Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Cabrera.
Hi Anthony, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was always into music, my parents were both in the nightlife scene when they were younger so early on I was exposed to a variety of music from 80s rock, Spanish rock, to 90s house music and HipHop. I can vividly remember my dad’s car CD player going from A Tupac CD to A DJ Enrie House mixtape. My mom was heavy into Depeche Mode The Cure and Morrissey. When I got into my teen years I fell in love with dancing specifically pop locking so that drove my love for music further. My 8th-grade year I got into some trouble at school and wasn’t allowed to attend my 8th-grade dance I was supposed to spend the duration of the dance inside the library until the DJ that was djing the dance came to look for a helping hand in unloading his equipment, he chose me and a friend to help. Because I helped him he convinced my Principal to let me stay for the dance. During the dance watching him control the room with music was mind-boggling to me. I asked my parents if I can download a DJ program from the computer and I started making little mixes here and there. My parents noticed how much I was into it and helped me buy my first setup.
After a few months of djing with the equipment I had, I learned that what I had was not the industry standard and I began to save to buy the industry standard equipment. I also started djing house parties with a close friend, while Djing these house parties I ran into another friend of mine who got me my first club gig. I began to do work with the promoter and was doing work for basically free. after a few years of doing that I landed a residency in Downtown Fullerton at a brand-new Nightclub/Bar I held the residency for seven years. During that time I wanted to continue to grow. So I spoke to a few friends about possibly pursuing a career with Power 106. After some thinking, I reached out to the person in charge at Power about possibly joining the team and in 2019. This year I also began to work with DjCity, as remix and editor. I began my journey at Power 106. Coming out of the pandemic I was brought back to work at Power and also helped The nightclub where I held my residency at, open their second venue. I’ve since then left the company and now play at Multiple venues across SoCal and have started a podcast The Takeover Show with my three closest friends from Power 106.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a DJ the road will always have its bumps. The feeling of doubt always lingers and sometimes you get stuck in that though process. Having to favors for promoters, having to sell tickets, dealing with Djs who for some reason just don’t like you, or just being rejected is an ongoing struggle in the DJ Community. Lucky for me I’ve always been surrounded with amazing people and an amazing support system to help me jump out the funk. The key to this industry is to just keep going don’t get hung up on what you hear or see. Everyone’s story and struggles are different so just don’t compare and the road begins to smoothen out!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I mostly DJ and Edit music. That’s what I would say I’m known for. On the DJ side of things, my strong point I feel is my understanding of the nightlife and nightclub industry. I like to think I can walk into most nightclubs and figure out what that venue wants within a few minutes. I think that comes from my love for music and the variety of. music I was opened to by my parents.
When it comes to my remix and editing work. I’m huge on energy in my DJ sets. When I create My remixes and edits I put myself in the position of how would this work in the club, or how would this work at a private event, or corporate event, etc. I tailor make my edits to work in a specific setting rather making all my work Big room Festival style.
I’m most proud of being able to say I’m a full-time working DJ. I’ve been fortunate enough to turn this into an actual job and support my family with My work at Power 106 and my work in the nightlife industry and I’m always grateful to those are willing to work with me.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Get out there!! No manager, promoter, booker is gonna come knocking at your door. And don’t fear rejection, its not your fault. There are so many factors that go into getting booked. Is there space on the calendar, does the venue already have residences, are you talking to the decision maker, and are you showing up with the promoter marketing tools to make you stand out. Do you business cards, a logo, a demo, and is it all readily available. Try linking up with local djs who are working in the industry and pick there brain, watch them work ask questions and don’t be shy to helping out when you can.
Understanding that No doesn’t mean no it just means not right now. Is something I wish I knew. I always found myself getting upset when Id get rejected by bookers and never looked at it from their perspective. A lot of the venues I play at now I tried reaching out to when I was just getting started and I was getting a lot of no’s. But after putting in the work and building relationships with the right people I began to land those exact venues!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/djaudiorokk
- Twitter: twitter.com/djaudiorokk
- SoundCloud: Soundcloud.com/djaudiorokk
- Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/djaudiorokk/
