.  It’s really something that we take a lot of pride in, and get excited every time we drop one of our tracks for the first time.

• What are some of the highlights you’ve had in your DJ career?
• I’ve been lucky to get some great opportunities to play along with some amazing acts.  One of the coolest moments for me was getting to play alongside Avicii this summer.   Just being a part of his movement for a short period of time was special.  And then on a whole different spectrum, I’ve gotten to play with LMFAO twice which brought back the essence of just going out and having a good time.  If anyone gets the opportunity to go out and see them have one of their Party Rock events, I suggest you go, and bring a rain jacket!!!

Steve Powers (left), Avicii (right)

• How have you been able to stand out from other DJ’s, as seemingly everyone and their mother’s brother has gotten into deejaying?
• It’s really all about how you market yourself, and what your intentions really are.  For me, it’s always been music first, and I think it shows when I play.  A lot of people think, “I have iTunes, I have a computer, I can DJ.”  It takes a lot of practice, and most importantly it takes time.  You have to get comfortable with playing in front of large crowds and learn how to read the people.  “Open Format” is just an excuse for people that don’t know what they’re doing to just play whatever they want.  Very few people do it right, and don’t mess up the flow and energy of the room.

• What does it mean to be an official G-Shock DJ?
• G-shock came to me, and asked if I would be interested in a sponsorship opportunity, which was amazing, considering I always have a G-shock on when I play anyway.  Then they followed me around and shot some gigs of mine, and did a day in the life video.  It’s something that I am so glad to be a part of because I have a lot of respect for the brand, and what they do for the music community.  What was funny was that I shot the interview off of no sleep from the night before…thank god my girlfriend put my clothes together and made me look halfway decent! httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpFF6MkQlmA
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• Is there anything that you dislike right now that’s taking place in the music world or DJ community?
• As far as the DJ community goes, I could go on for days — but in the music world, I feel that the majority of artists are now finally seeing the plus side of dance music, and I hope they let it continue to grow, considering it is still relatively unknown.
• What is the most underrated track in your collection?
• I would say all of mine!  We’re working on that to make it so people around the world will get to appreciate what we’ve been working so hard on for so long.

• We hear you’re quite the ‘sneaker freaker’; how many kicks do you own?
• I’d say I’ve got at least 30 pairs of rare Nike SB’s, a few pairs of Louboutin’s, and maybe 30-40 pairs of miscellaneous.

• Which pair is your favorite in the collection?
• By far my black Air Yeezy’s that my girlfriend got for me.  I only bust them out on special occasions, like NYE with Deadmau5!!!

• Do you have any tips for the DJs on our site?
• The best advice I can give is work hard and put the time in on being a really solid DJ.  It will go a long way, and the better you get the more confident you will be and it will show when you are performing live.  But stick to it, you never know who is listening and when that big break will come.

• Going forward, where do you see deejaying and the status of electronic dance music moving?
• I like to think the possibilities are endless.  When you turn on the radio, it’s all a form of dance music.  All the award shows, dance music.  Even the CMA’s was dance music!!!  There are a lot of great pioneers that are getting the respect they deserve, which is inspiring to see.  Going forward I think DJ’s will surpass most average performers because they can put on a better show than a regular singer/band.  Swedish House Mafia proved it by putting on the most amazing show I’ve ever seen at Madison Square Garden.  Only bigger things like that are on the horizon.  EDM isn’t going anywhere.

-Scott Roth

scott@fromdjs4djs.com