Q&A: UCLA student DJ A-Klap talks Dance Marathon set

Fourth-year political science student Anthony Kapitanski, who performs under the DJ stage name A-Klap, is set to take the stage at Pauley Pavilion this Saturday for the 13th annual Dance Marathon presented by the Pediatric AIDS Coalition. Kapitanski will perform a three-hour set from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday as participants dance for 26 hours to benefit AIDS-affected children around the world. Kapitanski has performed in the Westwood and greater Los Angeles area since he first started mixing dance music live just over a year ago. Kapitanski spoke with the Daily Bruin’s Max McGee about the upcoming performance and its significance.

Daily Bruin: Dance Marathon is consistently one of the largest events on campus each year. What do you expect of the venue, and how does it compare to shows that you have performed?

Anthony Kapitanski: I am really excited to be performing at historic Pauley Pavilion. Dance Marathon has never before really been an opportunity to play at such a large venue. I don’t really know what to expect yet and it’s definitely very different from any other venue that I have ever played. There are a lot of people that come out for Dance Marathon and I am excited to see what they can turn Pauley into.

DB: How has the preparation process been for Saturday’s show, especially given the release of much new EDM material in these past few weeks?

AK: I feel like it is pretty much typical, I mean being a DJ you stay up on music consistently and that’s a part of being a decent DJ. It’s the same preparation as any other show. This time may be a bit different considering I am playing longer than I would typically play and the style is going to be a bit different to meet the needs for Dance Marathon. For prep, I am just kind of making a few mash-ups here and there and including new music that hopefully people will enjoy dancing too.

DB: Who are some artists that have inspired you and influenced your style as a DJ?

AK: Artists of many different musical genres inspire me although my style of DJ-ing is almost exclusively electronic dance music. Of major DJs that have inspired me, I would say that I really like 3LAU, MAKJ, Henry Fong and people like Kap Slap – college DJs who made it big doing mash-up style music.

DB: What style of music can Dance Marathoners expect from your set and energy on stage?

AK: We’ll have to wait and see how the crowd is and what type of music is flowing throughout the night, but I hope to play some big room style house, and overall mix what I would want to jam to. I like to play music that I personally enjoy and hopefully the crowd can get down to it. I lose myself; if the crowd is reacting, I’m jumping up and down going crazy too so I’m excited.

DB: So does having a three-hour slot open the door to creativity and experiment in your set?

AK: Yeah definitely. Having a longer time slot really lets me play around with different genres of music and play stuff that I normally wouldn’t do for an hour slot or party. I don’t really know what to expect, so it will be cool to experiment.

DB: How does performing at a major UCLA fundraiser feel, especially during your last quarter at UCLA?

AK: Its awesome. Dance Marathon is one of the quintessential UCLA experiences and I’m glad that I am able to be a part of it in any capacity especially doing something I love. To be able to do something that I am crazy about combined with something that stands for such an important cause as Pediatric AIDS, that is very important to the UCLA community as a whole, is an honor. I can’t wait.