Duncan F - 'The Knight of Malta'
Duncan F organises the very popular Pink Panther parties and hosts various other events held across the islands. He recently took his career a step further after performing in Dubai, Thailand, Sicily and UK clubs, going by the name of The Knight of...
Duncan F organises the very popular Pink Panther parties and hosts various other events held across the islands. He recently took his career a step further after performing in Dubai, Thailand, Sicily and UK clubs, going by the name of The Knight of Malta!
ClubCulture: How did it all start? Do you remember the first time when you put your hands on the "wheels of steel" and began mixing!
Duncan F: Well, I was about 12 years old, but I remember it well. I was more into hip hop and rap at the time although I was already into certain styles of dance music from the likes of Prodigy and Westbam. I was always fascinated by music from a very early age, playing the violin and the drums, always experimenting with other musicians. At that age, I bought my own turntables where I joined a hip hop band with Trevor C, Chris Psaila & Drury. The first time I put my hands on a set of decks I had no idea what the hell I was doing really. I had seen some other deejays playing and I just knew that I wanted to make something out of it! So I attended a three month course at David Dee's together with Trevor C, Sean Azzopardi and Stevy Vee. Equipped with a set of turntables and a dream, I took it up from there.
You have quite a presence in Malta. And you seem to be spreading it overseas also. How did it come about?
Erm, well it came as quite a shocker really! It all just started out by enjoying the whole music thing and the rest just looked after itself. I strongly believe that as long as you're enjoying being a DJ, any form of musician or musical artiste for that matter, the rest just looks after itself. Things just went from one level to the next. From playing in little clubs like Funky Mushroom and Places at the age of 15, it escalated to playing in the most exclusive club nights on the island at Bar Funk, Gianpula, Candy Box, hosting various beaches parties, on and on all the way up until today.
Do you consider yourself a deejay or promoter, or both for that matter? Which do you prefer?
Well that's a very good question actually. The two things I love the most are music and people, so I think being a DJ and a promoter enables me to combine the two together. Being a DJ/producer allows me to express my musical side of course, and being a promoter allows me to express my love for people. Experiencing a fusion of the two is what makes me feel truly alive. It's a feeling that I can't describe. It's something that's overwhelmed me from a very young age and something that I hope I'll be able to do for a very long time. As to which I prefer, it's hard to tell. They're two different things, you know, not comparable. All I can say is that I like them both very much and experiencing them at the same time, is a feeling that nothing else even comes close to.
How would you describe your music and who inspired you to become the great deejay you are today?
In the early days it was groups like Prodigy and Westbam and then it moved on to artists like Todd Terry and Frankie Knuckles, as well as producers like Masters at Work. Over the years I've been into various styles of music like hip hop, soul, break beats, progressive and even jazz. So you could say I appreciate many different styles of music, which in turn is reflected in the way I play. My style of music isn't a specific one. It is a potion of many styles of music that's aimed at setting a vibe. I've been lucky enough to find lots of people that share my views on music. In the sense that they're not just into funky house or just Indie or just progressive... Fortunately, I've found musically open-minded people, not only here in Malta but all over the world. I bridge many different styles of house music, like progressive with electro, funky house, with break beats, etc. Those people which have the same opinion of music as I do, really appreciate it and make my DJ experience worthwhile.
Which are your three most favourite songs/records that stand apart from the others? Let's imagine you were to going to an island for a year and all you could take with you is your turntable and three records. What would you take?
That's probably about one of the hardest questions you could ask me really. It's a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Especially because of the fact that my taste in music is so diverse. I'm into everything from classical, to dance, to rock, to jazz you know. But if I really do have to answer that question then I'd say I'd take three tracks which no matter how many times I've heard, have never put me off. There are few tracks that always seem to do it for me. One of which being Higher States of Conciousness by Josh Wink, a classic acid house track. The second one would be Fuoco Fatuo performed by Koop that is an electro jazz track with Koop jazzing over the top. I'd listen to Fuoco Fatuo in those chill-out moments on the island. The other would have to be What a Wonderful World by Lui Armstrong. A song that always puts a smile on my face, no matter what mood I'm in. Then again there's so much more good music in this world it makes it hard just to choose three, but those are definitely three tracks that I've never been fed up of and have heard so many times.
