Deejay on the Rise

La Lucia music man spins his magic

A well known figure in Durban entertainment and night club circles, La Lucia based deejay Martin McHale continues his Rise with innovative and extremely successful ventures.

One of the best deejays to emerge from the South African dance scene – he is well known as the resident at the country’s top club, 3-30, in Durban for an amazing 18 years – McHale also has a formidable track record on the international stage. He regularly plays around the country, and can also be found behind the decks at almost every major dance event.

A multi-talented performer, who is comfortable playing to any crowd, McHale offers sets from funky to tech house. His “trademark” is taking the dance floor from a party to a frenzy with an eclectic mix of music. He has toured South Africa with deejays like Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox, and has shared the stage with almost every major dance icon, including Tiesto, Judge Jules, Sister Bliss and Sasha and John Digweed.

McHale has also played around the globe at events and clubs in London, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore, Mauritius, Melbourne, Paris, Osaka, Auckland, Brisbane and Kuala Lumpur. He toured Australia and New Zealand with Andy Farley for Nukleuz and with Phil Reynolds for Frantic.

Included in his previous experience is work at Capital Radio as the Breakfast Show presenter, and, more recently on Radio 2000 where he presented a weekly dance show. Renowned for his innovation and cutting-edge savvy, McHale has produced and promoted some of South Africa’s most successful dance events. Last year, he focused on music production, and along with Kerry Wood and Colin Peddie, formed the band Rise. The band is about to release its second album Water on Canvas, with the first single Be the change receiving massive support from local and national radio stations.

“We’re in the process of sending the album overseas for mastering,” said McHale, “and preparing for launching and marketing our new works, which include making a music video with Durban producer Shaun Laurenz.”

Hard work

Last year, along with partners, McHale opened Origin club in Durban, which has quickly proved to be the hot club around town. When asked about the success of the venue, he said, “Gary Player has been quoted as saying, ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get!’ And there’s no doubt that ‘hard work’ is fundamental to Origin’s success. We constantly work hard to provide a safe, clean and stylish environment that offers relevant entertainment. The club is also fortunate to have a committed team that is passionate about the industry.”

Looking ahead, future recording projects look full of excitement and enterprise: “Rise is my priority and any spare studio time is usually dedicated to that. However, I did manage to find some time earlier this year to collaborate with Shane D and Dax Tucker for the Origin EP release (DaddyFunk Records UK). But time is often elusive –  I still have to complete a song I started six years ago with Pixie Bennett.”

No rest for the wicked, as they say.