A leading figure in both the Trance Scene and Pioneer DJ in Vietnam, Kaiser Tran has been a DJ who has built a name for himself across Asia in the last 10 years. Working now as the Marketing Manager of Pioneer DJ Vietnam, Kaiser is also the former Vietnamese champion.
Making his mark in 2012 with his fellow DJs, Kaiser has since started producing his own music and plays alongside one of the finalists of Vietnam's first Mix Us Happy, HILLUSION, in the trance duo Ro-TUNE.
In this interview we ask Kaiser to share with us a little more about what has happened since the Pioneer Digital DJ Battle Asia 2012 and the direction that he's heading towards now.
ADM: So Kaiser, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and Ro-TUNE?
KT: Xin chào! My name is Kaiser T, and I come from Vietnam. I have been a professional DJ for over 10 years and was the champion of Vietnam Pioneer DJ Digital Battle in the year 2012. Currently, I am working as a Marketing Manager at Pioneer DJ Vietnam Center. How Ro-Tune started was when we did the first Mix Us Happy Vietnam (MUHVN) contest.
I noticed that the finalists were relatively new and do not know much about the music industry. Then, I decided to work with the winner of the best performance award, which was HILLUSION, and created a brand new alias with him. This project presents an example for the MUHVN season 2 contestants to follow. From here I hope they can use it as an example to brand themselves and market themselves into the industry if they choose to pursue DJing.
ADM: Could you tell us a little about how you got into the battle?
KT: When I met Kenzo Trinh (former Vietnam Pioneer Digital Dj Battle 2010), he advised me to participate in the 2012 battle.
I still remember Kenzo telling me that winning my own fear is a great victory, not to win or to lose in this tournament. So I signed up for and won in 2012.
This can be considered as a great stepping stone for my DJ career. It opened up more door where I constantly learn, exchange knowledge and meet new friends.
It has been a great and happy time working with friends & DJs in this industry who I met through Pioneer DJ Vietnam.
ADM: Could you tell us a bit about the scene in the early 2000's?
KT: I was not a DJ in the early 2000's, but I did know about the DJ scene in Saigon at that time.
There were many very famous Vietnamese DJs such as: DJ Khải Định, DJ Hoàng Anh, Dj Thien Hi etc. They were the pioneers of the scene.
There were also some foreign DJs playing turntables. The focus of the scene is on clubs and discotheques, not on the lounges or so.
ADM: Being a Trance DJ, how would you describe the scene to be like for Trance music in Vietnam?
KT: In Trance, just like any other genres of music like Techno or House, what people want is a community. It's a place where they can build their names, express themselves, and talk to other people that shared their interest.
Moreover, within the community, there will be events and offline sessions. These kinds of activity give DJs an opportunity to come together, to show their skills, and to cultivate new knowledge and experiences. On the other hand, we have to give the promoters here a big shout out. They've tried to bring a lot of well-known DJs from all around the world to Vietnam, which gives the Vietnamese DJs a big chance to shine. They will able to stand next to the headliners and learn a thing or two from them, which is so precious to have.
ADM: So with your work in Pioneer DJ Vietnam and Mix Us Happy, how would you say you've changed the DJ scene in Vietnam?
KT: My work in Pioneer DJ Vietnam Center is mainly concerned around the equipment, especially the technical side and education. I love sharing my knowledge with other people, as well as receiving new ideas from them.
We have organised workshops for DJs, both beginners and experts in the field. Being willing to share is a one of the top requirements of our Pioneer DJ Vietnam team. As for Mix Us Happy , it is a brand new playground created for younger generations with the passion for music. "Everyone can be a DJ", is the motto of the competition.
Starting in Singapore 3 years ago, the program aims to provide the best DJ experience to the public through a series of free training sessions. Over the last 3 years, Mix Us Happy has successfully grown into an annual program spanning across 4 countries: Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal and many more to come. It can be considered as the first step for youngsters to express themselves and get familiar with the scene. We constantly remind contestants to "Never underestimate your ability to DJ!". As for why I started this journey in Vietnam, I became DJ when I was in university, and it took me almost 10 years to build myself a name in the scene. It was a very long and time-consuming process.
At that point I met Mr. Kevin Keagan, from Pioneer DJ Singapore. (He had completely changed my life by giving me tons of advice on how I should do my thing. "If you don't do it now, somebody else will", he said.) After all, I realised that DJing was my greatest hobby, and I really love to teach people how to DJ. Which is why I decided to begin the journey of Mix Us Happy Vietnam and become a part of our big family.
Finally, Mix Us Happy is a unique project blend of the most danceable music, unite atmosphere, and open-minded people!
ADM: So do you have any up and coming projects you'd like to share? KT: For now I think I will put more work on my solo project Digital Code, but the main focus at the moment is still Ro-TUNE. HILLUSION and I are working super hard to bring to you guys a brand-new track in 2019. Besides that, Mix Us Happy season 2 has just ended and I am eager to see what the contestants have in store.
Whether they were in the final or not, if they have a burning passion for electronic music and would like to work with us, then Pioneer DJ Vietnam will always prepared to assist them.
Currently, we and ARCAN’s Team Vietnam (a close partner with us) are running a many project such as : Infinity War Series and Spirit of Nature in order to support for young young & talented local artist play the best music.
ADM: Do you have anything you'd like to say to young DJ's in Vietnam?
KT: Sharing knowledge and learning from each others will be a great way for young DJs to grow. And of course, if you don't do it now, somebody else will.
The Generation Of Change is a series that focuses on the finalists of the Pioneer Digital DJ Battle and how their lives were impacted by the competition that has led to them leading the change in grooming a new generation of DJ's