Too cool to limit his vibe to just one place, Mr. Ho hops between Hong Kong and Europe spinning hedonistic tracks. He's both a record collector and record label owner that likes to keep things authentic and DIY when it comes to his shows and the biz. We caught up with him to chat about music scenes in different cities, how his label, Klasse Wrecks, came to be, and what we can expect from him in 2020

Electric Soul: You’ve been around the block in terms of DJing. With 15+ years under your belt, tell us about your musical career up until this point. 

Mr. Ho: I've travelled around quite a bit for djing. I've released some records. I've met many like-minded and inspiring individuals, some of whom I can call my friends.  There have been times I've gotten bored with what I do, but then something happens that brings back the excitement. 

ES: You’re currently based in Hong Kong. What other cities would you call home and how do their music scenes differ from Hong Kong’s? 

MH: Right now, I would only call Hong Kong my home. I used to live in Berlin, and electronic music brings about 50,000 people to the city to party every weekend, and around 1.5 billion EUR to the city a year. There is an electronic music industry in Berlin, and it is a significant part of the city's economy. That's just not the case in Hong Kong. 

ES: You’re a bit of a record collector. Tell us what got you started and how many records you’ve collected to date. What is your most prized record? 

MH: I started buying records because a significant portion of the music I liked was only available in that format and I also liked how the artwork was presented on the record sleeve. Currently, there are probably 2000+ records in my collection and I'm attached to about 1500 of them.   

ES: Who is Mr. Ho as a DJ? How would you describe your sound?  

MH: I've been called a "physical DJ" by my Japanese DJ friends. I like that. I would describe my sound as physical, sleazy, fun, and hedonistic. 

ES: What is your favourite kind of crowd to play to? 

MH: A good openminded crowd that likes what I play. 

ES: What is your favourite show you’ve played? Where and why? 

MH: Too many to mention! I've been lucky enough to have had more good gigs than bad. I do enjoy my residencies at Mihn in Hong Kong and Ohm in Berlin. I feel familiar there and it allows me to try new things out and develop my sound. 

ES: You also are co-founder of Klasse Wrecks. Tell us about your record label and how it all began? 

MH: Klasse Wrecks is an electronic music label that predominantly releases music aimed for the dancefloor.  Our approach and aesthetic are somewhat DIY because we both have a background in the pre-big industry skateboarding and hip hop culture. The label started with my friend and partner Lucas Hunter a.k.a. Luca Lozano. We were both doing different music projects in a different scene which we no longer enjoyed. Luca had the idea to do a label (we used to be called Klasse Recordings) which could be home to our current projects. He asked me to come on board in the beginning and here we are- almost ten years later. 

ES: What do you look for in a Klasse Wrecks artist? 

MH: It's difficult to answer specifically, we just have to like the tracks,  the person who made it, and feel that we can be the best home to their music. 

ES: What has owning a record label taught you about the music industry? 

MH: It taught me that basic good business practices apply to the music business too. It's important to do your accounting, chase up on your invoices, pay your people – just like any other business. 

ES: What does Mr. Ho have planned for 2020? 

MH: More time in the studio, so more original music released. Also developing more products for Klasse Wrecks. A bit less travelling for DJ gigs. 

Check Mr. Ho's profile on Electric Soul here!