I was such a little shit. You can ask anyone who knows me from England. I grew up in a neighborhood where there was nothing to do but get into trouble.

I was very lucky that I found food at an early age. It really changed me. I owe my life to food and I’ve devoted my life to it.

After my very first time in a kitchen, I was hooked. I was 14 going on 15 at the time, just scrubbing these pots and sweating my butt off but I think it was all the adrenaline and the swearing going on. I knew straightaway I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.

This industry gives back what you put in, but you have to keep putting in. It never stops.

I finished filming my first episode of Chef on the Road in Rajasthan, which was an incredibly exciting two weeks. There’s a lot of pressure, but some of the best things we do are created under that kind of extreme pressure, and I think it shows.

I get off on that sort of thing. I get more creative when I’m under the pump. It was pretty full-on, but I’m very happy with how it turned out.

The poverty really struck me. It was a real eye-opener for me. I did some charity work over there, mostly with orphans and homeless children, and it was by far the most rewarding part of my trip.

If you work hard, you earn the right to play hard.

The most crazy, surreal experience I’ve ever had was a few months ago. My wife and I were in Tokyo when the earthquake hit, it was actually our 10th wedding anniversary.

To actually see with your own eyes a 50-storey building wobbling, was like a scene out of a movie. We tried to get a flight out but it was impossible. In the end, we thought, “F**k it. If it happens, it happens.”

I hate that old saying, you can’t teach common sense. It’s about how much time you’re willing to put in and invest to develop an individual.

My earliest memories of cooking come from my mom and my dad. When my parents were still together, my mom would always cook.

My father’s half Burmese and he has a massive love for extremely spicy food. If my mom even left the kitchen for a second, in went the chilies and spices. I love spicy food now, but as a young kid, I didn’t appreciate it so much.

I used to have a serious chili crab addiction and would eat it three times a week. I’ve had to wean myself off it.

I’d have an entire chili crab all to myself, knock back a few beers and pass out. I’d wake up the next morning and there’d be sauce everywhere.

I’m going to be a dad soon and one of the things I’m most looking forward to is cooking for my kids. I can’t wait to educate them about food.

I’m going to be a cool dad.

How did you become a DJ?
I used to be a glamor broadcast journalist when I was 15. I used to report on celebrity events, and frequently came across India’s pioneer DJs. Soon after this, my focus shifted from journalism to music and I took to DJ-ing.

We don’t see a lot of women DJs, particularly from India. Did you have a hard time getting people to take you seriously?
Well yes, at times people do underestimate my potential, my caliber, my talent and they do doubt the quality of my music. But it doesn’t matter to me, because every time I get to the DJ console, I nail it and change their preconceived notions about me.

Do you also balance school or other jobs with being a DJ?
Yes, I graduated last October from Mumbai University. It was fun to study on flights, land, and jet off to the examination hall from the airport. I remember doing this for all six exams I had to take—studying at the airport, on flights to Goa, Hyderabad, Mauritius, Spain, and at times I only had about 30 minutes to leave the examination hall and catch a flight for an upcoming gig. I don’t think much about my future. I’m always living in the present. I do my bit and leave the rest to my destiny.

What’s the clubbing scene like in Mumbai? What’s hot? What’s not?
Mumbai is very versatile in its taste for music. From high power trance to easygoing R&B to ambient lounge to thumping EDM to full power Bollywood to old school retro and Jazz, Mumbai has something to offer every soul. International biggies, pioneer DJs, legendary artists, swanky club decor, great sound and acoustics are hot. Shady clubs, cheesy sounds, and old school bar menus are not.

A young woman hitting the clubs for work sounds like a nightmare scenario for Asian parents.
It is. Initially, even trying to pursue spinning as a hobby was a big no-no. One fine day I stopped going to high school. I told them, “If no DJ-ing, then no studying.” That was the turning point in my life. Soon after they agreed to my terms and set their condition, which was, “If no graduation, then no DJ-ing!” When I began DJ-ing, my dad would drop me at a club, sit and watch my sets at times or at times he would just drop me off and come back to pick me up once I was done. Even now he always drops me off at the airport, no matter what the time is. My success would have been next to impossible without my parents’ help and support.

If you weren’t a DJ, what would you be?
If not a DJ, then I would have continued being a glamor broadcast journalist, reporting on celebrity events—or a painter, a crafter, a fashion designer, an interior decorator, or possibly even a wedding planner. Anything which involves creativity, where I can continue being my own boss.

How did ZudRangMa begin?
From my own record collection. When I moved back to Thailand, I had a lot of records and never stopped looking for new ones. I had more than one copy of some, so I thought about having a shop where I could trade with other collectors.

What kind of music do you sell?
Most of it is world music—Jamaican, African, molam, look thung, funk, soul, reggae and many rare grooves that come from the same root.

