Step Behind The Scenes With Seattles Tony H! (DMNW Interview)
A staple of the Pacific Northwest EDM scene, Seattle native Tony X is an accomplished local DJ who garners national recognition for his releases on Space Yacht, Desert Hearts, Dirtybird Records, and more.
We caught up with the Panamanian house and techno DJ to chat about his new single "Pulse It," listen to his recent Coachella performance, and dive into his journey through Seattle's EDM scene. Check out one of his latest releases, Suavecito , right here, and read our full interview with Tony Hee below.
DMNW: What inspires you the most about being a DJ?
Tonino H. I have always been inspired and motivated by the energy and connection to the crowd. I really like these moments, especially in more intimate contexts.
DMNW: What is your favorite memory from when you started DJing?
Tonino H. Surely a few things come to mind. One of my favorite memories is coming out of Pandemic and playing the first game in San Diego at a party that Marquessa and VLLN threw together as the Munchies Gang Twitch Meetup (my umbrella brand). I met so many people on my twitch channel during the pandemic and we had a surprise from Mz Worthy that was amazing.
Check out Tony H's Twitch channel for upcoming live streams.
DMNW: Now that Coachella is under your control, has anything changed in the way you prepare for a big show like Beyond Wonderland in the PNW?
Tonino H. Honestly, no huh. I never plan my sets in advance. Well, I did a few things when I started DJing, but not now. At best, I'll have an idea of the first track I want to start with, then I'll go ahead and feel the crowd and the vibe. I just like to vibrate and sometimes chaos ensues and you might hear some DnB, Break or Bass in the middle of my sets.
Check out Tony X's full ensemble from Coachella 2023 Heineken House just below:
DMNW extension. I have seen you many times in the city opening for big names like Mau P. As well as playing clubs, for Space Yachts and some gigs too. How would you describe the Seattle EDM scene and your adventure in it?
Tonino H. The EDM scene in Seattle is definitely all the rage these days. Sometimes it seems like who you know or what you've done for them is more important than talent or ability. I created my own bands with my own label, music production, and style to avoid this policy, but for those looking to make it on the scene, it's not that easy. Something I definitely want to see more of and hopefully help promote more minorities, LGBTQ+, and women in the cast.
DMNW: Tell me more about your techno side, Munchies After Dark.
Toni H : Munchies After Dark is my second label, which I started in 2019 focusing more on Melodic House and Techno. I have been lucky enough to hire many artists, especially local artists like Sam Heap, Madlon, Roman Natura, Drawbird, Chris Tower and others. It's definitely something I'd like to play more of, as well as feature more artists on the label.
DMNW: And most importantly, I know that you recently released a new single. Impulse! Tell me everything. What inspired you? What are vibrations?
The crazy thing about Tony X. Pulse is that it was done on my Twitch stream. I was playing and working on random music and within hours I had viewers like DJ Matt G and Mz TzA suggesting what sounds we should download and make a song. We landed in hospital sounds haha.
So I loaded up a bunch of hospital samples and we built a whole track around them and the audience suggested where to put things on the track. It's definitely a fun experience to do it live and I definitely intend to do it again soon. Pulse This is just a fun tech show with a throbbing bass line and crowd-picked hospital samples.
DMNW: What genres are you most interested in making music? Maybe bass house or trance? Is something else developing?
Tonino H. I really like the neo-soul/electronic sound that Kaytranada, Sango, Channel Tres and others are producing… so it's definitely a genre I'd like to venture into and produce in the near future. which you can hear on my next album, which I plan to release in January 2024.
DMNW: What do you enjoy the most besides DJing/producing music?
Tonino H. Apart from DJing and producing, what I enjoy the most is skateboarding, basketball and bowling. Curiosities when I was 12 and 13 years old I enrolled in a bowling league both years and I was in first place both years. I got bored, so I went back to playing basketball at school and in the summer and winter leagues.
DMNW: What messages do you want to share with your fans?
Tonino H. Lots of exciting things in the works including my upcoming shows with the Room at the Donnie Disco Mural, Day Trip Seattle and an LNM show with Shameless at the Monkey loft. I'm also working on my second album after Big Whopper in 2020, hoping to release that album in January 2024 on my Late Night Munchies label. Finally, I started a new project to help connect the community and support others, including minorities, LGBTQ, and women.
I'm opening a DJ academy and a possible event space called the Bass Rhythm Academy, which will host workshops on DJing and production, as well as music industry talks and tips on the local scene, among many other topics. We will raise most of the funds once the project starts, feel free to share and if you would like to donate here is the link: https://gofund.me/aa646222
And if you ever see me out and about or at a concert, never be afraid to walk up and say, "What's up!"
DMNV: THANK YOU.
Tony H will kick off the Fourth At The Mural show in downtown Seattle on July 4, performing alongside Chris Lorenzo, Lee Fosse, L. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Tony H. at Beyond Wonderland PNW this year since day two has been canceled due to the unfortunate events of the first day that claimed the lives of two innocent victims.
We are very happy to hear about the album to be released in January 2024. For the latest Tony X news, check out his social media accounts.
