DJ Luck : Joel Samuels

DN : So how did it all start off for you?

DJ L : I really started with DJ-ing with Jungle but I moved onto garage about 4 or 5 years ago. Jungle was always my main passion, but it was turning into drum and bass and I didn’t really like that, so I kind of looked elsewhere and garage seemed new and fresh and easier to get played out to people because it was small at the time.

DN : How much do you think Garage has changed recently?

DJ L: It’s gone comercial which is good for us, but ‘little bit of luck’ was underground and was never supposed to be released as a single. I always used it as an intro into my DJ set and since then it sort of took off.

DN : So how did it come to be released?

DJ L: Well it was released on 1000 white label vinyls at first and then 16,000 red vinyls and finally it was released nationally and has sold around 250,000 copies.

DN : Whats next for you?

DJ L : Poison is gonnna be released soon, but we’ve also got Master blaster jammin features mc neat and jj, it’s a stevie wonder cover and its on the other side of the red vinyl that had a little bit of luck on, ain’t no stopping perhaps in summer and of course poison after that

DN : How similar or different are they from Little bit of luck?

DJ L : These new singles are more commercially viable and its like a poison vibe.

DN : As regards signing to one record label, is that what you want?

DJ L : Its good not being bound to one record label because you’re so free and you can do what you want, I just want to make the music and not get told what to do all time, so in that respect its good, but at the end of the day, it’d be nice to have a home.

DN : What are you up to?

DJ L : At the moment I’m working nearly every day and it does get tiring

DN : And how about the money ?

DJ L : Money is good! You can either lick arse all the way to the topor you make a tune and get recognised and so I made a good tune.

DN : I suppose you are DJ-ing more too?

DJ L : Definitely, people ring me to play for them.

DN : How about an album?

An album in conjunction with middle row, and have own record label called lush

DN : How did you meet MC Neat?

DJ L : I started doing pirate radio and neat just came along on my first show and started helping me out doing the show, and it all took of from there really. Then we started DJ-ing together and so on…

DN : So obviously Pirate radio played a big part in garages success ?

DJ L : Without pirates, this music would not be, no playlists, all tunes start off on pirate radio and people like Dreem Teem did too

DN : What do you think about the stardom?

DJ L: It’s weird getting famous, autographs and all that………..we had to record Top of the Pops 3 times, and its strange getting chased for autographs….

DN : What do you think about Artful Dodger?

DJ L: I like Artful Dodger, and I think Re-wind was more commercial, but they’ve got a good thing going there.

DN : When you were ready to release Little bit of luck, how did you think itd go?

DJ L : Loads of people told us that it’d flop and then radio stations didn’t put it on their playlists, yet suddenly it started to become big and really hit off.

DN : Do you think that the music industry is a farce?

DJ L: Music industry isn’t really a farce, its just a job. I’m a producer too and I don’t really want to be tied to doing one thing

DN : Are you into other types of music?

DJ L : I’m not really into trance, I like house and sort of like everything else except techno

DN : Anyone you’d like to work with?

DJ L: I’m up for anything really

DN : Do you get offered lots of remixes?

DJ L : Yep, I’ve had to turn people down unfortunately

DN : Anyone we might know?

DJ L : Can’t say!

DN : What now for DJ Luck?

DJ L : I’m very busy at the moment promoting the new single

DN : What sort of position are you hoping for?

DJ L : Top Ten

DN : Are you worried that it might not do as well as Little bit of luck?

DJ L : Definitely, I think the second single is definitely the worst, but hopefully………

DN :Has the fame changed you?

DJ L : No, but I’ve heard stories from people when I’ve DJ-ed at club about other DJ’s but I just want to go into the club and meet the clubbers, not be locked away in some room somewhere, DJ and then go home. I’m not like that.

DN : What about the Garage scene now, because everyones signing garage acts, is that bad?

DJ L: All the majors are buying up garage and I’m proud to be one of top 5 people up there, the click, artful dodger, dj luck and so on, but it could just flop perhaps with lots of garage in the charts and majors don’t understand how it all works.

DN : We’ve heard a lot about Agia Napia………

DJ L : Agia Napia is Garage capital and absoutely amazing, I was there last summer….

DN : How about conquering other countries?

DJ L : In US, I’m are big over there and rewind and little bit a luck are the biggest tunes out there at the moment. The singles being released in Holland and France, and then 45 days after that it’ll be released across Europe

DN : What the most common misconception about yourself?