Where did you find these records?
I find record shops and learn what they have, what their highlights are and what are not. Then I choose the ones that are not highlights and get a cheap price. I keep doing this everywhere I travel.

Who are your customers?
There is a wide range of customers, actually. Most of them are foreign collectors, though—not many Thais.

Can you give us tips about buying the right records?
Buying a record in the shop is different from downloading from the internet, where you can listen to it first and then decide whether to buy it or not. At a record shop, even if you can test that the record works, you have to buy it right away, or else it’ll be gone by the time you come back.

How did your love for vintage start?
Like everybody else, my preference changes over time, until one day [about four years ago] I became obsessed with clothes made in the USA, and started collecting ever since. I believe that apparel that has lasted this long and is still wearable is truly high quality. Most brands have stopped doing their own production and have products that are made elsewhere. The result is that they’ve become too profit-oriented and there’s less concern for quality.

What are the coolest items you’ve ever bought?
I once got a chance to go to New York and buy this antique aluminum chair from the famous John Gluckow’s warehouse and a 1900 toilet banner from another collector. I’m kind of proud to own those.

Don’t you feel weird that your stuff has been worn by other people?
I don’t care about that. I think it’s pretty cool that these things have come a long way, and that they’re from a specific time in history.

Any tips for newbie vintage addicts?
Let your character show in your style—don’t copy anyone. A bit of research and study will save you from being tricked into buying low quality products.

We hear you’re starting your own brand.
Since I’ve been seriouslystudying, wearing and collecting clothes, I have learned about mistakes made by other brands. I want to make clothes that are like what I’m looking for, especially in terms of style and material. My partner and I named it Flagman & Fellowship. The concept is classic daily wear and I’m definitely going to use materials that will make my products last really long. Who knows, maybe one day, in fifty years, my clothes might become rare vintage finds that make every collector drool.

What did you do before Bangklyn Project?
I graduated from engineering school, worked for the BTS for five years, then fled to New York and became a chef. After six years, I moved back to Bangkok and started selling my products at Manga (once at CentralWorld). When that shop closed down, I decided to open my own. It’s been four years now.

What’s the concept?
Contemporary vintage. I reuse real vintage fabrics from New York and do my own design. The name comes from Bangkok and Brooklyn.

The style?
I fully support minimalism. Things should be super normal, nothing fancy and the main concern is the quality. I prefer welcoming customers who really get what I’m talking about. I don’t support products made in China, and I don’t speak to people who walk into the shop wearing a brand new Hermes belt. And I don’t mind if you call me arrogant either.

Can you give us a few tips?
Styles and tones depend on individual preferences and backgrounds, but whatever it is, clothes should perfectly fit your body; not too big nor too small—and they should last a decade.

How I appear and how I really am are at odds. People thought that I was well-behaved but I wasn’t. I would get voted head of the class, but outside of class, I was a nuisance.

I really love the Indiana Jones movies. As a kid, I would pretend to be an adventurer, exploring around my house in Sattahip, Chonburi.

I liked going to nearby islands to find treasures in caves, wading through water or exploring haunted houses to test my bravery. It brought color to my life.

I also love cartoons from both Disney and Japanese manga. They really captured my imagination and increased my love of art. Later, I went to Chula to study arts.

My dad is a musician. He used to play at an [American] G.I. camp before. Once he started working as a condominium manager, he just played recreationally with family and friends.

He always played guitar at my bedside every morning to develop my love for music. But I wasn’t interested at all.

I changed my mind after I went to a high school friend’s house and saw that he was trying to play the guitar without a teacher. I was impressed by how he was trying hard to learn on his own. Me, I had someone who was ready to teach me but I hadn’t bothered. At that point, I decided to start learning.

I created a band and we sold our own CDs. Then one senior friend suggested we contact record companies.

We joined GMM the same day that I applied to Satit Chula School to be an art teacher. My mom, who was also a teacher there, wanted me to follow her. Music was just my hobby back then.

I decided to quit teaching after seven years. I decided that if I wanted to do something well, I had to devote myself to it entirely.

We love to do musical experiments on the audience. I love to see how they will react. Others may say, “Please buy our album,” but we might say, “Don’t buy it.” I always have crazy ideas.

Our next album might go beyond crazy. People love heartfelt lyrics, but we will offer them up in an abstract style. We want to use unusual language to make it like a big canvas when you listen, and make you imagine what the message is. Some might think about a whale while others might think about rain.

The songs and bands I like are all flops, but I still believe that they are good.

I have the same principle I had when I was a teacher, which is to create inspiration. When kids love something, they will find out more about it and there won’t be any need to push them.

It’s strange, I never lost my inspiration. I always encounter new things to try, like soundtracks or scores for movies. Now my friend is talking about doing an animation project.

