Asbury Park Press article (8/1/2008)
DJ Mike West
Staff Writer - Dasan Harrington
Deejaying is extremely competitive. It isn't easy to stand out in an over-flooded market.
Mike Wuestoff - better known by his stage name, DJ Mike West - doesn't let this aggravate him.
"It's all about your vibe," says the Toms River native, who works hard to retain his signature style in a fickle music arena.
West keeps a nice resume of venues along the Shore area where he applies his trade: Wednesdays at Spicy's and Thursdays at the Green Room at the Sawmill in Seaside Heights, and Fridays at the Surf Club in Ortley Beach. In addition to his guest spots, West runs his own mobile entertainment company, Infinity DJ Entertainment, and deejays at private events.
West is somewhat modest about his ventures.
"I just want to keep people dancing, I want to keep them constantly moving to the beat," he says.
With the height of the summer escapism season upon us, West talks about his survival in the shark-infested waters of the deejay business and how to improve the nightlife on the Jersey Shore.
Q: How did you get started professionally?
A: I literally picked up the newspaper and read through the classifieds. A mobile entertainment company out of Eatontown called Elite Entertainment was looking to hire DJs with high energy and charisma. I was making very good money doing it and most importantly having a lot fun doing it. So the rest is history.
Q: Who were your major influences, which are local to the area?
A: Definitely the guys at Elite Entertainment, I have to give them a lot of credit because they taught me a lot, from things like how and what to mix with. Plus DJ Prime and A-List DJ Unique, they're my boys! They always know what's going on in the deejay industry.
Q: How do you feel about the current technologies?
A: I like the fact that Scratch Live Serato brings vinyl back into play. Plus it steps up the creativity. The downside is that it opens the door to anybody who thinks they can use it. They think that because they have a music program, speakers and an amp, they can say, "I'm a DJ." It just sounds too amateurish. Quality control is the essential. You have to understand the basics of the music!
Q: What will make the nightlife better on the Jersey Shore, so that it's not seasonal?
A: If nightclubs put some money into getting good entertainment. Get well known names to attract people to come in and bring a vibe like South Beach or New York. You know, not just getting anybody off the street to fill a spot. They also need to step up the ambiance, make patrons feel like there was a reason they got dressed up to go out to a nightclub in the first place. It makes them feel good and more importantly, keeps them coming back.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: To keep working and to perfect everything I study. I want to get better, I want to keep pushing. I'm a massive mixer, so I practice scratching. It's all about precision, you have to do it just right. Music is so sensitive, you can be off by a millisecond, and it will sound so awful. I don't see owning a label or anything because the market is too oversaturated. It's like sitting in a pool with a whole bunch of people in where you can't move around. Plus, you've got to know the right people to really get anywhere.
Q: How do you measure success?
A: I don't see success as that spot where you land, and say, "I'm successful." For me, it's about how I feel and how I've grown. I'm constantly looking back, and I aim to be on a different plateau than the year before. I have to, because it's such a tough industry to thrive in.
DJ MIKE WEST