I know that these sorts of questions are really hard to answer, but thanks for the answers... What are you currently working on?
I'm currently working on a track called The Knight of Malta. It's a house track with a style that I can't quite put my finger on, but for a good reason. The reason being that I am working on a style of house that is specific and unique to Malta. My mission is to come up with a style of house music that will put Malta on the musical map. It's been a lot of hard work, researching Malta's history and music, from the mediaeval times onwards. Also I'd like to take this opportunity to invite anyone out there that would like to help me with this project to drop me an e-mail at info@duncanf.com.
Where do you think the local scene is going?
From a musical point of view, I feel that the local scene is growing and evolving as quickly as it does anywhere else in the world really. For the size of our islands we've got a large number of major events, as well as sub scenes being created by upcoming deejays and promoters. From the clubbers point of view I think there is still room for improvement. I think it's just a matter of time before Malta's club scene locks on to the rest of the world. I most definitely think that Malta will be one of the next Ibizas. When you think about it we've got top international deejays being booked on the islands every week nearly all throughout the year. It's quite amazing really. I have a lot of love for Malta. I have very high hopes for it.
Any future plans?
Yes. One of my near future plans is launching my record label, which is already in the pipeline. It's a web-based record label called Knight House Records, with which I'm currently signing up local artistes. I'm starting with a collaboration of local producers, pushing a style of music called Knight House.
Forthcoming events?
Well, as usual we've got our many exclusive events, which we organise throughout the year, but the forthcoming event has got to be the In Bed with Space (Ibiza) at Buskett Road House on September 1. We will be bringing Jonathan Ulysses down who is a resident deejay for the In Bed With Space World Tour, as well as world renowned Sua Amoa (pictured) who will be the vocal host for the evening. It will be promoted in many other countries aside from Malta, so all in all it should be the closing party of the summer.
September 1 is the date, Buskett Road House is the place. I'll see you there!
http://www.duncanf.com
ClubCulture: How did it all start? Do you remember the first time when you put your hands on the "wheels of steel" and began mixing!
Duncan F: Well, I was about 12 years old, but I remember it well. I was more into hip hop and rap at the time although I was already into certain styles of dance music from the likes of Prodigy and Westbam. I was always fascinated by music from a very early age, playing the violin and the drums, always experimenting with other musicians. At that age, I bought my own turntables where I joined a hip hop band with Trevor C, Chris Psaila & Drury. The first time I put my hands on a set of decks I had no idea what the hell I was doing really. I had seen some other deejays playing and I just knew that I wanted to make something out of it! So I attended a three month course at David Dee's together with Trevor C, Sean Azzopardi and Stevy Vee. Equipped with a set of turntables and a dream, I took it up from there.
You have quite a presence in Malta. And you seem to be spreading it overseas also. How did it come about?
Erm, well it came as quite a shocker really! It all just started out by enjoying the whole music thing and the rest just looked after itself. I strongly believe that as long as you're enjoying being a DJ, any form of musician or musical artiste for that matter, the rest just looks after itself. Things just went from one level to the next. From playing in little clubs like Funky Mushroom and Places at the age of 15, it escalated to playing in the most exclusive club nights on the island at Bar Funk, Gianpula, Candy Box, hosting various beaches parties, on and on all the way up until today.
Do you consider yourself a deejay or promoter, or both for that matter? Which do you prefer?
Well that's a very good question actually. The two things I love the most are music and people, so I think being a DJ and a promoter enables me to combine the two together. Being a DJ/producer allows me to express my musical side of course, and being a promoter allows me to express my love for people. Experiencing a fusion of the two is what makes me feel truly alive. It's a feeling that I can't describe. It's something that's overwhelmed me from a very young age and something that I hope I'll be able to do for a very long time. As to which I prefer, it's hard to tell. They're two different things, you know, not comparable. All I can say is that I like them both very much and experiencing them at the same time, is a feeling that nothing else even comes close to.