I don’t like selfish people. They make my life stressful and difficult and just waste my time. I’ve learned a lesson on how to choose who I work with.

I love to bring out people’s talent and polish it until it shines. I will highlight what is good and bury the weaknesses. It’s fun!

My biggest dream is to be a director. Just only for short films. I think I might make it better than my music. I once filmed a friend and cut it to be a horror film like Friday The 13th. If I could make a short film, I could then die in peace.

I think everyone needs an objective. If we have an objective, we will focus on our goal and not let it go. Those who aren’t successful are mostly people with no objective, and they get distracted easily.

Thailand also needs an objective to be stronger. We are an agricultural country and we need to stress that. We have to think about how to make our country continue to be naturally beautiful.

If people are romantic, we will love art and each other, and not be robots like in some other countries.

Many Thais might think Bangkok is so chaotic but if you’ve been to other countries, you will find it’s actually quite pleasant and genial. If someone is sitting on the street crying, there will always be someone who will ask them what happened. It’s our character.

I would promote people’s spirits and minds to be more beautiful if I was Bangkok governor. If we have a good mind, everything will be better too. Interview by Monruedee Jansuttipan and Numchok Kamwan

How did you guys first form Gravity?
Joke: We’ve been friends since we were kids at school. We learned to play guitar together. At first, all the members in the band were guitarists. Then we tried to figure out who should play what. For example, Meng also knew how to play keyboards, so he became our keyboard players.

What have you guys been doing for the last seven years?
Joke: We’ve spent most most of the time doing songs for other people.

How did you get a contract from a record label?
Joke: We released our music on YouTube and one of Sony Music’s producers heard our stuff. And they called us to sign a contract. We’ve now released two singles, “Mai Roo Ja Reurm Yang Ngai” and “Na Chiang Mai” which tells people to vacation in Chiang Mai, since we talk about a lot of the city’s hot spots.

So what’s cool in Chiang Mai?
Joke: Well, all the places we mention in the song. But I especially want to point out the elephant farm Patara. It’s different from other elephant farms which only do shows like elephant painting. At Patara, you learn how to take care of the elephants and get close to them. You can touch a real live elephant.
Fai: Less pollution!

What inspires you to make music these days?
Meng: Every view and like on our music videos on YouTube. It’s great to see those views increasing.

How’s your promotion coming along?
Meng: There was a TV show that wanted to come visit us. The appointment was at 2pm, and they called us about ten times to tell us they were on their way. And guess what? No one answered the phone. We were asleep! The night before, we had spent hours rearranging stuff in our house so it would look good for the shoot. We went to the market so we could cook for the crew and prepared everything to welcome them. The next day, when they arrived, we hadn’t even showered. Joke was still in his pajamas preparing food in the kitchen, and that’s when the cameraman came in.

What would you do if you were governor of Chiang Mai?
Joke: I’d get rid of all the ugly buildings. Also, I’d arrange an annual carnival and music festival. I want to transform Chiang Mai into the official capital of arts and music. But I have to save money first. Interview by Nat Tantisukrit

Which single or remix of yours never fails to make punters go apesh*t on the dancefloor?
I wouldn't want anyone to go bonkers on the dance floor, really don’t want to be accountable for someone losing an eye.

Most requested song you refuse to spin... "You Remind Me of My Jeep," because it turns the dance floor into one stinking traffic jam.

If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
I would collaborate with the cast of Glee, preferably after their death.

Three records that changed your life… are on file with the State of California.

Gear up for a night of ass kickin’ slams from the acclaimed spinmeister on at Smirnoff Presents DJ Rectangle.
 

If life throws a curveball at me, I’d … pull out my magic wand and shrink small enough to jump on it and ride on top of it. See where it takes me.

If you could go with another DJ name, it would be … Malcolm X.

If I weren’t a superstar DJ, I’d be a … scuba diver, poker player, ping pong professional, and I’d join NASA and travel through space.

The last time I was happy, it was … just a few hours ago.

The last time I was thrashed, it was … after touring 18 shows in 17 dates, 12 countries and 12 festivals July in Europe. But that was awesome.

I’d die in peace if I get to meet … David Servan Schreiber.

When I come back to Singapore, I will … chew gum!

Aoki will rip the dancefloors on Oct 28 at Avalon.

What does your name mean in Russian?
If you remember the big big casettes—reel to reel. That’s what Bobina means in Russian.

Best venue to play?
Please let me answer the question after my show in Zouk as I have heard from many DJs that it’s the most amazing venue to play.

What did you do before DJing?
I was studying Finance Management and even worked a bit in that field.

Current life soundtrack?
A dope tune called “Yes, Boss.”

Ra Ra Rasputin?
Yes, not a bad vodka at all. Ironically it is not Russian but an American brand.

Catch Bobina’s intoxicating mix on Aug 26 at Zouk.