INTERVIEW:
Miami DJ Kevin Barnett

At the ripe old age of just 25, Kevin Barnett has Dj’ed in countries above and below the equator, started 02Music, a DJ booking agency, launched 02mixes.com, and is now turning his seemingly never ending energies to a unique music clothing line, Addictive DJ Designs. Over the years, Kevin’s enthusiasm and love of music has taken him to amazing heights in his young career.  He took a break from preparing for the upcoming WMC for a little convo about where his career, his business ventures, and his love of music will take him.

You’ve experienced a lot over the last few years, what got you on this path?  When did you start getting into music?

Going out and listening to music.  I always liked House – but going out and experiencing it in a live environment really cemented it for me. Miami has a lot of great Dj’s and if you’re going to Space for 8 hours, you better like House music.  Fortunately for me, I loved it and hearing it on a system like those at Crobar or Space is pretty intense. In a sense, my love for House made me want to be a part of it. 

What got me on this path?  Experimenting and making mistakes.  I always had a lot of ideas, but did not have a good handle on how realistic they were or how to get them done.  I’m happy with how things played out and the path I’m on now. Connecting with Vivie-Ann a few years ago definitely helped put things in motion. There are a lot of opportunities ahead and I’m excited to have no idea what the future has in store.

You grew up in Chicago, how is the music and nightlife scene different than Miami?

The Chicago scene is very authentic.  There’s a lot of history there. It’s where it all began. A few years ago, I actually had the opportunity to meet the godfather of House, Frankie Knuckles. He rents my cousin’s loft, so I got to talk to him for quite a while, which was a pretty amazing experience. 

It’s weird, but although there are a lot of connections to House music and Chicago, there is less and less House music in Chicago.  Today, there’s a lot more top 40 stuff.  But there are still a few great places for House lovers in Chicago.

Miami has a lot more dance music than Chicago and the sound is way different.  Miami is hard to describe, but the scene is whatever you want it to be. There’s a lot of amazing clubs, Dj’s, and places for House in Miami.  Hope it stays that way!

What difference stands out in your mind when you think about how the crowds you play to differ between the states and outside the country?

It depends.  That’s really a tough question.  But the difference in crowds in different places is one of the most exciting challenges about being a Dj.  When I first started spinning I was ignorant and thought what would work in one place or situation would work in another.  I have definitely had some harsh experiences and learned from them.  This is one of the main reasons why so many of the most established dance Dj’s are a bit older.  They have earned their stripes to be labeled the best.

What DJ’s are your inspirations?  Where do you get your style from?

Lots of Dj’s from a variety of styles and eras inspire me.  Frankie Knuckles, Danny Tenaglia, Sven Vath, Dj Sneak, Steve Lawler, Richie Hawtin, Adam Beyer, Deep Dish, Carl Cox, Dave Clarke, Chris Liebing, Felix da Housecat and many more Miami and Chicago Djs, including Miami influences/faves Cue, Ivano Bellini, Roland and Chicco Secchi.

My style is inspired by those names and many more great Dj’s and producers. Most of all, it’s what sounds good to my ears.  My style is always changing, but it always reflects music that I love and am passionate about.

How has 02 Music changed from the beginning? What is different about 02Music now versus when you first began the company?

Night and Day.  When we started 02Music, Vivie-Ann and I had just started Djing.  We were green, but had lots of ideas and truly loved House Music.  We’ve both grown musically and stylistically.

Today, the Dj’s and other people working with 02 Music has changed significantly.  We’ve got a great team, with some really talented people involved.  Our eyes are always open to new Dj’s who bring something special to the table. I’m excited to see who will come along for the ride.  We have a lot of surprises planned for 02 for the near future. We strive to be a unique company, always testing the waters, always trying to create something new…stay tuned.

Tell me about your relationship with your 02 partner Vivie-Ann?  What is she up to these days?  How do you manage to stay focused when you are both located in different cities?

I could go on forever about this one.  A lot of twists and turns in this relationship, and a lot of obstacles we’ve overcome.  I would describe our business relationship as stronger than ever.  I’m really proud of how far Viv has come, and Viv’s success is just beginning.  I’m excited about her future; I’m excited about our future as 02, and with 02.

Different cities would seem to be a problem but it’s really not.  It’s been like this since we started, so we’ve got this city difference thing down.  Viv comes to Miami often, and I love going to Montreal. 

As far as Djing together, that is a whole new element.  Some of my most unforgettable gigs have been playing as Dj 02 with Vivie-Ann.  We don’t get to play together as often as we would like, but when we do, it’s special.

You recently launched 02Mixes.com.  What is 02mixes.com and what was the purpose of launching this site?

To hear mixes made by 02 DJs and mixes from other artists who we respect and admire.  On the site, it is really easy to download new mixes, mixes from the past, etc. and the site allows listeners to interact and make comments on the mixes.  As we produce more music, 02mixes will also give us another outlet to host songs, and have the music heard instantly.

