Nowadays everrrryone’s a DJ. Give someone an iPod, laptop, or CDs and suddenly they think they’re Jam Master Jay or David Guetta. I got my first set of turntables at 16 and to this day remain an analog baby on the decks. That’s not to say I don’t have the utmost respect for all the digital DJs out there- the DJs out there on their hustle making music rather than just pushing buttons. It’s a tricky line to dance these days, technology has made it way too easy making many DJs or wannabe DJs lazy. It only makes me respect those with true passion even more. Besides, just because I haven’t moved past vinyl doesn’t mean my digital savvy fellow turntablists shouldn’t. And if you ever thought a DJ was simply someone who played music for you, you clearly haven’t met DJ HOHME. With credentials ranging from gracing the pages of DJ Mag to playing world famous desert festival Burning Man to being featured on Master of the Mix on VH1, DJ HOHME is more than just your average DJ. I’m lucky enough to know him as more than a DJ; to me he is a yogi, a hustler, a friend, an inspiration. And I think you’ll find him pretty damn inspirational too.
Name:
David Heyerman, DJ under the names HOHME, david hohme, and am half of the deep house group, REAL∆EYES
Location:
Based in Brooklyn, NY
How long have you been a DJ?
I’ve been DJing for almost 7 years, professionally for nearly 5 years now
What made you pursue this career path vs what you studied in school (what did you study in school)?
In school, I was a double major in business & dance. I was also classically trained in piano for over 10 years, so music & rhythm have been a big part of my life since I was young. I was always the person who put together playlists for parties during college, so at some point DJing just made sense to me. Going out to Hollywood clubs, seeing guys like DJ AM and Stonerokk really inspired me a ton, seeing how they could navigate the night musically was very intriguing.
What has been your greatest accomplishment as a DJ?
Three things that come to mind as far as my biggest accomplishments go. First, I was awarded a full-page feature in DJ Mag (the most popular Dj magazine in the world). Second, I was recently picked out of countless DJ’s across the country to compete on VH1’s hit show, Master of the Mix, which was filmed in Miami earlier this year. Most recently though, Tiesto, one of the top 3 DJs in the world played one of my songs on his radio show, Club Life. The podcast is syndicated on radio stations worldwide and likely resulted in millions of plays of my mashup track, Apollo’s DNA.
What inspires the music you make?
The music I make is inspired from that feeling you get when you hear a new song you love right away. For me, I usually smile and get the chills immediately. I’m constantly striving to make music that has that exact effect on other people.
Greatest collaboration (that either has or hasn’t happened yet for you)?
I teamed up with an incredible producer/DJ named PjOE and we’ve been in the studio for almost a year now working on a new deep house project called REAL∆EYES. We’re currently pitching our debut EP to record labels. It’s even more exciting as we’re not just doing DJ sets, we’ve got a live show including synths, drum machines, ipads, live vocals, and PjOE’s illumin-S laser harp.
Dream gig? Aspirations/ goals for the future?
When I DJ, I play under two names usually, HOHME for EDM, and david hohme for deep house. For HOHME, definitely would be playing festivals like Ultra, EDC, and Tomorrowland. I’d also love to tour through Asia, as I keep hearing how much people would love my music out there. For david hohme, playing parties like Robot Heart at the Burning Man Festival and Panorama Bar in Berlin.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
On the HOHME side of things, I’d say either Kaskade or Tiesto. They both played instrumental roles in my introduction to house music in general. On the david hohme side of things, definitely Lee Burridge, who I can say was paramount in getting me into deep house, and still inspires me every time I see him play.
The industry you’re in, the music you spin, people could easily assume you live the ultimate party life, do you? How do you balance out work, play, & healthy living?
People definitely like to assume that, however it’s not all fun & games. Don’t get me wrong, I feel incredibly blessed that I get to play/make music for a living, but it’s truly a lot of work. I don’t really go out unless I’m playing music…when I’m not DJing, I’m usually in the studio producing new tracks/edits/mashups or filtering through the endless amounts of new music that’s coming out these days. To stay healthy, I cook most of my own meals, go to the gym, practice yoga & meditation, and play soccer.
Words that get you through?
