It's your own imagination, your own perception of music

That'll be Bt100,000, says Bangkok's best, and don't forget the artistic soul

A good DJ doesn't need a monstrous music collection or the priciest equipment, says DJ Jedie, Bangkok's top turntablist. You need to understand the music - and you have to be original.

"Know your channel, go with it and be yourself," Tanapong Komarakul na Nakorn tells Daily Xpress.

"You can take classes to learn how to use the machinery and the technical stuff," says the 30-year-old club-scene staple, "but at the end of the day it's your own imagination, your own perception of music and your own style that gets you places."

Jedie started out playing guitar in a band, but hearing big-name DJs like Qbert and Mixmaster Mike steered him towards electronic music.

He swapped the guitar for a turntable and made his living room a mini-studio, where he got down to some serious scratching.

Having run his own DJ school for four years, Jedie sees the craft as a fusion of technology and art.

"You can learn a lot from the Internet, but that's just the basics. Anyone who can operate a CDJ or has a laptop can be a DJ - and make a living at it - but to be really good, you have to open your mind and your ears, experiment and practise a lot."

Practice takes time, and the gear takes money. To get set up, Jedie says, you need at least Bt100,000 for the fundamental equipment.

"If you want to make it a career, that's the investment. If you have your own gear you can practise at home anytime you want, and even make your own music."

With several championship titles under his belt, including the 2008 Pioneer Pro DJ

Asian prize for scratching, Jedie is now a full-time DJ with gigs all over Bangkok.

"There are different levels of pay for DJs, starting from a few hundred to a few thousand an hour. If you're good, the pay's good!