Qool San Francisco w/ Spesh

Who is Spesh and what is Qool? If you have to ask, you probably think that the only nights to party in San Francisco are Friday and Saturday. For the last 11 years, every Wednesday night at 111 Minna Gallery downtown, Spesh and his team from Looq records have played host to a happy hour party like no other, Qool. Spesh sat down with MetroWize for an interview about Qool, Djing, musical influences and life. Read the interview below.

MW: Thanks for joining us Spesh. Your real name is Stephen, so where does the name Spesh come from?
Spesh: It's a short version of a nickname that's based on my real name. Check it out:
Stephen Kay (real name)
Special K (nickname)
Spesh

Voila!

MW: How long have you been involved with music? What got you started?
Spesh: I have loved music all my life and really got into in the 70s when punk rock came to the suburbs. I would seek out the music any way I could get it. I taped radio shows, begged my folks to take me to record shops in the city, and traded vinyl with friends. I discovered dance music in the 80s, and learned to DJ then, so I guess you could say I've been at it or a long time!

MW: What were/are your biggest musical influences?
Spesh: I think I take a bit of something from everything I am exposed too so it's hard to be specific, but I'll try to give you a few. New Order, Roxy Music, John Digweed, Buzzcocks, Danny Howells & Doc Martin.

MW: When started doing Qool, Minna was just an art gallery that let you bring records in and play music for the patrons at the gallery. What were those first Qool sessions like?
Spesh: Sketchy! In the beginning, the gallery didn't really have a sound. But fortunately they had weekend rave parties in the space and there was always some leftover gear laying around on Wednesday that hadn't been picked up yet. Each week I just sort of pieced together a system and hoped it sounded OK. The bar was just a few kegs of beer on tap and a cash box. But that was enough for my friends and I to have a great time. We really thought we were getting away with something listening to all that great music after work in that wonderful hidden space in the middle of downtown.

MW: When did you know you were on to something big with Qool?
Spesh: When people began forging Qoöl Qards which were vip cards that allowed people to skip the line and go straight in. Back in the dot com days, we had lines around the block as early as 6pm, and those cards became like gold to people. We even found them for sale on Craig's List for upwards of $300. We had to switch to a paperless system after that!

MW: You have a great relationship with your crowd (AKA Qoolios). What do you think separates Qool from other parties that go on in SF? How do you keep the vibe friendly and laid back?
Spesh: We say, "Qoöl Is You", because it really is. People discover it, and claim it as their own. So really all we do is take care of this natural phenomenon! But I do think there are some things that we do that help, like recognize that these people who are coming to Qoöl every week are not just clubbers, they are interesting people in their own right. We encourage people to come as they are, and even profile some of our regular customers on the website. The website also allows us to expand on some of Qoöl unique culture, and of course make fun of ourselves, other clubs, DJs and anyone taking themselves too seriously.

MW: Can you tell us a bit about Looq records. What makes a Looq track?
Spesh: Loöq is a label that Jondi & I started in 1998. It was born from a love of music and that is primarily where it has stayed. Fresh sounds with a strangely broad appeal are what drive Loöq Records. We've had over 50 releases, and our artists come from all corners of the globe. Besides being great to dance to, a Loöq track has to push the limits of the genre a bit. And we've even had a bit of success beyond the world of electronic music, with some of our tracks being featured in various episodes of CSI, and in a very popular video game called "Dance Dance Revolution". We really enjoy those moments when we are able to take a young dance music producer's music and get it exposed to millions of people on national television.

MW: Over the years, how many guest dj’s do you think you have had on the decks at Qool?
Spesh: Oh, that's a calculator question...
11 years of Qoöl, 35 weeks a year, an average of 3 guest per week... that would be about 1,155 guest djs, give or take 100. Rather astounding, don't you think?

MW: Definitely! Do you have a favorite?
Spesh: I really can't say. There are so many different DJs with so many different and unique styles. Its just fun to be around all that talent.

MW: Take Qool out of the equation for a second, who is your favorite DJ?
Spesh: Danny Howells.

MW: Favorite band?
Spesh: Band? Hang on, let me look at my iTunes for a second.... Kraftwerk!

MW: How long will you keep doing Qool?
Spesh: We'll do it until the day people decide that they now longer want to have fun once a week after work.

You can catch Spesh this Wednesday @ Qool for a 5 hour Spesh-A-Thon.
Qool happens from 5-10pm every Wednesday at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco. This is no regular happy hour, this is Qool.
To see footage from MetroWize from a recent Qool, Click Here
photos courtesy of John Kane. www.johnkane.com



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