For two years, G-SHOCK Radio has been a conduit for culture. From its weekly takeovers to sprawling IRL events, the station is a stomping ground for up and coming DJs to show their skills and a home for the next generation of radio presenters. Nothing has been the same since their formation in June 2023, and the station has served as a hub for all things new and current. Entertainment is synonymous with G-SHOCK Radio, and the work continues. We caught up with co-founder DJ Nav to learn more about some of the residents that are the beating heart of the station.
LJ Shellings & AKIN
DJ Nav: “I brought LJ Shellings on for his debut show about two years ago. His thing was that he had created this sub-community called AKIN, which was looking at how to empower and platform other DJs that he’s come across on his travels. Some of them were guys that perhaps weren’t getting the shine they deserved. I pitched the idea of an AKIN takeover to him, just to have a selection of DJs that he could showcase.
Since then, AKIN has been doing monthly takeovers on the weekend where they curate the programming on the day. It’s a way to empower some of the lesser known DJs and encourage people that are straight up club DJs who play out to actually touch base with their clientele and demographic. It’s really brought LJ out of his shell to where he’s become more of a host.
Before his debut show, he’d never spoken to the microphone before. He’s super shy, but he’s really leaned into the idea of engaging with listeners. Most DJs are used to coming in, twiddling some knobs, playing their set, going home and not saying anything. But there’s that power of actually being a little bit curious in the shows by asking questions of people. Drawing them out and trying to help them speak about themselves. It’s been pleasing to watch that part of LJ’s evolution.“
K-SLICE & The Juice Presents +
“K-SLICE’s story is similar. I met her as a DJ but she’s also a producer at Voices Radio. She plays a lot of different music and has a big network of people she’s met through Voices and the various other radio stations that she plays on. As well as her own production company that she uses to put on nights. Her responsibility is a monthly takeover where she curates a lineup that is diverse. It taps into marginalized groups and people that don’t have the platform. So we get quite an eclectic, diverse lineup from her. It helps G-SHOCK Radio become even more of an all inclusive platform.
K-SLICE is wicked because she’s such a bubbly character she always has been. She came in with a lot of energy and some experience. But she’s really embraced our ethos of playing what you love. Whatever that might be. She went from playing Baile Funk and Edits to exploring Jazz on a Sunday afternoon. Her curiosity has really pushed her to play other sets and I haven’t seen her do that elsewhere.“
Terry Hooligan & On The Rise DJ Academy
“Terry Hooligan is a legend in the Breakbeat and Hip-Hop scenes as a DJ in both spaces. He’s toured far and wide and he wanted to impart his knowledge on others, and saw an opportunity to be able to create an academy. As far as ambassadors for DJing go, he’s probably the most genuine that I’ve met in a long time. He’s someone who stands up for the grassroots and new DJs. Terry stands up for people’s rights within the music industry, because I think he’s experienced it, the good and the bad and the not so great, because we know that all of those things exist in this industry. Then in his DJ academies and workshops, he offers people a true insight to what the industry is and what you’re going to encounter. How you can encounter it and how you can perhaps avoid some of it.
We wanted to do a similar thing as far as giving spotlight to new blood. Terry was a great advocate and great accelerator of that. We came up with the idea that we do a weekend takeover where he gets to curate a day of six DJs from his alumni. People that have gone through his workshops or his tutoring. They come in and this is one of their first experiences of actually doing radio. Terry has been instrumental in allowing us to usher in the new generation.“
DJ Nav
“I guess my role within the station has evolved. I’m still programming and searching for DJs all the time. We’re still getting submissions daily for new shows. But on top of that, I’m actively trying to work out connections with good partners. Those who can share the same sort of goal and ethos never giving up. I’m still doing a show or a couple of shows a week. I think I’m a bit of a known quantity there, so it helps if I’m the one that kicks off the stream that day. To boost the early part of that stream which means that the momentum continues for the guys that come on after me.
We’ve started a live podcast series too, there’s been quite a lot of ideas about other people wanting to do other things. So we’re really trying to explore what else we can do, especially in collaboration with Mixcloud, and see how much we can take this further.“
Revisit our interview with G-SHOCK Radio, where they share their amazing origin story.