DJ Gene Rivers has been committed to his craft and pursuing his journey from his youngest days. Most known as former DJ on George FM and KFM, Gene has seen many sides of the DJ and radio industries. We discuss the beginnings of hip hop and the way some of New Zealand culture adopted and imitated the emerging American trends. We also discuss George FM and the internal changes that arguably caused the station to lose its way. Oh and we talk about the infamous Max Key!

What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue a similar career?

I suggest anyone wanting to get into DJing (as cliché as it sounds) is do it for the love and understand the art form and culture as a whole, it’ll give you a greater appreciation and respect, then hopefully making money and getting notoriety will become a by-product of doing something you love not the focus.

Learning to DJ on vinyl is helpful although not a necessity especially with the amazing advancements in technology but learning it as an audible art form is important. Listen to the music and build relationships and feelings with the tunes you play, this will come across in your sets. It’s also important to understand who you are as a DJ, play what you love, be true to your sound whether it be top 40, hip-hop, soul/ jazz, house etc.

Don’t even bother starting if you’re about the “scene” you’ll only crash and burn or lose interest, understand there is no silver bullet to success/ fame/ fortune, well maybe you could buy it? Haha. Lastly, advice I got from the don Manuel Bundy was “it’s not what you play, it’s when you play it.”

What is the biggest challenge that you see for people seeking a career in the creative sector and how do you navigate that challenge?

In this country there’s not a lot of money or jobs currently going round. Understand that to give yourself the best chance of success you will need to have a strong business sense and holistic skill set to maximise your chances of success in the creative sector. Having said that I’m still trying to figure it out, maybe that’s why I got a 9-5!

What is the core belief that drives what you do?

A love of good music and a deep desire to share new music with an audience who appreciate the other 99% of music, mainstream media and major labels generally ignore or disregard. I have a thirst to hear and discover music new and old, it’s an addiction.

How have you learned from failure in the course of your career?

Yeah nah I played what I loved regardless of the consequences. This has been a significant hindrance but it also help set me apart. I wasn’t overly conscious of it at the time and it wasn’t till I was asked by another DJ with far superior technical ability, how is it that I was able to achieve what I had and he hadn’t? I had no answer but upon reflection maybe it was that I wasn’t playing what the masses were, so managed to develop a name and reputation for a distinct style and sound that set me apart? That can backfire but it was a decision that helped feed my kids and pay the mortgage so…