The 23-year-old Saudi DJ, named Abdulmalik Boghdadi, is a Jeddah resident and student at King Abdul Aziz University majoring in industrial engineering.

DJ QKEY was first drawn to mixing after playing the guitar for a long time. “I was seeking to be unique and exceptional, but everyone around me played the guitar, piano and other instruments,” he said. “Being a DJ is distinctive because not a lot of people here mix. Plus, I am able to stand out with my techniques and style.”

In 2007, DJ QKEY hosted and mixed in local parties and weddings using basic DJ equipments and knowledge. “People used to love my mixes. Even though I was not a professional DJ, I knew exactly what they wanted and how they wanted their music.”

In the summer of 2008, DJ QKEY went to Amsterdam and took a DJ beginner and basic course at the Amsterdam DJ School. “After the course, I also mixed in a few parties and gatherings from weddings to birthday parties, and people noticed the change in my style because of the course.”

In the summer of 2009 and after one year of experience, DJ QKEY went back to Amsterdam to take the more advanced course and managed to mix in a couple of parties there. “The course required us DJs to play for people in local night clubs and parties. It was both a practical and theoretical course in order to take the advanced certificate,” he said.

And, he couldn’t be happier about his decision. “After taking the course, I am now a certificated DJ and I have new and highly developed techniques than any other DJ in the world. Of course, practice makes perfect.”

It seems that a lot of people seem to confuse him for another DJ who has songs on YouTube. “Apparently, there is another DJ QKEY who is American and whose songs are found on YouTube, but that is not me,” he warns.

DJ QKEY usually plays house, electro, R&B and funk music. “I always manage to update myself with what’s new in the music charts because people like to dance to the modernized songs,” he said. “So, I have to buy the new songs, whether they’re my style or not. Even if I don’t like a song, I manage to combine it with others to make it sound better while of course being ahead of the game.”

DJ QKEY looks up to DJ Laidback Luke and DJ Fedde le Grand for their style and mixes. “I always listen to their parties and watch them on YouTube to see how they manage to keep their crowd entertained and happy,” he confessed. “Every month, I look at the top ten DJ music chart to see what’s in and what’s out, and according to that, I start mixing my music and theirs while keeping their same style and method.”

His wicked smooth turntable techniques are from using updated mixers that cost him a lot of money to produce better music. “I usually buy my mixing equipment and programs from Dubai because it’s always updated. Now, I use the most updated mixer, which is similar to the one DJ Tiesto and every international DJ uses.”

DJ QKEY thinks that being a DJ by itself is not a good job for Saudi males or females. “Our society does not support us or accept us as DJs and they always think low of us even though music is a universal language that everyone speaks,” he confessed. “The bad thing about being a DJ in the Kingdom is that we don’t have locations to mix in and we really need that in order to make our job work. I would always want to mix, but I would have to have a decent job on the side until people accept us at least.”

DJ QKEY hopes to mix with Sebastian Ingrosso from Swedish House Mafia. “My ultimate dream is to join him for one night at least to mix because I admire his style and music,” he said. “He is the master of house music and I always like to listen to the group’s mixes even if just in the car while I’m driving.”

Music production is DJ QKEY’s next step, as he wants to start uploading his mixes on YouTube and make and sell his own CD. “I want to start recording my mixes and publish them so that people would be familiar with my style and get more exposure for my mixes.”

“I’m always amazed by the energy in a room and the love for music that everyone has. I want to keep that for as long as I can with my mixes.”