DJ E-Lite
Two things come to mind when I see a DJ named Elite: he’s got a lot of balls or he’s got a lot of talent. In the case of Ester Krizkova, a.k.a. DJ Elite, it has nothing to do with balls—at least from what I can tell by her beautiful pictures on her Myspace page—but everything to do with talent.
The Czech DJ acknowledges the moniker Elite can come off as conceited, but is careful to point out that when she first chose the name it reflected where she wanted to be in terms of her music.
In my interview with her, we talk about her music (energetic and invigorating), her dedication to the art of DJing (serious and technical) and the house scene in Prague (varied and changing).
ML: I can't begin this interview without asking you about your name. People who don't know you personally might assume you're cocky or conceited for calling yourself DJ Elite. I don't know you personally, but after hearing some of your mixes, I'd say your name stems from your confidence in your music and your abilities behind the turntables. But why don't you tell us in your own words why you go by DJ Elite.
DJ Elite: It’s true that my pseudonym can appear a little unmodest but it came about quite innocently. It occurred to me after visiting an event in Prague with modeling agency Elite Model Look. I wanted some sort of pseudonym and I liked the way Elite as a word sounded, and also as a way of expressing the quality of the music I wanted to play.
ML: On your MySpace page it says you started your career taking lessons at the MP4 DJ School in Ostrava, your hometown. Tell me a little bit about why you wanted to spin house music, why the school appealed to you, and some of the courses lessons the school offers.
DJ Elite: I began going to DJ school because it was the only way of getting access to professional equipment and a chance of playing loud in a soundproofed room. It’s a good opportunity for beginners who don’t have the money to buy their own equipment or who have unpleasant neighbours.
Mine was a 30-hour course, of which three hours were spent with an experienced DJ. Basically though, in the first hour he showed me how to wire up the turntables and mixer, how to set up a cartridge on the decks and then left me to my own devices to practise and practise. It’s not like a DJ factory. Anyone can learn the technical side of DJing but not everyone can be a DJ.
Originally, I thought about playing drum n’ bass, and in the beginning I even played some techno and trance, but in the end it was the vocals and the 4/4 beat of house that appealed to me the most. House is my real passion.
ML: More and more I'm hearing about DJs going to some sort of formal music school that teaches the art of turntablism or music production. As the world becomes more global and technologically advanced, do you think schools like that will be needed more and more in the future?
DJ Elite: Quite the opposite. Technology is evolving incredibly fast nowadays and is much more accessible than it was. The downloading and playing of MP3s has changed DJing completely. Whereas a few years ago in order to play a DJ needed expensive turntables and records that not everyone could get hold of or afford, nowadays you can play from a couple of iPods and you don’t need hardly any specialised equipment or know-how. The same applies to producing music – it’s enough to download a program from the net and straight away you can start composing.
ML: Let's talk a little bit about your home country. I've never been to the Prague, but every time I've met someone who's from there or recently returned from there, they've told me I have to visit for the nightlife alone. What's the house scene like in Prague, and how does it compare to the rest of the world?
DJ Elite: Czech party people are somewhat more complicated than those elsewhere. They tend to be more skeptical and less open to new sounds. Having said that, in my opinion, the Czech house scene is at the moment one of the best in the world in terms of the atmosphere at parties here. I think this has a lot to do with the trend of minimal music that has spread across Europe, Czech Republic included, like a plague, emptying dance floors in it’s wake.
A few years ago, the most popular style of dance music here was techno. Now a lot a Czech techno DJs have started playing minimal instead and many Czech clubbers have either turned to trance or to house in search of something more energetic and danceable.
ML: Your MySpace page also describes your sets as energetic and eclectic. Take me through how you prepare a set. How do you choose your music? Is it based on the gig and the venue?
DJ Elite: Although I choose which tracks to take with me when I go out to play according to the type of event I am to be playing at, I never prepare my sets beforehand at home as such.
As a DJ you never know how people will react to which music, and I always try to adapt my sets according to the reaction of the people on the dance floor at that time. Regardless of whether it’s in Prague, Paris or Bogota each party is different and unique in terms of the people that are there at the time and I try my best to play them a set specifically tailored for them.
ML: I know you've done sets in Poland, Hungary and Italy, but do you prefer doing sets abroad rather than in the Czech Republic?
DJ Elite: Since then, I have also played in clubs in Columbia, Morocco, France and Germany and each one was a great experience for me but it’s not possible to say if I prefer playing in the Czech Republic or abroad since, as I said, the situation varies from party to party. I’ve played events, for example, at respected clubs in Italy where the crowd weren’t nearly as responsive and up for it as at events in some forgotten corner of the Czech Republic and visa versa. I do enjoy traveling though, and flying in particular, and I do feel very lucky that I can see the world whilst doing what I love to do.
ML: So, what's up next for you? Where's the next gig?
DJ Elite: I’m off soon on a tour of China and am very much looking forward to that. China is for us Europeans very mysterious, partly because it is still a communist country. At the same time it’s a completely different world and a fascinating country with a vast history.
http://www.myspace.com/deejayelite
