With the season of weddings, festivities, and celebrations, this seemed like the opportune time to enjoy a chai with the most raved about DJ in town – DJ Isaac of Hyper Productions. Isaac got his start in this business in 1995 under the name International DJ – the name symbolizing what he did at the time both desi and non-desi events made sense at that time. Having had experience in the field for a few years, he went back and completed a certification at a Radio Broadcasting School in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1999 and Hyper Productions was born. During that certification, he learned production, recording, etc. and changed the name to match that new skillset.
Having been a DJ for more than a decade, he’s seen it all. He started out DJ’ing with tapes, cassettes, double-casettes, and vinyl – working hard to rewind and forward as it made sense. Having worked in those trenches, now DJ’ing is a cake walk in the digital world compared to where the industry has come from.
His interest in DJ’ing started in New York, where he went to the same high school as DJ Lil J in Queens. During lunch, he’d watch him DJ and learn what he is doing it. He started out small, helping him roll wires, etc. and then finally started DJ’ing house parties back in 1993 as a hobby. When his father transferred with work to Arizona, he moved here and started his own independent company in 1995. Back in New York, he did more non-desi parties but he did his first Indian event ever in Arizona – a high school graduation. Raised in New York and born in Chennai, India – he found his passion for desi events and started concentrating on those exclusively. His family, which consists of his parents and two sisters now living in New York and India, was very supportive of his career choice and his father bought him his first set of vinyls and turntables, but he had to work his way up to buy additional stuff.
His most memorable DJ’ing event was a huge reception and what made it memorable was that it was his first ever 1000 people event at the Phoenix Convention Center and he never thought he’d DJ for 1,000 people so it was a new milestone. Since then, he has DJ’d many large scale events including a recent four day grand wedding in Tucson that included over 1,000 people guest list.
In his experience, the hardest thing about this business is finding out the customer’s likes and bringing them to the table and the easiest is putting it all together and making it happen. Even though it is not a steady gig and he has a background in Cisco Networking and a Cartridge World business, this is his passion and he loves doing it. He loves making new friends and meeting new people everyday and, contrary to his starting days, he is now focused exclusively on South Asian events. It is hard to keep up with the business and get the name out there and then step up and show what’s new and bring that to the table when working with clients that are set in their ways or have their mind made up about something they have seen in the past but if he thinks it will add value to the event, he pushes for it and teaches his clients the new techniques and equipment. Since his early days, he has also gotten into the coordination business that includes décor, lighting, video productions, etc.
When choosing a DJ, why choose DJ Isaac of Hyper Productions? He has clearly been in this business for a very long time so he must be doing something right. He takes the time out to know what the main organizers and their families want out of the event and delivers it. An exceptional example was a request to bring an elephant as part of a baaraat. Since there is no way to provide elephants in Arizona, he went to California to rent an elephant and had it sent to the JW Marriott to ensure the couple got exactly what they wanted on their special day.
Truly, a self-starter and self-made individual, he has come a long way from the days of working house parties and Hyper Productions now employs six DJ’s that work for him and also works with Danny Brosnan of Sony on video productions. He has DJ’d all over the valley, across the states, and will be doing his first international wedding reception event in the Bahamas in March. His future goals include venturing further into production, music releases, and mixes he is well on the road to this goal with the release of three CDs – Sajna 1, Sajna 2, and Sajna 3. All albums can be downloaded on iTunes or from his website at http://hyperproductionsdjs.com/.
His final word to our readers is that lots of DJs have come and gone. Some came and left clients with unsatisfactory experiences, while others did it as a hobby and moved on to different careers when done, but he has been in the business for a long time and continues to do it because he loves it and is passionate about it. Give him and his team a chance, hear them out, and they will show you want they can do and make your event the most memorable event of your life. He takes the time out to meet with the clients multiple times, as much as needed with a minimum of 4-5 times, to get it right – preparing the agenda, bringing décor samples, etc. to the house for the family to feel and touch to ensure it is what they want. Every small thing a client requests is big for their team because they know it is big for the client so they do their best to bring it all to the table.
At the end of the day, client experience is everything and Hyper Productions works hard to provide a positive and memorable client experience. Experienced in events for all occasions, especially wedding, he has taken events from Baaraat to Mandap to Reception, taking into account every detail that was important to his clients and he does this professionally because he loves it. It is not a high school or college hobby or past time but a professional passion, as can be seen by his tenure in the business.
Asia Today thanks DJ Isaac for his time and wishes him success in all his future endeavors. It was a pleasure getting to know him as a person and learn about his background and experience. Visit his website at http://hyperproductionsdjs.com, email him at hpdjsphoenix@hotmail.com, or call 602-348-6985 to book your next event today!
Chai With….DJ Isaac of Hyper Productions
Interview by Raja & Deepa Walia, Article by Deepa Walia
December 27, 2011
