Rony Seikaly is More Focused on the Journey Than the Destination

If the name Rony Seikaly rings a bell, that's because you may have heard it before. But rather than retread over the familiar ground about his professional sporting background, Rony would rather talk about his music for a minute.

"I have a unique and distinct sound. People that know my music can pick it out right away. Even if I'm not playing and there's a track that comes on, my fans can say, 'That's Rony-style,' you know? And that style is underground, groovy, sexy… there is always some light in it."

Rony started spinning in Greece when he was 14 years old, so he's been around for the evolution of house and its various genres. This goes back to the tail end of disco and the start of new wave like Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode and Spandau Ballet. Since then, he's considered himself not only a student of dance music, but a true practitioner from the get-go.

"One thing that I remember is that I've always seemed able to get a party going. Nothing has changed. I had a makeshift club in my parent's garage and I charged an entrance fee for all the people who wanted to come. With the money that I raised, I figured I'll improve the sound and lights. So I was always on a quest to keep improving the experience and whatever equipment I needed to get there."

In both of Rony's professional lives—both as a DJ and tenured NBA center—he's done his fair share of world traveling. This caused him to pick up diverse influences that have impacted him in a number of ways.

"I like to bring in a variation of global elements. When I play tech house, it can be a tech house kind of groove but it needs to have an international flavour to it. I will always bring in either an instrument from a foreign country or a melody that ties it into me personally. I grew up around classical music. And I make fun of the notion that people will say all house music sounds the same or there's no vocals. Well guess what? Classical music has no vocals! It also sounds the same to people who don't know it!"

It's about where the music takes you. So much like the structure of classical that he holds so dear, his sets are modeled on a narrative.

"Within my music, I like to develop a story. I don't need to straight shuffle all the way through for three hours. It's a bit boring. Each track for me is a chapter. It starts with all the stuff you would know, but then I look to venture into the unknown and go somewhere with it. Make it more of a voyage."

A lot of that has to come down to his unique, unlikely expedition in life.

"It's almost like a hip-hop artist. If he's rapping about personal experiences, it comes out a lot more naturally than if he is copying someone else. So for me, it's what is inside of me. My memories, where I've gone, what I've picked up. There are happy moments, there are dark moments, there are ups and downs. That's where I am with the music too."

Rony admits that when he played basketball, he was usually thinking about more than just the trip.

"I was always thinking destination, destination, destination. It was so much about getting to the top that I forgot all about the journey. I didn't enjoy any minute of it because it was so competitive all the time, maintaining my stature, being a starter, coming back stronger, rebounding… all of it."

So when he decided to pursue his passion for music as a full-time trade, he decided he was finally finished with looking for the end of the line. Rony was now going to enjoy the ride.

"I want to enjoy every minute of it and let's see where it goes! I'm not looking to become a superstar, I'm just looking to spread this kind of music. If I can get to playing the superclubs with the big names next summer, great."

But if he doesn't, Rony won't be disappointed because he's still on the journey.

"Some people love what I'm doing, so if I can make one person smile then that's enough for me."

Follow Rony Seikaly on FB // TW // SC

You can follow Christopher on Twitter and Instagram at: @theCMprogram