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DJs tap the ‘Force of Nature’

The fifth installment of Riskei Production’s party series, “Forces of Nature,” returns this Saturday night to the Vista Hall at the W Seoul Hotel in eastern Seoul. “Forces of Nature” is one of the largest organized DJ shows in Seoul, having brought big-name DJs like Boy George, Towa Tei, Silva and Who Da Funk in the past year.
Fans of electronic music will have their chance to burn the dance floor to the sounds of two of the most-demanded DJs from the Western hemisphere: Sandy Rivera and Smoking Jo. Other acts include Portable Groove 09, also known as PG9, a project group consisting of three Korean generators of electronic music. Also on scene will be Insooni, a dynamic vocalist from the mainstream Korean pop industry, Kim Jo-han, the country’s R&B guru, and a string of local DJs.
DJ and producer Sandy Rivera is dubbed one of house music’s most innovative craftsmen, and his club-oriented career has spanned almost a decade. His purely melodic numbers through his compilation, “Kings of Tomorrow,” garnered an impressive collection of remixes (Terry Callier’s “I Don’t Wanna See Myself,” Voices’s “Can You See the Light” and D’Menace’s “Spank”) and original productions (L.T.’s “Come Into My Room,” Sean Grant’s “I Hear My Calling,” and Julie McKnight’s “I Want You For Myself”). He made his name with progressive and experimental music played for the “Defected in the House” party mix and by collaborating with world-renowned DJs such as Junior Jack and Bob Sinclair.
Seeing the lack of female DJs in the ’90s, Smoking Jo made a demo tape for friends and customers at the Gaultier shop in Soho, New York, where she worked. Adopting a glamorous style, the DJ picked up a sexually ambiguous name and was soon offered gigs at fashion after-show parties, which led to club events. She accepted a DJ challenge at a party called NastyDirtySexMusic in Ibiza, Spain in 2004. Success there led to her global tour and release of a double CD, “NastyDirtySexMusic Sessions,” by Ministry of Sound in 2005. Smoking Jo is now a regular at the “Nude” party series designed for club kids, fashionistas and overdressed drag queens. She’s seen at after-parties with the likes of the Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones and Jamiroquai, as well as at fashion events by Alexander McQueen, Michiko Koshino and Julien McDonald. The after-party starts this Sunday at 3 a.m. at Club M2 in Hongdae, northwest Seoul. Partiers will be offered a free shuttle bus to M2.

by Ines Cho

A ticket costs 20,000 won ($20) through Interpark. The Happy Hour is until 11 p.m. during which two drinks cost 5,000 won. For more information, call Riskei Production at (02) 542-1567.