DJ Manifest, our favourite bearded panty-dropper and party-topper, will be leaving our island for a bit, to chase after international dreams and goals. Since his arrival on the island five years ago, the talented DJ has gone through a musical journey that has impressed many a lady, yachtie and raver. Join him at his last two gigs before he says farewell!
How have you been spending your time lately, Manifest?
I’ve been good, enjoying island life as much as possible and perfecting my chili recipe. I am trying to fill up my last weeks with all my favourite shenanigans, lots of time at the beach, a natural pool here and there, babysitting a few babies (not mine), lots and lots of Ting and trying to get some good going-away parties going.
Have we missed out on any cool gigs?
In the last couple weeks, I had two unexpected last-minute gigs, which turned out to be a lot of fun. The first was the Ministry of Sound party at Waikiki with my good friend Obediah. I had a chance to play a little sunset set, which turned into an almost four-hour mix, which was a lot of fun. Last week, I ended up opening up the EDM event at Soggy Dollar Bar, which was a very intimate gig with very good sound. Shout out to the people who kept on dancing in the rain!
Any upcoming gigs we shouldn’t miss?
I have two more gigs before I leave this little rock. One is this Saturday, August 26, at JabJabs by Kim Sha Beach. It is called “Manifestival” and will probably end up being the most narcissistic party I will ever do [laughs]. It’s an all-day event starting at 2:00pm and continuing on till the early morning hours. I will be DJ-ing with three of my favourite DJs – Obediah, Classy D and Eclipse. Bring your boat, bring your floaties, bring your raft and enjoy the music, BBQ and ocean. My final gig will be a three-hour solo set on Friday, September 1, at Escape Restaurant & Lounge.
What is a Manifestival?
“Manifestival” started off as a play-on-words with Daniel Hodge, my brother from another mother; and two years later, it’s becoming an actual party! I teamed up with JabJabs and ILTT and our ideas will be coming to life on Saturday. The vibe during the day will be laidback – festival vibes all the way. In the evening, the party will go up and so will the music! There will be free giveaways, a henna artist, good tunes, backyard BBQ style food, free shots – I won’t take any of those of course – and a free ferry service going all day from Kim Sha Beach. You can also swim to the boat if you want!
How has your sound changed over the years?
How I started my DJ-ing five years ago in the DJ competition at Soggy is not at all how I play anymore – although that was epic night! Ever since growing a beard, my sound has also changed and I do a lot more improvisation during my sets. I try to create the right tone, the right vibe, and take listeners on a little trip, instead of just blasting out decibels and mixing from one drop to the other. I can thank DJ Koala and Hilltronic for that changed mindset, ever since they dragged me to the SXM Festival almost two years ago.
Any last words to your fans?
If you miss me while I am away, make Chef Johns Baked Risotto – just google it – and add a lot of bacon. Just add bacon to everything for that matter. Also, always have three corny dad-jokes ready – they are aMAIZing!
For more on Manifest, visit www.facebook.com/djmanifestsxm
