AsiaLIFE

After years of bringing hopping beats to Phnom Penh clubbers, DJ Brett Angel has decided to call it a day. Adam Fitzgerald grants the Heart’s headlining DJ one final request.

“My passion for DJ-ing has paid off,” says Brett Angel. “Phnom Penh gave me the opportunity to work for a good length of time without having to rely on other income. Not that it has been lucrative, but it’s been enough to get by.” What began as a hobby spinning discs in the U.K. between 1995 and 2000, eventually led Brett to Thailand, and Koh Pang Yang. As the full moon parties became a raging success, the police began cracking down on foreign DJs. Brett decided to get out and give things a go in Cambodia.

In 2003 there were no foreign DJs in Cambodia. Coming from playing in Thailand where there is much more trance and hard house than in Cambodia where hip hop and R&B seemed to be the tunes of choice, Brett soon realised that he would have to slowly introduce different styles to the local people. He admits this has not been without challenges. He has often relied on friends back home to inform him of up-and-coming artists or tunes that can otherwise be hard to find here in Cambodia.

Playing to the Crowd

Brett’s reputation grew through word of mouth and before he knew it, he became Saturday night regular at the Heart of Darkness. He was also a Thursday night resident at the Riverhouse Lounge, and played at Martinis on Fridays. Like so many expats Brett had to adapt the way he worked in Phnom Penh. The biggest change was switching from vinyl to CDs. The quality of sound equipment available was another challenge – some venues simply use CD players without amps and rely on run-of-the-mill speakers. And there are always acts of God – a power cut at the Heart of Darkness one night, which lasted an hour-and-a-half, emptied the venue. “The place was packed again within half an hour,” Brett recalls, once power was restored.

“Khmers like to have tunes played that they know and can take a while to warm up to new tracks – they need to be weaned onto them,” he says. Being a rare DJ who is happy to take requests, Brett believes that a good DJ plays for the crowd and not just for himself. He recalls one night having a gun pulled on him when a request he played cleared the floor. Luckily the incident didn’t end in anything worse than a friendly handshake from the gunman – once he’d changed the track. You might think that playing the same-old, same-old would prove frustrating, but Brett assures that as long as the crowd is having a good time he loves nothing more than seeing their happy dancing faces.

Returning Home

Now, the English DJ has decided to turn his back on the country that has brought him so much happiness – the last Saturday of September was his final appearance at the Heart of Darkness. But, his decision is for the best of reasons. “With a young one on the way, due to arrive in March, we have decided to head back to the U.K. to bring up our family,” he explains.

Access to free healthcare, quality education and a better salary are factors he mentions as influencing his decision. Also he isn’t getting any younger. “I’d like to try my luck on the radio circuit given that all the late nights of clubs are starting to take their toll on me,” he explains. “As much as I enjoy arriving home at sunrise every weekend, it can loose its appeal when it happens three nights a week.”

Musical Love Affair

Hosting the 97.5 Love FM drive time show has allowed Brett to interview people such as Tony Hawke, Stacie Orrico and – the highlight of his time at Love FM – Ronan Keating.

Brett hopes this experience will help him in getting some work on the U.K. airwaves, allowing him more time with his family, instead of spending his Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights out till the early hours.
One thing shines through when speaking with Brett – he absolutely loves his music. His appreciation for those he has worked with and the opportunities they have provided him is totally sincere. Let’s hope this  refreshing level-headedness will not let him down when he is once again a small fish in a rather large pond.