DJ Muscle

Sunday Times of Swaziland: Entertainment : ‘Dj muscle’

Press Release 10/03/13

‘Dj muscle’

Mandla ‘DJ Muscle’ Reissmann is a disc jockey originating from Mbabane, Swaziland. Over the years he has become quite a household name in the Swazi entertainment scene. With all the wealth of almost 10 years experience he has performed at the 2012 Bushfire Festival, became resident at The Pub and Grill at Ezulwini as well as at Sundowners Lodge.

Beginnings were at the MTN Golf Park as a young resident DJ during his high school years at Waterford Kamhlaba. He has also performed at many night spots and private events and is usually as a headliner at the New Year’s Eve parties at House on Fire. He was also as a supporting act at the Nameless performing live show in 2012. DJ Muscle also appeared as a judge at House on Fire’s DJ Competition in 2011 which was an initiative to assist Swazi deejays.

His unique style of mixing is conspicuously seamless touching on a variety of genres. A set usually has a build up of sorts starting with old school hip hop and RnB moving to deep house and Electro with Nu Disco and an electronic feel.

“It really is something special,” he says.

DJ Muscle reads a crowd extremely well, he is known by his peers in the deep house experts community as ‘The All Rounder’ as he flawlessly mixes various genres.

The Deep House experts community is the best House Music Group on Facebook. Many acclaimed artists, underground artists, listeners and enthusiasts can be found there. DJ Muscle is proud to be one of the co-founders of this group and an active admin for the entire lifespan of the group. “We have promoted a lot of good music over the years,” he says.

STYLE: Where did you do your primary and high school?

MUSCLE: Primary was at Herman Gmeiner (SOS) in Sidwashini where my father worked as a teacher. High school was at Waterford and coincidentally also where my father is currently working.

STYLE: Who taught you how to play?

MUSCLE: I am mainly self taught spending a lot of time at home mixing tracks for fun when I was in high school. We learned together with my friends but it seems the rest have found other purposes in their lives, other than playing music for people.

STYLE: What are your plans for your career and what do you have in the pipeline?

MUSCLE: My career needs to expand outside of Swaziland into South Africa and Mozambique. I have already made some connections both in South Africa and Mozambique having done a few gigs in Vilanculos at the end of 2012 and a gig in Sunninghill Johannesburg. I am making plans to visit Admiral and Jahseed at Baseline in Johannesburg as a guest deejay. I am very excited about that! Obviously I want to play Bushfire again and again.

STYLE: Which DJs do you look up to in Swaziland and South Africa who inspire you to work harder?

MUSCLE: The man who made me fall in love with house music was DJ Fresh. His Fresh House Flava Series was very inspiring to me, especially volume 4 with tracks such as ‘Rise’ and ‘Get on my camel’. Other DJs I look up to include Ready D and Kalawa’s Oskido. They shaped my view of music growing up. The Spin Doctors’ Dr P and Simza as well as DJ Snoop have also been a source of inspiration from my early stages of clubbing.

STYLE: What have been the highlights of your career thus far?

MUSCLE: I love playing at House on Fire, it’s an amazing space and a unique club environment and I can say that the New Year’s Eve Party there at the end of 2011 was epic. Bushfire was also a high point for me, as I shared the stage with world class artists and DJs. It gives me a huge amount of confidence. I’m also enjoying working on radio with Superphly and we plan to do a lot more on air.

STYLE: Any plans of releasing an album anytime soon?

MUSCLE: An album is still quite far off but I do collaborate on tracks made in my home studio in Eveni by my producer and house mate Alistair ‘Tha Bizness’ Earnshaw.

STYLE: Who do you intend to work with on you upcoming projects?

MUSCLE: As mentioned before I am trying to expand outside Swaziland and continue to work with people like Admiral and Jahseed, The Gravity Regulators, 340ml, DJ DUbNakave and lots more!

STYLE: What clothing brand dresses you and who owns it?

MUSCLE: I am dressed by B11 clothing for accessories such as hats and they also make t-shirts. It is owned and run by Jason Foss, the owner of Bombasos Backpackers. Other than that I have no real clothing sponsors. I have also been working with Chasing Horizons Custom Tours to do party busses and most recently our trip to Vilanculos, Mozambique. I love to travel and I am really enjoying working with them as well.