10 Questions For: Das Kapital

Dubbed as one of the biggest DJs in South Africa, this Cape Town-born artist, producer and remixer is known for the brilliance behind his DJ sets, his incredible technical skills and his ability to read the crowd. Das Kapital has seen the stage both locally and internationally playing and headlining for various festivals and night clubs.

1.  How would you describe what you do for a living?
I have a lot of things I do, so I think simplifying them into two groups would make it easier. Firstly, I am a music producer, DJ and recording artist - that's what people would know me as first. Secondly, I am an artist developer and manager, within my record label Do Work Records. I also host a weekly feature every Thursday at 20:30 on 5FM called In Das We Trust, which showcases the latest in unreleased and forthcoming club music from around the world. 

2.  What is your most vivid childhood memory?
As a kid that was obsessed with dinosaurs, one year I made sure I had my birthday at the Iziko Museum. Imagine a normal kid’s party, with food and cake and entertainment, but in the museum.

3.  If you could invite any three people, dead or alive, for dinner, who would they be and why?
1. Friedrich Nietzsche [German philosopher, cultural critic, poet and Latin and Greek scholar], so I could talk to him about the state of the world as it is now, and where it's headed,
2. Quincy Jones [American record producer, conductor, arranger, composer, musician, television producer, film producer, instrumentalist, magazine founder, entertainment company executive and humanitarian], for inspiration and direction.
3. And Howard Phillips Lovecraft [American horror fiction author] for further inspiration.  

4. If you ever found yourself auditioning for a music reality TV show, what song would you sing and why?
I'd choose 'Come As You Are' by Nirvana because I once got the "superstar" rating on SingStar to that song. 

5.  How would you complete this sentence? The South African cabinet should include a Minister of _____________________________.
We need a minister of "House Affairs", who deals with the development and dissemination of dance music. Not to be confused with the minister of Home Affairs. I'll happily put myself forward as a candidate :)

6.  What would you say is the biggest misconception about you?
People often think I'm a group of people, which is a bit bizarre.

7.  What is your (honest) opinion of Cape Town?
There is no city in the world I love as much as Cape Town. It's like London or Amsterdam, but more concise, and in my opinion, the people here are the better for it.

8.  What's the greatest fear you've had to overcome to get where you are today?
The fear of failure. Not everything you do or create can be successful or life changing, so learning to take each victory as a personal and developmental one was the most important thing I could do to get this far.

9.   What's the one thing you'd like to achieve before you die?
I'd really, really like to create things that define an era. I want to leave behind a legacy that people can clearly link to stage in their life, in a positive way.

10.  Which well- known South African personality would you, without a doubt, be able to beat in a street fight and why?
I'm not one for physical fighting, generally speaking, but I'd probably be able to take out Gareth Cliff, because I'm sure I could get frustrated enough during a verbal argument. I do hope it never comes to that, though. X

Image Credit: Jono Jebus

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ABOUT #CapeTownMag10Q:

CapeTownMagazine.com’s 10 Questions project gets to know some of the Mother City’s most creative and inspiring people. From television personalities and musicians to politicians and entrepreneurs, we find out more about well-known and up-and-coming Capetonians. You can follow #CapeTownMag10Q on Twitter and Facebook to track recent interviews or read more here about our other awesome 10 Questions candidates. 

A FEW OF OUR OTHER 10Q CANDIDATES:

10 Questions For Cape Town-Based Sing-Songwriter Jeremy Olivier

10 Questions For Photographer and Journalist Yann Macherez

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Party like a Russian at this festival dedicated to vodka. 

Looking for some other really awesome Mother City artists and their tunes? Then check out our list of 21 of the Greatest Songs to Come Out of Cape Town in the Last Four Decades. 

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