02Mixes is brand new and we’ve gotten great feedback on it thus far.  We plan to do a lot of different things with it in the future.  02Radio is one of our ideas – where a user can click on 02 radio and listen to 02 Dj’s continuously.

The web plays a huge role in all areas of music, especially its promotion.  All of your ventures rely heavily on the web to get the word out.  You have a unique situation in that you’ve got both a music and a clothing company to promote. Can you talk about that a little?

Yep, the internet is big for us.  We’re still learning new tools and ways to use the internet to grow -- as effectively as possible.  The amount of visitors to the 02 family of sites has grown astronomically in the past year.  02 & ADD are two separate entities, yet they are brother and sister. We have big ideas in store for cross-promoting them in unique ways.  ADD & 02 are both music-themed, but we feel ADD as a clothing company will give us the ability to reach a larger audience. 02 & ADD have already become special friends, and the internet is an essential part of that bond.

What are your plans for 02music and 02mixes.com in the future?

To Grow.  Grow the 02 name, grow the careers of 02 Dj’s.  Currently we have three female DJ’s on the roster, Viv, Ladyhouse and Julie M – all three of our girls rock as Djs and people – and we are proud to be known as a female-heavy collective. Our plan is to add a few more special female Dj’s, and some male artists as well.

Making both more interactive and dynamic is definitely a goal. Blogs, interactive areas, unique outlets for connecting – ways for people to get involved in the company themselves.

I have seen some of your clothes with ADD and it seems like an interesting / cool idea, what is your plan with ADD?  What inspired ADD?

What inspired ADD (ADDictiveDjDesigns) specifically is hard to pin-point. The idea started a few years ago, when I would look for cool music-themed gear, but wasn’t able to find anything I liked.  When I would find good stuff, it was usually on lackluster clothing. With ADD, the goal was to create a unique music-themed clothing line with interesting designs and creative slogans – but on quality clothes that you’d be proud to wear.

The execution of the idea was rather stagnant for a year or so, as I wanted to do too much too fast.  When I realized that ADD was a step-by-step process, ADD finally got going.  In the 2 years of ADD formulation, I’ve showed many key people – people who I respect and trust – our line and I have gotten nothing but good feedback. 

Recently, ADD partnered up with some key people who have turned ADD into a quick reality.  First, Moet an extremely talented designer / art director.  She had the right spirit and we connected immediately.  Then Casey, our writer / publicist, who has been very instrumental in our progress in the past few months.  Both Casey and Moet have a lot of professional experience and it’s nice to be able to discuss things with them and get their input. 

Then Zach came on board. Zach is in charge of production for ADD.  Zach is young, but really knows what he is doing and has helped ADD grow into something tangible.

And Viv, she has been helping ADD from the get-go. Viv is the everything girl for ADD and really helps drive the company forward. Viv’s role is ADD in and of itself.

So the forming of an amazing team, including several other talented people who help us out, is what took ADD from an idea to a reality.

For a peek into the company, you can check out our MySpace page (www.myspace.com/addictivedjdesigns). Our official site is coming soon. Stay tuned.

What are some of the coolest places that you have Dj'ed in the past few years? 

In Miami, I’ve played some amazing places. Viv and I have Djed at Suite, Mansion, Prive, Mynt and Nocturnal.  Nocturnal is amazing because it has always been my dream to Dj on a terrace in the open air.  Then Blue. Every Wednesday, 02music does the Blue2o party @ Blue. Blue has been around forever and it’s cool because people who go there truly love House Music – it’s very underground.

In Brazil, I have spun at Hotel Unique (one of the most prestigious venues in Brazil, Tiesto and Deep Dish have played there). That’s something I’ll never forget.  I’ve also played at a rave in Brazil for 5,000 + people in the middle of the jungle.  That was a crazy experience. I kept worrying an alligator might bite my leg. 

Last year for my birthday, Viv and I got booked for a weekend in Mexico – Friday night in Puerto Vallarta and Saturday night (my b-day) at the Palladium in Acapulco.  The Palladium is pretty legendary and playing with Viv there on my b-day with fireworks going off through the windows and Jager bottles flying all over the place was a pretty unforgettable experience.

Montreal is amazing, Ibiza is Ibiza, and there are so many places in the world where I would love to DJ someday.

What is one experience, bad or good, that you’ve had happen, something you were able to take a lesson from for the future?

I guess it’s a generic answer, but from 02 / ADD I’ve learned that it’s a step-by-step process.  Hard work and persistence pays.  No matter what you do, you are not going to please everybody. You have to believe in yourself.  The most important lesson I have learned over the past few years is the importance of working with talented, hard-working, quality people.  There is no ‘I’ in Team…but I’m thinking of adding an ‘O.’

WEBLINKS:

• 02Music.com
• 02Mixes.com
• AddictiveDJDesigns.com