Eurasian actor, model, DJ Tom Price answers the Robb Report Questionnaire

Throwback Thursday: Interview with Hong Kong actor/model/DJ/Graffiti Artist Tom Price. Reposted.  

All original photography by Natalie Dunn, other images provided by Tom.  

To kickstart the first fashion shoot for Robb Report Hong Kong, we knocked on the doors of… well, it’s the digital age, we DM’d the Instagram of multi-hyphenate Tom Price. Prolific touring DJ, Eurasian actor, and most importantly, dog-dad to Roxy, a gorgeous border collie.

Born and brought up in Hong Kong, of English and Chinese origin, the trilingual (Mandarin, Cantonese and English) Price fits into any mould you can carve him in. We needed someone who could balance a trapeze act, swing between the East and West (a novel idea natch) with equal ease, pull off a Tom Ford suit (which he’s modelled for in the past) and a surfboard with a studied nonchalance. We are all about contradictions like that.

Despite the fame and following (see how young girls titter in his presence), he’s got his priorities set straight. “Family, work, dog!” As its often been said before, the Price is right.

His film and television appearances are aplenty (feel free to Imdb), and many in the region will instantly recognise the chiseled jawline of the face that’s launched several ad campaigns and worked with many brands and designers of note. For the column, it was easy to grab him for this lengthy questionnaire – man was trapped in a gilded cage, i.e. stuck in quarantine hotel till the authorities deemed him eligible for freedom. “Staring at the sea and sunset while trapped inside – send me the q’s.” .

Ok then.

First thing you do in the morning?
Get some sunlight in my eyes! 

What in your wardrobe do you wear most often?
Probably my white low top Hermès sneakers I bought last year. Comfortable and great with any outfit. 

What do you most crave at the end of the day?
A good night's sleep.

What song is currently in your head?
I posted an insta reel recently using Mary J Blige - All Night Long... now It's stuck in my head. 

Tom Price with his constant companion Roxy

How do you find calm?
I find painting, surfing or hiking with my dog the best to unwind and just chill. Being out in nature is almost like a type of meditation I find. 

What’s the most recent thing you’ve added to your collection?
I collect vinyl records and have recently added some '90s hip hop gems as well as some fresh underground house and electro. I've recently added some fresh underground house and UKG too.

Where do you buy your clothes?
Everywhere and anywhere. 

What’s the most impressive dish you cook?
I make a killer stir fry... I think. 

Who is your dealer, and what do they source for you?
Bandcamp. Music is my drug.  

 

What is your exercise routine, and how often do you do it?
I try to find time for exercise daily. Gym, basketball, hiking and surfing are the most common. However, I'm a fan of all sports and will play anything. 

If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?
Another language would be fantastic. 

How much do you trust your gut instinct?
85%

 

Do you have a dream car?
Ferrari F50! Only 350 were ever made and I love the retro supercar vibe. 

Are you wearing a watch? How many do you own?
At the moment I own around 5 or 6 watches. 

Tell us about your favourite watch?
A gold and silver vintage Longines I bought from my buddy in Shanghai. Stylish without being too flashy. 

 

If you could stick at one age, what would it be, and why?
Probably the age I'm at now! 36. A mix of athletic ability and life experience. A few years less and I'm too young, a few years more and I won't be able to carve it up on the basketball court like I used to!

How would others describe your look?
Pretty average. 

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
Hawaii would be nice. Waves during the day and stars at night. What more could you ask for?

What is your most treasured possession?
A pair of Technics SL1210 turntables a DJ friend gave to me before he passed away. 

What are you afraid of?
Not a huge fan of jellyfish.  

What is your vice?
Hong Kong style iced milk tea. Love that. 

Favorite restaurants in Hong Kong?
Probably Carbone. One of the best Italian restaurants here with a good vibe. For something more local, I would say Super Duper Noodles in Sai Wan Ho. Lives up to the name!

 

Wine or whiskey?
Whiskey. Scotch. Some personal favourites include Kilchoman and Lagavulin. Special mention goes to the Talisker 18-year single malt. Good for any occasion. 

Dream date on a yacht – where you sailing?
Hong Kong has hundreds of islands with all sorts of beaches, bays and coves that are easily accessible. It really is the perfect place for a yacht. There are a few prime spots that would definitely be date worthy. Bring a long a few bottles of champagne, add a clear night sky with a meteor shower and you’re set.

Last piece of advice you gave?
Only chickens accomplish something by sitting on their asses!

Prefer to drive or be driven?
Drive.

What is the car you are most attached to?
In my early twenties, I drove a BMW E30 convertible. Many fond memories. I'm a fan of vintage cars and this one is a bit of a classic.

