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Coming from a musical family, DJ Neekola has been involved in music from the very beginning. Her mother was a well known guitarist in the NYC area, and her father played in a few bands as well. Neekola was never encouraged to pursue her musical abilities due to her parents lifestyles, however she knew she had a place in the music scene and began pursuing it on her own. Her early inspirations were the work of Kraftwerk, Herbie Hancock, and Faithless. Her curiousity had landed her jobs as a vocalist and keyboardist in various rock bands, however she felt that she had to do more. She started collaborating with other musicians, producing her own rock music, and writing her own lyrics. Although she had started to accomplish a lot, her heart wasn't completely into it, as her real passion was within the electronic beats of her inspirations.
She basically jumped blindly from producing rock to electronic music, and ran into some complications. Through the guidance and advice of her mentors, (Tyke, Conway, Christopher Lawrence), she began to learn how to DJ, in order to become a better producer. To begin, she enrolled in NYC's Scratch Academy, and learned how to spin using vinyl hip hop records. (Will Star) Once the basics were learned, she was addicted. She invested into her own equipment and music, and pursued the genre of trance. Soon she was good enough to pick up a regular gig on Wednesday nights in Element Lounge of Richmond, VA, guest DJ spots around town such as Level II, and various house parties around town. Just as things were picking up, Neekola was scheduled to move to Italy for a short time to complete her degree, however this did not keep her from pursuing her passion. She learned enough Italian to network with the promoters in Perugia, and soon began a new Wednesday residency in Merlin Lounge of Perugia, and guest spots in larger venues such as St. Thomas, and Matriosca.
Through these newer experiences, Neekola has transitioned from trance into house music, with a focus on electro. She has many influences, such as Benny Benassi, Dirty South, Kaskade, Sander Kleinenberg, Tiga, Jamie Mchugh, Christopher Lawrence, Tocadisco, Mischa Daniels, Axwell, etc.
Neekola has been living in the DC area for one year now, and in this year she has accomplished so much. Upon moving to the DC area, Neekola gained residencies in clubs such as K Street Lounge, Kasbah of Baltmore, and now DC's newest megaclub Ibiza. She has made guest appearances all over DC such as Fur Nightclub, Japone Cafe, LeftBank, The Ritz Carlton, Mezza Luna, Zanzibar, Jordan 8, Science Club, Club Five, and has been requested for various local private events as well. In MD she has made guest appearances in Mosaic and Kasbah. In VA she has played in Bridges, Zaaza, Element Lounge and Level II.
In addition to pursuing her passion for DJing, she has also joined forces with Tony Cord and Richard Johns, forming D'Aire crew. D'Aire's goal was to gather the most eclectic group of people in all four quadrants of the city, and give people a chance to see what all of DC has to offer, versus only one quadrant they may be favoring to, such as NW. D'Aire let's people enjoy one another, these new venues, and brings all of these eclectic people together by creating a perfect vibe - the sounds of DJ Neekola and her guests, as well as an open bar and tasty food sponsored by local restaurants in the area. This concept has generated such a buzz, that the D'Aire crew and thier concept were mentioned in DC's prestigious Washington Life magazine, September 2007 page 100. D'Aire will be hosting thier final event in October of 2007 - however, D'Aire promises to keep the movement going in 2008 with even better parties, and continuing with the "Open Air" concept, the parties will be hosted in DC's own parks. www.myspace.com/dairedc
Neekola's main inspiration within the beats of music is to help inspire people through sounds and melodies, and wants to make a difference in the world of Electronic Dance Music. She has future events planned to help non profit organizations that have the same focus as she - to promote dance music in a healthy, drug-free way, hopefully changing peoples lives for the better. She is continuing to pursue production, so look out for some of her songs that will be coming out in the near future!!
Check out DJ NEEKOLA'S latest chilled out mix HERE
