DJ Chillz Talks About Winning at Life and a Night Out on The Town at Riddim Nights
With her latest track ‘Winning’ making the waves on streaming platforms, this marks an exciting new chapter for DJ Chillz who is steadily climbing up the ranks of rising female talent making their mark on the industry. Alongside her producing talents, DJ Chillz is also the founder of Riddim Nights London a weekly club night in Croydon and the syndicated Eclectic Sounds Radio Show, ‘Winning’, features the sultry vocals of East London singer, Miss Locker, combining percussion and bouncy drum beats together with Miss Locker’s dulcet tones. We speak to Chillz about what it means to be winning in life and what a ‘Riddim Nights’ outing looks like.
Your latest single ‘Winning’ is making all the waves. What is your definition of winning in life?
Winning in life to me means doing what I love or what I feel is my calling and I don’t question if I’m happy or the monetary aspect of what I’m doing. My aim is to live in a constant state of gratitude.
There aren’t many women of colour in the DJ industry. What are some of the challenges that you have faced in creating a name for yourself in the game?
I would class myself as an Ambivert (if I really had to label myself) and as a DJ this has challenged me a bit. Once I step into the DJ booth my alter ego comes through and the energy from the music comes through. However, on the flip side, when it came to negotiating gigs in the earlier days of my career and talking to promoters, I would feel my depth. I felt awkward talking about money and pushing for a good set time. However, the more I put myself out there the more confident I grew and the more respect and the more primetime line-ups I was given.
How do you think those challenges can best be addressed?
Personally, for me, I overcame my challenge by pushing past the fear. It’s a feeling everyone can relate to but not everyone can conquer. The main thing is not to try and do it in one big go. Try breaking the main goal into smaller steps such as going to events you would like to DJ at, interact with the people that are part of the team (promoters, other DJs, people on the door), research other events that could need a DJ or music curator. Clubs are not the only avenue (shop launches, book releases, radio presenting, etc). Number one for me is never comparing yourself with anyone else’s career. Admire but the comparison will lead to distraction from your own goals trust me I know lol.
How would you describe a night out at Riddim Nights?
Riddim Nights is all about incorporating the afro sounds and bringing the energy and vibes of that sound. Everyone is welcome and it’s all about spending the weekend around like-minded people who just want to enjoy the weekend. In addition, I like to bring upcoming DJs and artists through the platform.
Who are some of the artists you are feeling at the moment?
At the moment I am listening to a lot of Amapiano (a new sub-genre of afro house) DJs and Producers out of South Africa such as Kabza De Small, Cuebar and DJ Maphorisa. Also, female artists such as Tipcee. There is an artist by the name of Osondu and his track ‘The Caveman’ has been on repeat on my Spotify for months now.
But generally, I listen to various types of music especially when I want to try different things production-wise. I was repeatedly listening to Artful Dodger ‘Moving Too Fast’ when I was producing the beat for my latest track “Winning”.
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