Going the distance for DJ Miles Slater means reaching out to people with music, living from the heart and not piloting planes for Cathay Pacific.

Let’s start at the start, tell me about your first crazy night on a dance floor.
Well it’s been a long time since my first ‘clubbing’ night out (I was 16 years old!) but I can still remember it like yesterday. It was an eye-opening experience to be amongst the heat and energy of a nightclub at such a young age. I had already thought about taking up DJing but my future was 100% sealed on that dance floor as I gazed up to the elevated booth where a DJ Angel from New York held the crowd in the palm of his hands with the very same records I was buying and listening to at home.

Why do you DJ?
I DJ because I love music and being able to touch other people with music. And it’s a great honour that I am lucky enough to do this for a living.

When you go to other clubs, what makes you take notice of another DJ?
A DJ that knows his music and his crowd usually gets my attention. Even if it is not a sound I like, I can appreciate the skill and effort that goes into planning and executing a great set. But to be honest, it is the bad DJs that usually grab my attention most: I physically cannot remain at a bar or club if the DJ can’t mix!

If you weren’t DJing or producing what would you be doing?
Well, from the age of eight I had decided I was going to be a pilot (that’s what happens when Top Gun is the first movie you remember seeing!). It was only at 14 or 15 that I started to think about anything else, so if it weren’t for DJing I’d probably be flying passengers around the world.

Is there much difference between the club scenes in Hong Kong and London?
I find the HK club scene formulaic. it’s very similar to the high-end VIP clubs in London. But London also has mainstream super-clubs and an underground scene to complement the models, tables and bottles places. I have friends [in HK] who are independent promoters, and there is a small underground scene in HK, but they find it hard to find venues to put on their events as most places in HK are just not open to new ideas or are too greedy about money. My favourite thing about the HK scene is the friendliness of the crowd: You can walk up to anyone in any club in HK and make a new friend and that is something that you just cannot do safely in many other cities around the world.

What do you like about producing that you can’t get from DJing?
As a DJ you constantly analyse records: How long is the intro? Are the beats crisp enough? Does that breakdown go on too long? Is the vocal too cheesy? Your taste will usually be exactly the same as the guy who made the record, but as a producer, every time you create a track in the studio it can be ‘perfect’ according to your tastes.

You say on your MySpace page that your music defines you and you define your music?
All the music I play comes from my heart. I don’t play bad records full stop and I don’t play records just because they are popular; this mirrors my personality very closely. I play soulful music because I’m a soulful person: I like to look deeper into things hence my love of deep music, I’m very passionate about what I do and that is why I play music with intense vocals and passionate solos. It’s also important for me to maintain integrity in both my personal ethics and my sets and I have no problem turning down a gig if the venue asks me to be someone I’m not. This also extends to my social life.

You’ve been here a couple of years now, how has the club scene changed?
It seems to me like more clubs are chasing the high-end market that belonged to places such as Armani/Bar, Dragon-I, and Kee Club. Also more clubs are looking outside HK for talent – bringing in international DJs is not only the preserve of the ‘top three’ venues anymore.

Miles is the resident DJ at Armani/Bar HK. He plays every Thurs-Sat, entry is free.