Image via Complex Original
As one of the most prominent up-and-coming DJs/producers of 2013, MAKJ has been turning heads for quite some time now and doesn't seem to be slowing down in his explosive rise to the top. Having just landed himself a nice little residency at a cute, boutique club you may have heard of called XS Las Vegas, there's nothing to keep MAKJ from total world domination.
We figured we'd get ahold of him before he was impossible to get in touch with him and find out 10 things we didn't know about the man also known as Mackenzie Johnson. If you like the sound, make sure to follow him on Facebook because there is rarely a week that goes by that he doesn't toss out a new remix to his fans.
He doesn't have a musical background
Prior to starting his journey with music production, he had no musical experience.
DJ AM taught him how to scratch
Before the late, great DJ AM passed away six years ago, MAKJ sat squarely under his wing learning the ropes. To Mackenzie, AM is a mentor and the reason that he is able to make the music that he does today
He's basically Speed Racer
MAKJ never went to high school because he was too busy doing what everyone else was getting in trouble for: racing cars. When he was a teenager he lived in China and Bahrain and raced cars professionally. He made it all the way to Formula 2.0, but got too tall and had to stop.
He likes Tom Petty
MAKJ's dream collaboration would be with Tom Petty or The English Beat. He'd like to see EDM taken to a new level with different types of collaborations over different genres.
We'd like to see that as well.
He's deathly allergic to melons
So if you REALLY don't like him, send him a box of watermelons.
He's also an architect
MAKJ went to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and graduated with an Architecture degree. This makes for extremely structurally sound remixes and a BASSment that never floods.
He went to Icon Collective School in LA
This is where he began developing his own music and his own style of production.
He's been in the game for eight years
So while you may just be getting to know MAKJ, he's been around for a minute.
He loves indie rock
...and says most of the time he'd rather listen to indie rock than EDM.
He doesn't do radio edits
MAKJ likes to keep all of his tunes within his own style of music: short, fast, and to the point. Often times fans ask him to release his extended version, thinking that what they are listening to is a radio edit when in fact it's the actual, original version of the song.