Hes come a long way from his cumbia mixing days in the motherland. CD’s and DVD’s are DJ INK’s media of choice, as he was one of the first to introduce the Chi to video mixing. Like a true Chicagoan, he has no shame in his love for a little Kanye here and there. You can catch him spinning 5 nights a week all across the city. Visit Ink’s myspace for a full schedule of his upcoming gigs.
Name: Gerardo Posada
Age: 37
Roots: Mexican
Day job: Southwest Airlines
Movie that best represents your life: It hasn’t been made yet..lol
Last book you read: The Turbo Tax Manual..no lie!
When did you start doing DJ? I started spinning when I was 18 years old in Mexico. Back then, I was spinning Mexican and Colombian cumbias at house parties. Those were the days…
How do you define your sound? I don’t have “a sound” per se….I love all kinds of music but I cater to the crowd. A good DJ constantly reads the crowd and plays what they want to hear. If it moves them I play it. If I like it and it doesn’t move them then I don’t bother. My job is to keep the crowd happy and moving. My likes take a back seat to the patrons of the establishments I work at.
What is your favorite album/record of all time? MAZZ’s greatest hits: I’m Tejano by circumstance.
Who do you listen to when you’re not spinning? I’m constantly matching different beats and genres of music. As a DJ, you have to be aware of everything that’s out there. Limiting yourself to one particular type of music may make you an expert in being able to match beat and spin well. However, you limit yourself professionally and personally. There are so many types of “World Music” and eclectic beats that its impossible to segregate yourself from the global community that we are.
If you could work with any artist/DJ/producer in the world, who would you choose to collaborate with? There are so many great artist/DJ/producers out there but, the one I’d like to work with is Kanye West . There is something in the essence of his music that is totally Chi-Town and that can’t be replicated unless you are from here. Also, I respect his perseverance and his talent as writer, producer, and performer. He is was told “YOU CAN’T” and…He DID!
Do you have a piece of equipment you can’t gig with out? I’ve learned to do with my personal equipment and to do with out it. Whenever you go to a club you don’t know what type of equipment they have or the condition it might be in so I have to “go with the flow.”
Do you use a set list when you spin? I used to but it never worked out. Every crowd at every club on every night is different. I just go prepared with all the music I have and follow the lead of the crowd.
What would be your dream venue to headline? The Mansion in Miami Beach!
How do you feel about popular music today? How would you change it if you could? I will not bite the hand that feeds… no comment on pop music today. However, if I could change anything I would make it legal for do’s to rework the music and create mash-ups of the music without any legal repercussions as a result of using copy written material. Right now many DJ‘s risk being sued by the record labels when they recreate hits that are not club friendly. The reality is that this is how the songs get popular. DJ’s are the ones that help make unknown or new songs popular.
How do you feel you influence your genre? My specialty is video mixing. I d like to think that I was one of the first to introduce it as a new vehicle for music entertainment in Chicago. Honestly, it was so new that nobody had the equipment that would allow me to play. I had to special order my equipment because it wasn’t even available in the States! A couple of smaller clubs took a chance on me and that’s how I was able to get my foot in the door.
How did you come up with your DJ name? My wife and I were bouncing off ideas. We wanted a name that epitomized who I am. The tattoos were it! The name DJ Ink was born!
Where do you hang out when not DJing? I spin 5 nights a week so if I’m not at the club I’m at home with my family.
2009 music predictions: Hip-Hop and mainstream music has and always will take precedent because it meets a certain demand. However, Rock en Español has definitely taken off from the underground and now is becoming mainstream so …we’ll see where it goes.
Guilty pleasure: I like La Sonora Santanera. Its old school Mexico; family.
Laptop DJ’s vs. vinyl? NEITHER! I use CD’s and DVD’s. Every dj , in his heart, believes his medium: vinyl, laptops, DVD’s, and/or CD’s are a pure medium for the art of mixing beats. I’ve tried lap topping it and it I didn’t like it.
Biggest challenges? Working with diverse crowds could be considered a challenge. But I love a challenge. You never know what they are going to want…or what the mood is going to be, so every moment for me is like being on the edge of my seat.