The vibrant nightlife of Hong Kong caters to its frequenters – and one-night wonders – with a multitude of bars, crowded clubs, 7Elevens, and a soundtrack to go with.
If you happen to have made your way through the bustling bar streets at night, Crystal So – aka Mzz Deejay– might be one to blame for that beat stuck in your head the following day.
A Hong Kong native, 20-year-old Crystal has been ‘spinning records’ in the city for little over a year, challenging the heavily male-dominated norm of the DJ industry.
“Not many girls DJ in Hong Kong. There are some, good ones, but usually they do something else too, like model maybe,” she says, referring mainly to local celebrity
DJ Miss Yellow.
Crystal invests all her time in DJ-ing, and can be found managing the decks at Xperience’s ‘Wasted Wednesday’, dishing out top of the chart beats at local clubs in Tsim Sha Tsui, or playing different venues at the Central district’s party core – Lan Kwai Fong.
“I start my work 10pm. Really early for nightlife [in Hong Kong], so I start to play some slow songs. Around midnight I play some house music, and people start to get up and dance.”
“It’s pretty chill, my lifestyle. Very unhealthy sometimes, but kind of comes with [it],” she says and adds “The best thing about being a DJ is you see a lot, meet so many people. It’s pretty fun.”
Mzz Deejay at the studio in Sham Shui Po
When she’s not being Mzz Deejay at the scene, she’s usually found at her DJ master’s, DJ Soda, studio.
She believes that only through practice will she make perfect enough to one day be a famous female Hong Kong DJ, and get to DJ around the world.
Mzz Deejay is set to compete in this year’s Pioneer x MILK DJ Quest at Club Beijing in July, a golden opportunity to hear the latest talent, but primarily make yourself heard in the competitive DJ industry of Hong Kong.
“I’m really excited, and really nervous. Wish me luck!”
