Team Brisk Streamer Of The Week: Catch22

Hey gang! This week we are heading to Tampa, Florida to catch up with the Drum & Bass maestro that is Catch22

Where are you from and where are you living now (if different)

I was born in Columbus, Ohio and moved around the Midwest. I lived in Indianapolis, Indiana till I was 27 before moving down to Tampa, Florida to be my Mother’s full time caretaker for her early onset of Alzheimer’s.

How did you come up with your DJ name?

Catch22 was given to me by my friends from the wonderful way life treats me some weeks! The phrase means, “Stuck between a rock and a hard place.” People around me always joked that I had the worst luck in the world. I use to the think the same until I walked away from a car accident that should have killed me. Now I realize how lucky and fortunate I am, each and every day.

What’s your equipment list?

2 x Technics 1200M3D
1 Technics 1210M3D
Tonar Bananas needles,
Pioneer DJM-900NSX2,
Pioneer XP-1,
Pioneer HDJ-X10-K headphones,
MonoPrice Stage Right 8″ Studio Monitors w/ Stage Right Sub.
Elgato Stream Deck
Rode NT1
Sony A5100 with 7.5mm
Gopro 8, 2x Gopro 7, Gopro 4
Custom built turntable stand and record shelves

Where did your musical journey begin?

I started playing my Mom’s 1970’s records at a young age, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, were a few. Then I my Mom would take me to flea markets, so I could find some records for myself. Then sitting in the front seat singing songs with her. I still have all of those records, still today.

What made you decide to take up DJing?

I worked as a graphic designer for a company that primarily did mass runs of Rave flyers for the U.S. The owner of the company was a Rave promoter from the early 1990s. At the office we had turntables setup and I would attempt to mix his records on my lunch break. Then one day, I stuck a mix and the rest was history.

What are some of your interests/hobbies/passions outside of streaming/DJing?

This question brings a quote to my mind every time people ask me it. “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” My hobby, I would say is learning new things. I love to weld, work on cars, remodel houses, build or fix things that people say can’t be fixed, restore old pinball machines. Anything that I find challenging, I like to see if I can overcome that challenge, but like the quote, I am far from a master of one.

When did you start DJing on Twitch?

After my accident, I wasn’t really able to do much. I lost the feeling in my hands, and I couldn’t walk very well, so I never thought I would be able to dj again. I had always gamed with some friends from my home town and jokingly they gave me a hard time and said that I should stream as I couldn’t do much else. Challenge accepted! My first gaming stream was on April 6th 2018. One day, I was bored, and I was scrolling through Twitch, and all the way to the bottom and low and behold I saw a DNB streamer, the next day found a few more and joined a Discord and started asking for help, and then on August 31st, 2019 I delivered my first Dj Stream. It was an uphill battle to teach myself how to dj without feeling in my hands, and not being able to stand for that long. Being able to push myself more and more each week really helped me and I owe that push all to my supportive wife and Twitch community.

Is there anything you really hope to accomplish in your life, whether it be related to music or not?

To be honest, I have everything in my life, except for health! I just want to be healthy! With lots of Physical therapy and training I know I will achieve this one day!! Plus, I want to start and press a record under 1134.

Who are some of your favourite streamers? Why?

Too many to list, but I’ll shout out a couple:

Forgive_1134 Killer mixture of styles and sounds.
Cryptoshell for his energy and skill of mixing.
Guddah for his love of the community and his wild digital mixing style
Dj_B_Style for his friendship and knowledge of the classics.
Spinscott for his wicked live performances on twitch.
916Junglist with his show Djs Not Djing and how it helps out the community.
GoldenChildNYC for knowing every sample ever used.
The_Boiler_Kitchen for being the first DJ stream I watched on twitch!
Tmocs for his help starting out on twitch.

What is your favorite genre to play? Why?

Intelligent Jungle, it reminds me of the long drive home from raves, with the windows down, sun coming up, reflecting on the wonderful night that you had. This style of was dubbed “future music” and imo still could be considered this. I love to be able to show people this style of music and still search records labels and discogs to show people this side of music!

What are some of the most memorable events you’ve participated in or streamed?

Guddah’s ‘Make a Change’ raid or his ‘No Shave November’ and me using a straight razor to shave off my chops to a stunned chatroom. The Cheap Vinyl Challenge that DJ Bstyle and I put on. But my all time favorite thing to do is being sneaky and doing a pop up, and raiding into someone for their Birthday! The look on their face just really warms up the soul.

What does Team Brisk mean to you?

A wonderful collective of some of the best artistes in the world (not just this platform) with extremely talented people outside of djing as well! Just a wealth of knowledge and some top notch people! A huge bigups to Brisk for coming up with ideas, just like this!

What’s your favorite thing about DJing on Twitch?

What I have dubbed Boomer mixing!!! When you blend two tunes together for an extended amount of time to create a whole tune, and if you nail it just right it gives you goose bumps. When this happens, everything in the world just melts away, the pain, the troubles of the day, or with work, it all just fades away. Nothing can ever replace that feeling. Also, Meeting so many new friends, and hearing new Jungle tunes. Plus, the instant feedback and love the community has shared with me, time and time again. And last but not least, trying to see how many things I can while streaming, Multi tasking is a fun way to push yourself!

What is a challenge you’ve faced as a DJ/streamer?

Trying to not have resting bitch face when I am mixing LOL. Sticking to a schedule was a uphill battle, but it really has paid off, not just for Twitch, but it has helped me in life as well. The toughest part about Twitch is attempting to support all the awesome new streamers that stepped in during the pandemic! There is just not enough time for all these amazing new dj’s and viewers that I have met, and hopefully many more to come.

Do you have any special projects, streams or events you would like to tell us about?

Syrup Spundayz 11am EST to 4pm EST Intelligent Pretty Jungle on Vinyl. Old School Jungle and Choppage on Thursday 4pm EST to 8pm EST. Also working on putting out a vinyl under 1134.

Is there anyone you’d like to shout out and/or thank?

The whole community, the awesome partners like Brisk that have not only formed epic teams but have continued to help community members and elevate the whole scene!

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