DJ legend of the South African music underground and event promoter of note!
A Quest For Sonic Truth.
Ivan has established himself as a major playa in the Cape Town music and South African underground music scene as both a reputable event promoter (promoting the world-renowned Prototype events and as ambassador for the South African branch of the Red Bull Music Academy), and also as a prolific DJ and vinyl junkie with a sophisticated and diverse choice in music.Ivan got into DJing sometime around 1995, playing vinyl records of his first love music; techno. With the belief that techno was more of a mindset than a genre, Ivan continued to push sonic boundaries, encompassing a love for all good music into his progressively minded sets. And so was created his alter-ego: dj low.“dj low allowed me to present a whole range of new music which Ivan the DJ couldn’tplay. I didn’t want people coming to a party expecting to hear my techno set and the next record I’m playing is a downtempo number. For me, dj low allows a freedom of sonic expression. Whilst my style was always hard and aggressive, dj low could come along and play the complete opposite everything from dub, reggae, to hiphop rap and drum ‘n’ bass. Why limit yourself?”When describing Ivan, the term “vinyl junkie” springs to mind, and speculation is currently rife that his vinyl records collection is one of the most comprehensive in South Africa. A habit, which Ivan says people should be wary of developing. “I think I will be broke for the rest of my life!”In 2003 Ivan was selected to become a South African ambassador to the Red Bull Music Academy, organising close on 100 individual gigs - in the space of a month – for the likes of Micheal Reinboth, Metro Area, Steinski, Markus Intalex, Tony Coleman, Mixologists, A-Track, Anthony “Shake” Shakir, Ja Da Flex and Osunlade.Ivan continues to be involved with the Red Bull DJ Academy, allowing him the opportunityto travel the world studying both old and new music trends and ultimately bringing it home so we can all enjoy it! With a stealth-like ability to whip almost anything out of his record bag and seamlessly drop it into the mix, Ivan takes the art of DJing to another level. His speciality is a dirty electro-techno mix, but he is equally well versed in all styles of the underground, so expect a thumping set of all of the above packed into a very large phatty boom patty!Live, Ivan’s decks ‘n FX set incorporates a range of sonic gadgets that he uses to sample, edit and manipulate his vinyl records, layering the sound with a selection of precision, custom cuts. Combining his manual dexterity with a KORG Kaos Pad and a Roland 404 sampler, his sets burn with flawless mixing, stalls, rolls, and glitches as he creates a unique sound and captivating live, party performance.Here comes the noise!