Gav Pauze Exclusive Interview

Greetings DJ Pauze and welcome to DaMajority! I’m glad we have a chance to talk to you this afternoon.

DJ Pauze: Greetings, its a pleasure to be here to hold a reasoning with you, thanks for the link up.

My pleasure, so please tell me about yourself? What you do within the entertainment industry?

DJ PAUZE: I am a Radio/Club DJ, Producer/Engineer and a Songwriter/ poet as well as being a web designer amongst many other things that are involved in running a business. My passion is spinning records and I started doing that in clubs around England and Scotland around 1995 and playing on the radio in the UK since 2006 full time and now reaching out to over 150 different countries worldwide in 2012 and 13. I have been known as DJ Pauze since around 1997 but when starting the radio shows in 2006 and seeing that more DJ Pauze’s where popping up around the world I decided to use my own name Gav Pauze to spearhead the works, Gav being short for Gavin.

How long have you been dj’ing and how did you get into it?

DJ PAUZE: For many years I have had a passion for vinyls, mixing, producing and music in general. I first remember in 1989 a DJ at a family wedding encouraged me by letting me select the next song and cue it in. The passion just grew from that, no matter where I was or what other hobbies I took part in vinyls captured my attention more than anything else. It wasn’t until about 1995 that I started collecting records properly for mixing. After moving house I linked with some local DJ’s who gave me access to equipment to practice on. I was hooked on spinning records, it became like a drug, so addictive and when in the zone with mixing that just spurred me on to practice harder and save up to buy a set of Technics 1210′s with a DJ mixer and continue collecting records to which I still do to this day.

Who has inspired and does inspire your works?

DJ PAUZE: Many artists have inspired me over the years and a whole variety of musicians and people. Nowadays with all the radio work and communicating with Reggae lovers all over the world it’s a combination of the positive artists like Mikey General, Bunny Rugs, Wild Life, Sylford Walker, Chanter, Solo Banton, YT to name a few and not forgetting probably the most important part of the show, the listeners they inspire me. When I am having a hard day I usually press play on an old radio show on my website and have a listen. So I would say it is the music and the people in the music that inspire me the most today.

Do you specialise in any specific genre and if so why?

DJ PAUZE: From 1995 to 2004 I was a Jungle DJ spinning records in clubs and house parties all over the UK. In 2004 I had a life changing experience falling off a BMX bicycle and seriously banged my head. In the recovery time from this accident I got more in to listening to positive Reggae music which helped me heal through depression. My main genre of focus over the past 6 years has been all positive uplifting Reggae Roots & Culture and Lovers Rock, since finding it helped heal. I still play Jungle music as both genres are very closely linked so it seemed like a natural progression. General Levy broke the charts in the UK in the mid 90′s with his hit Jungle tune “Incredible” and Buju Banton was also one of the most sampled artists for Jungle music in that era too.

I can see your radio show is going great, tell us more about it…

DJ PAUZE: My show is Called the Unique Reggae Mix Show and is 2 hours long, consisting of both Roots & Culture and Lovers rock. It’s “More Music Less Talking” policy defines the show into a much needed thing on the radio, enabling the listener to be able to listen to music instead of an ego inflated DJ shouting pull up after 20 seconds of the song, then after rewinding it continuing to talk all over it, so your still unable to listen to it! I pride myself on creating each show as a journey and try and mix the music as smoothly and as seamless as possible. The shows are archived on www.pauzeradio.com. Every Reggae radio show that I have planned and produced since 2009 is on the website. My show is also featured on Irie Vibes Radio Detroit, ran by Lady Pam in the USA. It’s not easy but I have been and will continue to carry on working hard to promote the positive uplifting side of music, that is often overlooked or missed off commercial radio station playlists.

I know what you mean, personally I can’t stand when a DJ pull up every 10 seconds, especially in clubs, come on let us hear some music! Give us a little taste of it! What current and new projects have you been working on ?

DJ PAUZE: Currently I am continuing the Unique Reggae Mix Show but started writing Album reviews to go with the shows when I feature songs from new albums. The past couple of years I have been writing poetry releasing a book in 2011 called “In Heart Mind & Soul” a book containing uplifting poems and prayers. There will be a second book with over 45 uplifting poems in and some of the profit from the book will be donated to “Headway” the head injury charity in the UK that helped me after the accident.

I will also be concentrating on writing more songs this year. Currently I have written songs for and with artists like Mikey General, Peter Runks, which will be out soon and also Wild Life, Bredren B, V.C, Torch and Carol Ellis. Since opening the studio in 2011 I have took up more producing and audio mixing and mastering. Working with artists like Bunny Rugs (lead singer of Third World Band), Mikey General, Percydread Natural-Ites, Terry Ganzie, Chanter, Verse iTal, Matthew Radics and many more.

Let me say, I had a chance to read your poems, big up! So inspiring for real, keep them coming Gav! Now tell me, what is one thing you cannot live without?

DJ PAUZE: Thank you Mala, I am unable to live without my turntables and vinyls, they get me through so much and its a good work out too. It’s shocking how many youths now do not know what a vinyl is. I have been collecting vinyls since the mid 90′s and still collect to this day now, Reggae and Jungle being the main focus with the collecting.

What was your first record you bought, do you remember?

DJ PAUZE: My first record was a sound effects record from the BBC and after that it was a Mikey Finn song from 1992, I forget the title of it but I never forget going to the record shop to crate dig and that’s another thing that got me hooked on vinyls.

So how is the scene in your eyes at the moment?

DJ PAUZE: The scene is doing great I feel at the moment for positive Reggae. Over the past few years I have seen more and more people from all over the world becoming positive Reggae music lovers and it’s so good to see. One issue with the scene at the moment I would say is the free downloading thing that is out of control. It seems like other selecta’s like to set up free downloads to gain exposure for themselves whilst sacrificing the livings of producers and artists without a thought or care of the consequence! Would be good to see that change. Another thing is too that the UK scene is very quiet it seems like it’s just a small amount of promoters supporting conscious music and because of that I have been contemplating either moving to the USA or heading into Europe.

I agree, let’s hope for the return of Roots & Culture back in the scene. What advice would you give to up and coming DJs/Promoters?

DJ PAUZE: Okay as for advice, I am still learning myself, that never stops butthere are many things I could see that could be improved all round within the Reggae scene. Dj’s, plan and prepare for your shows and do them to the best of your ability but always look to improve. Another thing I would say to everyone is, be honest! There is way too much dishonesty within the music and it would be good to see that change, along with that it would be so good to see more unity and less divide in an industry that chants one love it does not seem that all that sing that actually mean it.

Thank you so much for your time today DJ Pauze, looking forward to talk to you soon again, meanwhile wishing you lot of success, good luck with everything you’ve got coming up!

DJ PAUZE: Thank you for taking the time to talk, it’s been an interesting reasoning. I would like to say a huge shout out to everyone that has and does support the music and poetry works. Listeners, Artists, Producers, you are all valued and don’t forget to check out the Pauzeradio.com website and contact us anytime, I love hearing from everyone. More music!