1.TMT: By the way thanks for the interview Tony.
Dj Tony Martinez: Thanks a lot for having me!
2.TMT: So let's get started, how did you get into djing? What age were you when you first started?
Dj Tony Martinez: I remember hanging out with one of my cousins at my aunt's house when I was about 12 or 13. A family friend who was a local dj had left his equipment at their place overnight. My cousin was fooling around on the gear pretending like he knew what he was doing and it just FASCINATED me. I knew it was something I had to get into.
My parents were both huge music aficionados growing up and had thousands of funk, disco, and Motown records stored in our home gathering tons of dust. I used that as a way of weaseling my parents into buying me one of those Gemini starter packs...so it could also be for their use, not just mine. I was 13, just about to turn 14 at that time.
3. TMT: When did you decide that you wanted to make this your career? Was your family supportive of you?
Dj Tony Martinez: I guess you could say I decided I wanted to make this my career a few years ago. I didn't always know that I wanted to dj professionally as my full-time job. I struggled finding work for years and years, but after a while things slowly started to pan out for me and eventually I saw the potential to do what I loved as my full-time job.
Throughout high-school and college, my parents thought I was going to become a lawyer. My djing obviously steered me in a different direction. At the end of the day, I'm extremely happy with my life and my family sees that so they support me...they always have.
4.TMT: What was your first residency? Were you nervous?
Dj Tony Martinez: My first true residency was this spot called Minx in Glendale about 4-5 years ago. I was pretty nervous at the time and didn't really have any club experience at all but the promoters there had confidence in me. It was a big room, so it was there that I began to learn how to properly program a room and really rock a spot. That night turned out to be really successful and ended up lasting several years. I was there every Saturday for about a year.
Right before Minx, though, I dj'd this lesbian spot in WeHo. That was my first gig, but I wouldn't call it a residency because I got fired from it after a few weeks!
I eventually used those spots to help me branch off into a couple Hollywood gigs and that's how things started out for me.
5. TMT: Being a part of Deckstar Management, what's it like being along side some legends like Dj Jazzy Jeff, Strech Armstrong, Dj AM? Any pressure?
Dj Tony Martinez: Of course, there's a whole lot of pressure. That's a good thing though, in my opinion. I look up to a lot of the dj's on the roster, especially the OG's. I feel the need to represent the Deckstar name to the best of my capabilities. I guess you can say it keeps me on my toes and definitely motivates me to work harder to become a better dj. There's a lot to live up to.
6. TMT: What are your thoughts in where music is going in night clubs these days? Where would you like music to go for the future in night clubs? Any artists out there that you really like that you would like to share?
Dj Tony Martinez: I'm really displeased with the way music has turned in the LA scene these days. I remember going out to watch my favorite dj's get down all the time back in the day. 5 years ago when I was an avid clubgoer, djs controlled the crowd and the music selection for the night. I'm not so sure that holds true in our day.
It really pisses me off because I'm seeing the tolerance for ECLECTIC, great music for that "in" crowd deteriorate. A lot of people only seem to dig hip-hop and house these days, which is boring and lackluster in my opinion. It's up to dj's to give their audience a musical experience and not just regurgitate the garbage they're used to hearing on Power 106 and KIIS FM.
In due time, I would love to see the djs in our city take that control back and not give the narrow-minded folk the power to dictate the types of music that make the clubs pop.
Artists/producers in heavy rotation on my Serato vinyls are GRUM and Classixx.
7. TMT: How do you set your self apart from the average dj, what would you consider your style to be like?
Dj Tony Martinez: That's something I'd rather not give away :) As for my style -- I'm a club dj...I don't claim to be anything else. I rock parties the way I like to and don't try to imitate other djs or their respective styles. My style is Tony Martinez.
8. TMT: Name 5 records that will never leave your crate when djing.
Dj Tony Martinez:
Crooklyn Clan/Fatman Scoop - Be Faithful
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Jay-Z - PSA
Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars
Daft Punk - One More Time
9. TMT: Any words of wisdom you would like to share for other djs out there?
Dj Tony Martinez: Network and work hard; it's always great to hone your skills and perfect your craft but no one is ever gonna see it if you're hung up in your bedroom all the time. And don't burn bridges.
10.TMT: Where can we catch you spinning at?
Tony Martinez: check the twitter to stay up: twitter.com/djtonymartinez
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