written by Emily Tan

NEW YORK – DJ Theo (Theo Pisani) is a popular radio DJ for Party 105.3FM Radio, one of the country's most important terrestrial radio stations for dance music. With the release of his debut CD, NYC MIXX (UBL Music), Theo sat down with DJ Times writer, Emily Tan (www.DJTimes.com ), for a special interview for Raves.com and DJFix.com. Here's how it went:

Emily Tan: You're a radio DJ and programmer for Party 105.3FM Radio, one of the country's biggest dance music radio stations. How do you prepare for your radio shows?

DJ Theo: Well, my first commercial radio gig was at WLIR [the legendary alternative/dance radio station] doing their "LIR Dance Party" live, and I was into New Order, Depeche Mode and bands like Nine Inch Nails, musically. WLIR came down to do a live broadcast at the club where I was DJing at the time and they saw me spin and eventually offered me and the club to do the dance party as a weekly live club event for broadcast. That was big. WLIR was one of the first radio stations to give-up the airwaves to a live DJ in a nightclub environment. So for me, besides all of the mechanical things I do to prepare for the nitty-gritty of doing a weekly radio show, all of my live club sets are a kind of preparation. The knowledge from years of having played successful clubs is cumulative.

You're the 11-year resident of Neptune's Beach Club in the Hamptons, and you also play at Pacha in Manhattan. How are your sets for Neptune's different from your sets at Pacha?

Well, the setting and venue do have an effect on the tracks I play, although my goal overall is just to make sure everyone has a great time. My gigs in the summertime at Neptune's are great; Neptune's outside dancefloor has a capacity of 2,500-to-3,000 people, and it also has a little indoor area that fits around 500 people. It's like Nikki Beach in Miami, in terms of the beach. But, Neptune's has more deck, so more people can dance. There's something special about daytime parties on the beach in the summer and hearing great electronic dance music under the hot sun that's really fun. Pacha, of course, is owned by the same owners as the Pacha clubs around the world, and Pacha in Ibiza is hands-down one of the most famous clubs in the world. The Pacha in New York City where I play was formerly Sound Factory, the club, so there's already a lot of history in terms of clubland surrounding that venue. It has an incredible sound system, great lighting and effects, and the staff there is just totally professional and top-notch. Rob Fernandez [Director of Operations] and his team are the best in the business at what they do. Neptune's is open all day on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer and the party goes until around 9:00PM . At Pacha, it's zoned differently because it's Manhattan, but parties there often go as late as 6, 7, 8:00 o'clock in the morning…

Why did you choose to hold your CD release party on the last day of New York's Fashion Week?

For the models! [laughs]

How does being a club DJ inform your career as a radio jock, and vice versa?

Theo: Being a successful club DJ with long-running residencies is absolutely crucial if you're going to have a serious career as a radio DJ. I always get emails and calls from guys who are dying to get a radio gig and they ask me how to go about doing that when there is such a long wait list at every radio station for people to get on-air spots. I always tell them, "Get yourself a steady club residency and establish yourself as a club DJ." You have to prove that you really know what the people in your market want to hear. If you haven't established a club residency, why the hell would anyone give you a spot on-the-air as a radio DJ? It's not enough that you just have a few great mix comps; that's not enough to set yourself apart because getting a radio gig is so competitive. It's not even enough that you have some top-charting tracks as a producer. You must prove that you know your market as a DJ, and you have to prove that you've built a steady following in your area. That being said, my years spent behind the decks at clubs like Posh in the Garden City Hotel (where I'm also the Music Director), Neptune's, Pacha, Ice in Las Vegas, Roxy in Boston, Nocturnal in Miami – and at the club I co-own, Amber/Brazil in the Hamptons – totally inform my ear as a radio DJ. When you're spinning in a club, the crowd will tell you immediately and with brutal honesty if they like or don't like the set you're playing. I've tried for years and continue to try to push great dance music forward and educate people about dance music. It's my life's passion.

Who were your favorite DJs to book at your club in the Hamptons, and who were your least-favorite?

Some of my favorites were/are Paul Oakenfold, Sasha and John Digweed, Deep Dish, Timo Maas and Loco Dice, and Hernan Cattaneo. As for least-favorites, none immediately come to mind.

DJs are rockstars and you're quite the good-looking man. What was the craziest thing a woman ever did to try to get your attention while you were DJing?

[laughs] Well, I'm also a very happily married man! Although, I do remember one time when I was DJing, this stripper-looking girl tried to climb-over a railing to get into the booth. She kind of got stuck and ripped part of her dress as she was trying to get back down. [laughs] It was pretty funny, although it was more of a distraction. When I'm DJing, I'm totally focused on the music and delivering it the best I can to keep the party rockin'. I can understand why lots of people want to try to get into the DJ booth when a DJ is working, but they need to understand that that's probably the worst time to try to carry-on a conversation with the DJ.

Your new CD, NYC MIXX (UBL Music), was just released. What inspired it?

The label and I have been thinking for a while that it's kind of a shame how a compilation doesn't come-out to support great, big, underground records that don't necessarily go to radio. Like, tracks that Tiësto plays. The tracks on the NYC MIXX CD are for the real dance fan and the fans who are just getting into the non-commercial dance underground. They are tracks that you hear in the clubs but don't necessarily hear on the radio. Take, for instance, iiO's "Rapture." When that song first came-out, only Danny Tenaglia, Digweed, Oakenfold, Tiësto and Paul Van Dyk played it because they had it a year before it was released. The music on my CD ranges from electro to tribal, progressive-trance, house, tech-house, and techno, like Paul Woodford's "Erotic Discourse." Here's the complete track listing, and in its first two weeks, it sold-out in every retail store that carried it. The CD will also be available very soon on iTunes. The full track listing is:

CD1:

1. Solid Groove - This Is Sick
2. Outwork feat. Mr. Gee - Elektro
3. Principato & Darius - Snowboard
4. Cirez D - Knockout
5. Deux - Sun Rising Up
6. Mischa Daniels - Take Me Higher
7. Starkillers - Diskoteka
8. Phunk-A-Delic - Rockin'
9. Paul Bingham - Buzz
10. Blaze feat. Barbara Tucker - Most Precious
Love (Ian Carey Remix)
11. Julien Jabre - Swimming Places
12. Tiefschwarz feat. Tracey Thorn - Damage

CD2:

1. Alex Stealthey - Something Is Wrong
2. Kult of Krameria - Pure Reality
3. Eyerer & Chopstick - She Loves It
4. Rick Pier O'Neil - Own Life
5. Danny Tenaglia - Dibiza
6. Paul Woodford pres. Bobby Peru - Erotic Discourse
7. Terranova & Austin Leeds feat. Gina Martina - Shake Me
8. Ashkan Fardost - Arise
9. Abel Ramos - Electro Fun
10. Randy Katana - Pleasure Island
11. Kris Menace - Voyage
12. Last Rhythm - Last Rhythm

Tan: What DJ gear are you using, right now?

Theo: I'm in love with all of the Pioneer Pro DJ gear, so I'm using three CDJ-1000 MK3 digital decks, a DJM-800 mixer, and I'm trying to find time to learn all of the features of the DVJ-X1 DVD-player.

What was your best gig ever?

I always feel like, "Last night was the best gig I ever played," because coming-off a night, I usually feel very positive. There have been many great gigs, but I'm not sure I could single-out just one as the "best." Neptune's is always great, and this year has been phenomenal. Pacha for the NYC MIXX CD release party was also off-the-hook. I played from midnight to 7:30AM the next day.

Wicked. Thanks, Theo…

Thank you, Emily! See you at the club…