Luke Judge

Posted by Brittany Mendenhall

BM: How did you choose your DJ name? Or if it’s your real name, why did you stick with that?
MANERO: Growing up my nickname was Young Volta thanks to my resemblance to the young John Travolta. Later a friend changed the name to Manero because of Travolta’s character in Saturday Night Fever. To top it off the movie was also filmed in my neighborhood.

BM: Would you consider DJing a full-time job or a hobby?
MANERO: It’s a full time job especially when dealing with the politics in this game. Also, looking for new music has become my second nature.

BM: What do you do during the day?
MANERO: Re-live an episode of Pinky (Me) & The Brain (Gezim) haha. I also call my mother and my girl 75 times a day. I’m always nervous about something.

BM: When did you know you wanted to be a DJ?
MANERO: A good friend of mine (Sal Morale) threw me into the game blind folded, you could say he put me on. He was late to a gig at Mr. West and asked me to go on and cover until he got there. It gave me an opportunity to get a feel for a live crowd. Since then I knew this was what I wanted to do but I would have to practice a lot more if I were to take it seriously.

BM: Fill in the blank: If you couldn’t be a DJ, you would_________
MANERO: Probably have cnnctd* up and running.

BM: What DJ(s) did/do you look up to and have you ever met them?
MANERO: DJ AM and yes I got to meet him at a sneaker event. Another one is DJ RIZ , he’s like the godfather of this game! If you haven’t listened to the Tim Westwood Mix it’s one of the many reasons I look up to him. The two guys that taught me pretty much everything I know now are DJ Vitale and DJ Mel DeBarge.

BM: How would you describe your DJ style and what’s your favorite type of music to spin?
MANERO: Type of music is hard, I’m currently working on a 70’s disco mix which has been a big interest of mine. However my favorite type of music to search for is Indie/Hipster stuff.

BM: Complete this sentence: I can’t go into the booth without…
MANERO: My laptop it’s pretty important! Can’t leave home with out it! I’m not a very needy person so that’s about it.

BM: What type of food do you crave when your set is finished and where do you go to get it?
MANERO: Lately it’s been Bubby’s but it used to be a Chinese spot called 69 Bayard.

BM: If someone wants to request a song, say because it’s their birthday, how should they do it? With cash? Via twitter? With the song written on their boobs?
MANERO: Twitter would be pretty creative.

BM: What three songs do you wish you never had to hear again?
MANERO:
1. Empire State Of Mind
2. California Gurls
3. Tik Tok

BM: What three songs am I missing out on by not having them on my iPod?
MANERO:
1. Swedish House Mafia – One (Your Name) feat. Pharrell
2. Breakbot – Baby I’m Yours
3. Cee Lo Green – F*ck You

BM: If you could produce a song for any artist who would it be and why?
MANERO: Madonna. She always finds a way into my interviews!

BM: If you could curate the soundtrack to any movie, what would it be?
MANERO: That’s tough. Probably something with Tim Burton.

BM: What’s your dream gig?

MANERO: Something with Madonna or John Travolta.

BM: What’s your favorite city to DJ in (aside from New York?)
MANERO: I had a blast in London & Miami. Going to DC, LA and Paris soon. Should be interesting!

BM: What are your favorite clubs to spin in NYC?
MANERO: SL and RdV. Smaller rooms are a blast because you can get as creative as you want!

BM: Would you ever play Hanson in your set?
MANERO: Ummm…BOP

BM: What is the worst part of nightlife?
MANERO: The Politics.

BM: What is the best part of nightlife?
MANERO: The Politics. It keeps you on your toes!

BM: What’s your next career move or will you DJ forever?
MANERO: Forever is a long time and there’s so many things that are involved in a “DJ” now a days. Music and turntables will always be a part of my life. Aside from music I’m re-launching a new media company called cnnctd* with a few friends real soon but we can save that for the next interview!

BM: Any projects you’d like to promote?
MANERO: cnnctd.tv

BM: Where can I stalk you in the Internet?
MANERO: New site will be done real soon djmanero.com but for now you can follow me on Twitter @DJManero718

BM: Where can I listen to your mix tapes?
MANERO: There will be some fun stuff up on the site soon or dubset.

BM: What’s your fun fact?
MANERO: I’m entering a big dance competition at 2001 Space Odyssey and Jon Lennon (GoldBar) has been training me for the pass 3 – 4 weeks! I’m going to WIN.

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