Last Netflix binge?
Probably Squid Game 

As an actor what roles appeal to you?
I think every actor, including myself, would love roles that are well written and unique. Anything interesting really.

Were you a stage kid? Theatre prodigy?
I did a few school plays growing up in Hong Kong. I remember playing Sweeney Todd once which was fun. But it wasn't until my university years that I took acting seriously and decided to dedicate my life to it.

What’s your favourite neighbourhood in your favourite city?
Shek O Village, Hong Kong 

Bowie or Dylan?
Dylan is a Bonafide genius. But I'll have to go Bowie on this one.

See Robb Report Hong Kong's Autumn/Winter 2022 Fashion shoot at RobbReport.hk

Preview: DJ Sami spins in Hong Kong

Just as Hong Kong's handover anniversary is celebrated each year with a dance party, India's Independence Day has also proved to be a good excuse for hedonistic dance-floor fun.

Providing the soundtrack at this year's extravaganza is Akbar Sami, one of Mumbai's best known DJs and provider of countless Bollywood sound-tracks. Sami is one of the Indian entertainment capital's highest paid disc jockeys.

Although he's said to have single-handedly brought house music to Indian dance floors, Sami says his sound resists easy categorisation. "In India, one needs to have a sense of rhythm, know some of the basics of instruments and have a wide collection of different styles - unlike in the west, where they have genre-specific DJs and clubs."

In the world of Indian remixing - where producers often illegally sample movie soundtracks and rework them for the dance floor - Sami is one of the few to work with original composers. He's the official remixer for no fewer than five upcoming Bollywood releases.

"If you hear my remixes, just about everything is new - the range, the instruments," he says. "Film producers ask me to work with them, but I've had to say no because I don't have time to work on bad albums. If the music's bad, you can't do anything with it."

Since Sami first spun in the 1980s, he dreamed of opening a nightclub. He realised his ambition two months ago, with the launch of Synergy, which has rapidly become one of Mumbai's top hangouts.

"I wanted to do it for a long time, but I couldn't find the right place. A friend showed me this property and so Synergy was born."

However, such is the demand for Sami that he hasn't found time to man the decks. "When everthing settles down - the club is still a baby - I'll spin," he says.

Sat, 11 pm,
Armani Bar

Published on Thursday, August 10, 2006

By P.Ramakrishnan

Original Spin: Bollywood's Own in Hong Kong DJ Suketu spins City

It took DJ Suketu just three years to top India's remixing scene. Now locals can find out why, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

As he prepared to fly to Hong Kong last week, DJ Suketu was caught up in a controversy in Mumbai when Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar denounced the remixing culture "for its utter corruption and hollow value."

Suketu's name was mentioned as Mangeshkar railed against the new breed of youngsters in Mumbai 's burgeoning lounge and club scene, but the DJ thinks he knows the real reason she's upset.

"The only reason - she's not getting any money or royalties from the remixes," Suketu, 28, says as he drives around Mumbai with his own chart-topping song playing in the background.

"Manna Dey said he was thrilled that his songs from the 50s and 60s are being brought to a new generation who would otherwise never have even known he existd. Why not adopt that atttude?"

Suketu is without doubt the hottest name in India's remixing scene, with his reinterpretations of old Bollywood songs combined with house, techno and lounge rhythms finding their way into the charts - and shoving aside new bollywood songs.

"I still remember when my first remix video hit MTV India in 2002. I was flooded with SMS messages within minutes. Since then I've worked in the hottest clubs in London, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia... every month I'm in a different country."

What started as a hobby inspired by a love of old Indian songs quickly turned intto a career when Suketu's remixing skills came to the attention of Indian music companies.

"After just three years I'm working with the best Indian music directors, who want remixes of their new compositions to be included as supplements to their albums."

Suketu's skills behind the turntables have also been recognised. He won the national DMC (Disco Mix Club) headquarters in London. He's also a trained tabla player. "There are thousands of remixes coming out of Mumbai. You really need a sense of rhythm and timing - which is where my background in the tabla helps."

The competition is fierce. What separates Suketu from his competitors is that he gets singers to record new vocal tracks for all his releases, along with incorporating an eclectic jumble of sounds sourced from around the world. "In every country I go, I buy the top 20 hit list and check out the local scene of music. I get new singers to sing the tracks in different styles and then it goes off to the music companies," he says.

Suketu's performance during the Diwali festival will be his first in Hong Kong. "I'm bringing all the stuff I've collected over the year and I carry house, hip-hop and Bollywood. No DJ will prepare everything in advance. You have to study the crowd, try things, see what's working."

Are original songs the next step? "I'd definitely like to do more original songs, but I'll never turn my back on remixing."


