DJ Big Kid: My weekend

DJ Big Kid: My weekend

SINGAPORE - Singaporean Johnson Ong (right), 33, who is better known as DJ Big Kid, left his marketing job with a public relations company to be a full-time DJ five years ago.

Now, he spins at clubs around the world, from Shanghai to Los Angeles. You can also catch the bachelor at clubs here such as Avalon, Play and Taboo.

"I am out of town for a month every other month, as about 80 per cent of my gigs are overseas.

If I am in town and am not working, I will spend Friday nights with my family at their home, which is an apartment in Farrer Road.

I have dinner with my mum, grandma, brother and nephew - my parents are separated - at about 7pm. After that, I will spend some time bonding with my six-year-old nephew by reading together.

As he knows my job is music-related, he also likes to show me the latest videos of Matty B, a 10-year-old American rapper who does covers of popular songs on YouTube.

We bond over the videos, singing along to the songs.

I stay till 9 or 10pm, then join my friends for a movie at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard or Great World City.

We watch what is new, an action flick or a romantic comedy. I then head back to my one-bedroom flat in Tiong Bahru and am in bed by 1am.

On Saturday mornings, I try to get up by about 9am to meet a few friends who live close by.

We go for breakfast at Tiong Bahru Market.

There are so many delicious options there, but I usually opt for the porridge or wanton noodles.

Then, we head to Tiong Bahru Bakery for coffee and pastry and hang out there till 1pm.

After that, I go home and work on my music. It takes about 32 hours to put together a track, which includes laying down all the layers of vocals, kicks and percussion, and editing it until it's ready.

I always have a few jobs or projects going on at the same time, such as doing marketing work for my father's oil and gas equipment company or producing songs for a music label. These take time away from my creative projects. If I work really hard, I can put out one new track a week.

As a DJ, I need to keep putting out new material for people who follow me on Facebook or for music labels on the lookout for talent. This helps to get my name out there so the music labels will commission original tracks from me.

I love making music, so my work is actually play; it is fun for me.

I work all afternoon and through dinner if I do not have plans. If I do, it is usually to meet friends for dinner at about 8pm at restaurants such as Chop Suey Cafe in Dempsey Road, P.S. Cafe in Ann Siang Hill Park or Keng Eng Kee Seafood Restaurant off Alexandra Road, which serves the most amazing black pepper and salted egg crabs.

Most of my friends are in their late 30s and early 40s, so we do not go to clubs as often as before.

After dinner, we go to a friend's place and drink whisky and talk until two or three in the morning. Then I head home, drink lots of water before I go to bed by 4am. On Sundays, I'm up by 11am.

Sometimes, I go for lunch with my family.

Usually, I just get a quick bite from across the road, such as a sandwich from Tiong Bahru Bakery or bak kut teh from Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh on Seng Poh Road.

Then I join my friends at Tanjong Beach Club in Sentosa, where we get a table or a cabana. It usually becomes a party of 30 to 40 people, with friends of friends hanging out and having fun.

We drink champagne, speciality cocktails and white wine sangria.

I enjoy the atmosphere there. It is very laid-back and social.

At about 7pm, we either head home or to a restaurant near my place, such as Ting Heng Seafood in Tiong Poh Road.

Then I go home and vegetate in front of the TV.

I go to bed by 1am."

vlydia@sph.com.sg


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