Nova

Nova is a really high-class club. It’s a really small place but it’s nice, better than other places.

They play a lot of hip- hop – old school, classic style. No electronic. No EDM or dubstep. It’s for older people, not teenagers.

I started playing there first in 2013 and soon became a resident DJ. Now I play four days a week, from 11:30pm to around 1am.

I like the club because it’s comfortable: nice music, nice crowds, nice interior, good lighting, good sound system.

Before, it had more of a Khmer crowd, but now there are a lot of foreigners, Europeans mostly.

And they’re always doing events in there, which I really like. Next month, DJ Cash Money, who was the first-ever inductee to the Technics DJ Hall of Fame is playing there.

KTH Power Mall

KTH Power Mall is where I go to buy DJing equipment and train, and they have several locations around Phnom Penh.

They sell a lot of Pioneer DJ equipment and have very good stuff: turntables, mixers, headphones… many things.

I always go there when I need something new. Last year, they held the Pioneer DJ Battle there, which I won.

Then I went on to compete in the Asia competition in the Philippines.

Now, KTH provides me a good showroom for training. I’m always hanging out there. 

Riverhouse

Riverhouse was the first club to open in Cambodia. They’ve been here for 15 years.

They were also the first club that let me play when I was 19. I learned how to DJ from playing for the crowds.

I was really nervous, but it was a great start to DJing. Actually, my first audition, I failed.

I had just started learning and I didn’t even know the basic skills. I was too excited after they gave me a chance to audition.

But I knew nothing. I couldn’t even mix properly and I failed the audition. After that, I went home and trained for two months.

Every day, six to eight hours a day. When I went back after two months to audition again, I passed. Now I always have a good experience at the Riverhouse.

Home Studio, Cbar Ampov 

My studio is in my apartment. I live there with my mom. It’s in my bedroom actually. It’s called Bedroom Session.

I have a simple daily routine: wake up, shower, eat, go to my studio, where I train on my turntable gear.

Mostly I focus on my scratching skills. I usually train for two or three hours a day.

I love to spend my time on my DJ skills, turntable skills. Sometimes I sit down [on my computer] and teach myself how to produce beats.

I’m moving to a new house soon though, with a real, professional studio. I plan to open a training academy there to train young DJs. 

Lycee Preah Sisowath (Sisowath High School)

I graduated from Lycee Preah Sisowath in 2010. It used to be the number one school in Phnom Penh.

My time in high school has inspired me a lot. I didn’t have many friends, but I loved to study.

I was interested in IT and also in Khmer literature and history and football, too.

I always liked to go and watch the soccer matches. I was also involved in the student government. In grade 12, I became interested in filmmaking.

But I’ve always loved music, since age 6. I have good memories of high school. I learned a lot there.

Sometimes I love to go there now, because they have good street food out in front.

The vendors are really nice people and they always remember me.