How would you describe your music and who inspired you to become the great deejay you are today?
In the early days it was groups like Prodigy and Westbam and then it moved on to artists like Todd Terry and Frankie Knuckles, as well as producers like Masters at Work. Over the years I've been into various styles of music like hip hop, soul, break beats, progressive and even jazz. So you could say I appreciate many different styles of music, which in turn is reflected in the way I play. My style of music isn't a specific one. It is a potion of many styles of music that's aimed at setting a vibe. I've been lucky enough to find lots of people that share my views on music. In the sense that they're not just into funky house or just Indie or just progressive... Fortunately, I've found musically open-minded people, not only here in Malta but all over the world. I bridge many different styles of house music, like progressive with electro, funky house, with break beats, etc. Those people which have the same opinion of music as I do, really appreciate it and make my DJ experience worthwhile.
Which are your three most favourite songs/records that stand apart from the others? Let's imagine you were to going to an island for a year and all you could take with you is your turntable and three records. What would you take?
That's probably about one of the hardest questions you could ask me really. It's a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Especially because of the fact that my taste in music is so diverse. I'm into everything from classical, to dance, to rock, to jazz you know. But if I really do have to answer that question then I'd say I'd take three tracks which no matter how many times I've heard, have never put me off. There are few tracks that always seem to do it for me. One of which being Higher States of Conciousness by Josh Wink, a classic acid house track. The second one would be Fuoco Fatuo performed by Koop that is an electro jazz track with Koop jazzing over the top. I'd listen to Fuoco Fatuo in those chill-out moments on the island. The other would have to be What a Wonderful World by Lui Armstrong. A song that always puts a smile on my face, no matter what mood I'm in. Then again there's so much more good music in this world it makes it hard just to choose three, but those are definitely three tracks that I've never been fed up of and have heard so many times.
I know that these sorts of questions are really hard to answer, but thanks for the answers... What are you currently working on?
I'm currently working on a track called The Knight of Malta. It's a house track with a style that I can't quite put my finger on, but for a good reason. The reason being that I am working on a style of house that is specific and unique to Malta. My mission is to come up with a style of house music that will put Malta on the musical map. It's been a lot of hard work, researching Malta's history and music, from the mediaeval times onwards. Also I'd like to take this opportunity to invite anyone out there that would like to help me with this project to drop me an e-mail at info@duncanf.com.
Where do you think the local scene is going?
From a musical point of view, I feel that the local scene is growing and evolving as quickly as it does anywhere else in the world really. For the size of our islands we've got a large number of major events, as well as sub scenes being created by upcoming deejays and promoters. From the clubbers point of view I think there is still room for improvement. I think it's just a matter of time before Malta's club scene locks on to the rest of the world. I most definitely think that Malta will be one of the next Ibizas. When you think about it we've got top international deejays being booked on the islands every week nearly all throughout the year. It's quite amazing really. I have a lot of love for Malta. I have very high hopes for it.
Any future plans?
Yes. One of my near future plans is launching my record label, which is already in the pipeline. It's a web-based record label called Knight House Records, with which I'm currently signing up local artistes. I'm starting with a collaboration of local producers, pushing a style of music called Knight House.
Forthcoming events?
Well, as usual we've got our many exclusive events, which we organise throughout the year, but the forthcoming event has got to be the In Bed with Space (Ibiza) at Buskett Road House on September 1. We will be bringing Jonathan Ulysses down who is a resident deejay for the In Bed With Space World Tour, as well as world renowned Sua Amoa (pictured) who will be the vocal host for the evening. It will be promoted in many other countries aside from Malta, so all in all it should be the closing party of the summer.
September 1 is the date, Buskett Road House is the place. I'll see you there!
http://www.duncanf.com