The bass could be felt in attendees’ chests on Wednesday night at the Depot. DJs competed in the annual DJ competition hosted by Associated Students. The winner, neeko99, gained the role of opening for the Daya concert this Saturday, the main event of this year’s Rhythms Music Festival. Each contestant had 30 minutes to woo the judges with their sets.
The lineup for the evening carried a range of DJs, each with a distinct flow and style. The first performer was Tidy, whose real name is Miguel Sanchez. His mix was rave-ready and leaned into nightcore. Tidy chose his rave name after feedback that his mixes were clean and smooth.
“I get into this flow state,” Sanchez said. “I know exactly what I’m going to do, when I’m going to do it and why I’m going to do it.”
Next was KJ, also known as Kotaro Kajinishi, who has been DJing for about two years. In an interview after his performance, he said he just wanted the listeners to be happy and satisfied after hearing his beats and mixes.
Michelle Yang, the manager for the Depot, was anticipatory for the different sets of the night.
“There was a huge difference between the styles of the first and the second DJ, so I’m excited to see what every DJ will bring tonight,” Yang said.
The third performer was Victor Ramos, who goes by Vikita-XCX and had signed up without experience with DJing.
“I ain’t never DJed a day in my life, but I said ‘screw it why not,’” Ramos said. “When I pulled up today, I realized these guys are legit, but I had a good ass time.”
Ramos, who plays for the rugby team, had his friends turn up for his set and take over the dance floor. He brought his energy not only for himself but for his supporters.
The penultimate DJ was neeko99, or Nicholas Chu, who integrated his own music taste: a blend of hip-hop and Soundcloud listens.
“I am able to highlight and showcase my own music taste, and it’s just building something from a starting point if I like it,” Chu said.
The final contestant was mikeysoul, real name Michael Soleta, who had a different approach from the others. Soleta is heavily inspired by Daft Punk and used a talk box to distort his voice while singing during his set.
This was the first time that Soleta had performed for half an hour, and he admitted it was a struggle because of the energy it takes to sing into a synthesizer. Regardless, students flooded the floor in admiration to watch him perform.
“I’ve been doing this for ten years. I’m a big fan of Daft Punk and their style, and wanted to sound like them,” Soleta said. “I had a lot of fun, and seeing the crowd enjoy what I do, it makes me want to keep going.”
Sanchez, the first DJ, stayed for the entire event.
“The other performers were dope,” Sanchez said. “I was looking forward to it all the whole night.”
As the last set winded down, the judges were left to decide the winners.
Tony Lava, one of the judges, took into consideration the tiny details throughout each DJ’s set, including crowd engagement and DJ ability.
“It’s based on how the music flowed together,” Lava said. “The transitions are really important, the beats per minute, and the seamlessness of it all.”
When they came to their conclusions, Yang announced the winner: neeko99. He won $300 in addition to the role of opening DJ for the concert on Saturday. KJ Kotaro placed second, winning $200 and Tidy finished in third, winning $100.
“I’ll definitely be investing in some more gear,” said Chu, reacting to his victory.
