Western Australia has a new favourite DJ and he goes by the name of Kenny L. Surprising many in the local scene, Kenny knocked last year’s winner, Simon Barwood out of the coveted spot and took out the number one local position in the Technics inthemix50 DJ poll for W.A. Add to this the fact that Kenny ranked number 20 nationally within the poll and you can start to see that W.A’s newly crowned number one is definitely on his way up.

You will hardly ever meet someone as strongly devoted to the scene as Kenny. By day you will find him at the DJ Factory (one of Perth’s leading vinyl and DJ equipment outlets) which he also part owns. By night Kenny is a resident DJ at The Church Nightclub in Northbridge where he mixes up a blend of Trance and NRG tunes for the punters. He also regularly plays support sets at the big gigs including Slinky, MOS Hard NRG, Godskitchen and Two Tribes. On top of all of this, Kenny also promotes a number of events around town including bringing many international guests to The Church as well as the recent MOS Hard NRG event which was a massive success.

For the last 17 years, Kenny has been a DJ. He was first intrigued by DJ’ing at quite a young age when he would go to the local roller-skating rink and watch how the DJ would keep the people entertained and control the mood and atmosphere through the music. From there, he decided to try his hand at it and found that it was something he really loved and thus started the pathway that would lead him to where he is today.

What sets Kenny apart from the rest of the pack is his ability to play across the field, with the styles he plays varying from Trance, Breaks, House and NRG through to Hardcore. On playing across such a broad spectrum of styles, Kenny says “I like many genres and if the crowd I’m playing to is up for it, I like to experiment by fusing as many genres as possible into my sets, whether it is for three hours or just one hour, whilst still maintaining the energy and flow of my music”. His versatility as a DJ is evident through the different places he plays and has played at including Infirmary, DC’s, James St., Exit, Frostbites and currently The Church as well as many major events where he plays support sets of all different styles; from a breaks warm up for Koma and Bones at Two Tribes this year to a nice driving trance support set for Cosmic Gate in April.

So what are some of the best gigs he has played at? Kenny rates some of the early events he MC’ed at as well as some of the recent big events he has played at to be amongst his most memorable. “One of my favourite events would have to be the first event I MC’ed at which was at Fusion on New Years Eve back in the early 90’s. I MC’ed for one of my favourite producers of all time, DJ Edge. I will also never forget Big Bad Head where I MC’ed for Carl Cox (back when he played real bangin’ Techno, Hardcore and Italian tunes)”. More recently Kenny has enjoyed playing at many of the major events around town. “I would have to say without a doubt Two Tribes ‘03 and ‘04 as well as Godskitchen ‘03 have been among my favourites. At these events which have been paramount to my career, I shared the bill, stage and decks with some of my favourite as well as well known and influential DJ’s and artists in the scene today including the likes of Armin Van Buuren, Junkie XL, Sander Kleinenberg, Dave Seaman, Fergie, Mauro Picotto, BT, Koma and Bones, M.I.K.E, Marco V and many more”.

Taking out this years’ top place for W.A locals in the Technics inthemix50 is a very exciting prospect to Kenny. “It feels absolutely great to know that the hard work I’ve put in over the years and particularly in the last twelve months hasn’t gone unrecognized by those who drive me to continue doing what I love. The people that have attended the events I’ve played at, the people that have enjoyed themselves at the clubs I’ve played in and also those that listen to me on Saturday nights on the radio. It’s their award too and without them it wouldn’t have happened”.

Regularly playing at many of the major events around town as well as his residency at The Church and now with ranking so well both locally and nationally in the Technics inthemix50 poll what’s next for Kenny L? “I am planning to get back into the studio very soon. In order to stand out and really have a shot at entering the international scene you must have some quality productions under your belt. I’ve had offers from a few visiting international acts I have toured or played alongside but due to my responsibilities where my business, The DJ Factory is concerned, I haven’t been in a position to take up their offers as yet”. Along with these plans of production Kenny also hopes to release his own mix compilation CD’s in the near future.

With all this in the works as well as his recent success in the Technics inthemix50 DJ poll Kenny has a very promising road ahead of him that’s for sure.