Interview with DJ HAZE

29/03/24

Hey Hazel, nice to meet you! Can you tell us a bit about yourself—who you are?

I'm Hazel. I'm 21 years old. I'd describe myself as creative. I like being involved in a lot of things. I'm really into art, and I study graphic design in Brussels.

What drives you in life? 

I really enjoy being around people. I'm very social. My goal is to make lots of friends. I started DJing this school year—around October, I think. So I'm really just starting out as a DJ.

Where did your DJ name, DJ Haze, come from?

My Instagram name back in the day was Hazy Daisy, and that did remind me of that. When you play, there is sometimes literal “haze” in the air, in the room for example. That does focus on that vibe, too.

And I had created an Instagram poll with different names. Other options were Hazel Wave Or DJ Hazy, for example. Turned out DJ Haze was most liked! Cool.

And what made you decide to start DJing?

There were free lessons offered by MIJNLEUVEN. I thought to myself, why not? Especially since it was so close to home.

Where does your DJ name, DJ Haze, come from?

My old Instagram handle used to be Hazy Daisy, and that kind of stuck with me. When you're DJing, there’s often literal haze in the air—like smoke in the venue, for example. It really matches the vibe.

I also did an Instagram poll with a few name options. Some other choices were Hazel Wave and DJ Hazy. Turned out DJ Haze was the favorite!

Cool. So it was really the MIJNLEUVEN workshop that pushed you to give it a try?

Absolutely! I wasn’t even planning to perform anywhere. I just wanted to try it out for myself.

And how has the learning process been so far? It’s mostly been the workshop and then practicing at home?

Yeah. A friend gave me a turntable, so I could practice at home. That’s how I discovered this one track called Babylon Days. I really liked that kind of music, so I started collecting similar songs. That’s how I eventually found deep dubstep, and I’ve been into that ever since.

What role does music play in your life?

My mom plays a lot of music. She also encouraged me to play piano and take music theory classes. So I’ve always been into music, really.

So you’ve been around music from a young age—nice! Are there any things you’d love to achieve in your DJ career?

I’d really love to play at Stelplaats one day.

Okay, that would be cool. Is that your next goal?

Yeah. I don’t have any big dreams yet, because I honestly never planned on becoming a DJ. It’s just something I discovered and ended up really liking.

Are there any DJs you look up to?

I don’t really know that many DJ names, but the people who gave me the workshops—like Stijn—I definitely look up to them.

If you had to give advice to someone who’s just starting, or thinking about starting, what would you say?

Play what you like—not just what other people want to hear. Like, if you know everyone listens to pop and you play pop just because of that, it won’t be as fun as playing the music you genuinely love.​