In the 13 years that DJ DIK has been dropping beats on the South Bay clubbing scene, he has gathered quite a local following. Taking the title of best DJ for the fourth consecutive year, he says he is grateful, honored and humbled.
“I get surprised every year,” said Richard Podgurski, the man behind DJ DIK. “People usually say it’s about how many fans you have on Facebook or how many followers you have on Twitter…but really, it’s about making real connections.”
He remains grounded in his home turf, Hermosa Beach, where he spins every other Friday night at Ocean Bar and makes regular appearances at American Junkie and Baja Sharkeez. Alongside other local DJ regulars like Mark Perez (DJ MP), Quasar, Jimbo and Omar, DJ DIK is spearheading a new electronic dance movement at the Hermosa night scene.
“There’s a brigade of people who don’t want any of this in Hermosa; they blame the DJs and they blame the bars,” Podgurski said. But what they don’t realize, he explained, is that they are attacking hundreds of local jobs, a legitimate source of income for many people. “It bums me out when people try to shoot down this industry.”
Hermosa Beach is undeniably his home, but that’s not to say he’s a homebody.
“In the past couple of years, this all of a sudden became cool,” he explained. “You kind of ride that wave up. I try to spread out to as many cities as possible.”
Electronic dance music is gaining mainstream momentum, and as a result, DJ DIK can find himself spinning in San Francisco one night, San Diego or Portland on another.
“As a DJ, you gotta stay sharp,” he said.
Follow @DJDIK on Instagram. djdik.com
Runner-up: DJ Bayati (Boogaloo, Pat Molloy’s)
