“I am either making music, or reading about music. I know music, all kinds of music” says Derek Walin, as he sits down at a table outside Starbucks about to be interviewed.
Humbly, he starts talking to me about his life as a DJ, but this isn’t the first I’ve heard about it. Since Deko Lounge opened on MLK weekend, Walin and his funky beats have been the talk of the town. Mixing electro, hip-hop, rap, pop and a splash of disco, Walin has got the crowds going nuts and dancing a little differently. “I love when the crowd is having a good time, because then I’m having a good time”, he confidently explains to me. Well if that’s the case, Walin, you must be having a blast lately.
Growing up in Boca Raton, FL, Walin began turning tables merely as a hobby at age 10, which quickly transformed into a DJ profession and dictated the rest of his teenage career. Spending his adolescent weekends spinning beats at extravagant parties across the country, Walin has made quite the name for himself, and it doesn’t look like that’s stopping anytime soon.
Within the past year, Walin has already DJed at some of the east coast’s finest clubs including: Fontaine Bleu’s Liv, Rok Bar, Klutch and Il Bacio. He headlined South Beach’s Jewtopia, flew first class to Dubai to spin at a wedding and has shared the stage with upcoming stars Mike Posner, Big Sean, and the legendary Snoop Doggy Dog. The fun doesn’t stop there, though. Walin attended the Grammys in Los Angeles, and will now be making people of all cultures go wild on his spring world tour beginning next month.
Walin’s appreciation for music expands much further than just creating it. Upon high school graduation, Walin left the South Florida area to attend Full Sail University and choose a major in the music business with hopes of one day becoming an A&R scout. His dreams turned into reality when he landed himself a snazzy internship with Atlantic Records in New York City in the summer of 2009. There, he was truly working hard, and playing even harder by interning twelve hours a day and DJing at Antik Club at night.
For being only twenty years old, Walin has been around the block and his career is just beginning. So while he is still in the area, I suggest you do your ears a little favor and check him out exclusively at Deko Lounge every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night.