Thursday, October 27, 2005

Salsa Seduction: Interview with DJ Henry Knowles during his Hong Kong Trip: SCMP Exclusive

The world's unofficial No 1 salsa DJ Henry Knowles knows the power of a sensual latin beat - and plans to use it on his Hong kong fans, writes P.Ramakrishnan.


As the world's unofficial No 1 salsa DJ Henry Knowles is not used to seeing people sitting down at his gigs. "The only time when I did not get the reaction I expected - and I've been doing this for more than 20 years - was when I was the DJ at the wedding of some Jehovah's Witnesses. That was one tough audience. I couldn't play some of the sexier songs and they freaked a bit," the New York-based disc jockey says.

Fresh from a whirlwind tour of Japan, the salsero recalls the experience so vividly because it is a one-off. Normally, the response to his sensuous Latin-laced tunes involves something closer to wild abandon.

"Everywhere in the world, the music gets into the blood. It's an addiction. Whether they're in Japan, Korea, Italy or Belgium, the people just start dancing when salsa's in the air," he says, a few hours after landing in Hong Kong.

In the past two months, Knowles has touched down in Hawai, Germany, the Netherlands and San Juan, where he was part of the world salsa congress. He's used to setting such a pace with two decades of DJ-ing under his belt. He's also used to his No 1 salsa DJ sobriquet, which was bestowed on him by enraptured Italian fans years ago. "There was a time when I was flying to Italy every month and on one of the programmes, they introduced me as such. The label stuck. With the internet bringing the 'salseros' of the world together, it's brilliant to be recognised in the street when you're halfway aross the world from home."

Salsa, the Latin American dance characterised by Afro-Caribbean rhythms, Cuban big-band dance melodies and elements of jazz and rock, has found a fanatical following in Japan, South Korea and a number of hot-spots in Malaysia and Singapore.

A form of music and dance that could not be more of an alien culture and sound finds escalating popularity - marked by the repeated invitations for people such as Knowles and other latin music exponents.

"It is a form of liberation. When I meet some old friends in Asia, I hug them. I kiss them, ther's a very hands-on greeting which is completely different to, let's say, the Japanese culture where physical contact is completely avoided as a greeting.

"You shed inhibitions with the culture of salsa. You move, you get hot, sweaty and sticky," he says, trying to explain why he's frequent flier to Asia as Latin music's unofficial ambassaddor.

"People may not understand what the words are and they might get a better appreciation if they understood it, but this is really about the rhythm, the music itself," he says.

Though a New York resident, as a young boy he was sent to Puerto Rico to stay with his grand parents and developed an ear for the local music. "I bought all kinds of records. Even today, two thirds of my money goes into buying music," he says as he points out why in his luggage, at any given time, there are more than 200 CDs.

"When I was in high school, at a party I brought all my records and I played them. The reaction was so great that I've never looked back.

"I'm a manager for music acts, a promoter, I do the marketing, I do parties, I dance - everything I do involves music."

Like DJs of any genre, Knowles says his greatest skill is reading people - a talent that has overcome cultural differences across the globe. One of the keys, he says is not following the charts, but his audience.

"When we started off, radio stations came to us to find out what was hot in the club scene. We could make or break a track and, if we played the song often enough, we got people addicted to it. Now it's all about the marketing strategy, completely commercial. It's about the musician's look, not their sound.

"It makes no sense to play something just because it's the No 1 song in New York. That song might not necessarily work in LA or Brussels. Knowing the pulse of the audience is important. I don't prepare anything in advance when I have to work at a gig. I go in, feel for the audience and play something. No pre-recorded and pre-planned tracks - otherwise I might as well mail a compilation and not turn up. It is an art to understand the audience."

It's hard to pinpoint when a worldwide audience found a flavour of South American sounds and let it make merry on their eardrums, but it was well before the live-in-leather performance of Ricky Martin at the Grammys.

"The Ricky Martins and the Jennifer Lopez-es have opened the doors a bit wider for an international audience to get into this style of music that has been around for many years. Their music is Latin pop or rock but having brought in listeners, the more curious will do a bit more digging and find a world of sounds that come from Latin culture."

He adds: "Here I'm a one-man show. Sometimes I have musicians or dancers accompany me and we mix and match things. I love open-air events and am really looking forward to my first gig in Hong Kong."

So what can Hong Kong expect at the first official visit as a DJ on sunday in Harbour City to kick off the Salsa In The City festival? "A lot of fun. Apart from playing the music, I go out to the dance-floorr and mingle with the crowd. I work the auience and don't just sit up there with my equipment ignoring the world.

"I will dance with anyone who's willing. You don't have to be an expert and have taken lessons to enjoy this. If it gets hot, humid, sweaty and sticky, then it gets hot, humid, sweaty and sticky!"

With a sly grin he says, "That's the way all good things progress."

Indeed.