Henry Fong Began DJing 'To Pay The Bills'

Henry Fong has generated buzz as a DJ/producer, but he’s also sparked wild rumours – surely a sign he’s officially made it. Is this mystery man from Orlando, Florida really the son of Hong Kong’s elderly real estate billionaire Henry Fong Yun Wah? Apparently not – and the dreadlocked Fong has no clue where that came from. “I think it may have started when someone wrote an article about him and put my picture in it by accident.” Fong evidently enjoys the joke.

In fact, Fong’s origins are much humbler. He began DJing as “a hobby” and, significantly, “to pay the bills” while attending the University of Central Florida. “I was studying marketing and it took me until I graduated, had an internship and started to look for jobs to realise that I just wanted to see if I could push DJing and production further.” He’d move to LA to “network”.

Fong’s sound is a composite of big room house, electro and progressive – but he might add a twist, last year’s Hot Steppa a mutant reggae anthem. “I used to listen to tons of reggae – from old classics to dancehall to white boy, slightly stooped, pepper-type bands!” he divulges. Fong has likewise remixed Zedd’s Stay The Night, featuring Hayley Williams.

Since issuing Stand Up through OWSLA, Fong is promoting his bouncy Slapjack collab with Melbourne’s Reece Low via Doorn Records. “It was really fun to make that track with Reece. It has a little bit of a Melbourne feel mixed with my big room/electro sound – and I’m really happy with that balance. It’s one of my favourite tracks to play out.” 

Many a superstar DJ consolidates his success with an ‘artist’ album – but Fong is holding off. “For now I feel like the industry responds well to singles. I’m really into making DJ tunes right now that I can play in my sets. I started as a DJ, so that’s always been the focus for me.”

There’s a growing counter-EDM movement Stateside – and even Fong has observed the scene is going “back to its roots”. But he reckons that, rather than being superseded, EDM is expanding. “It feels like, as listeners get more familiar with dance music, they start to explore new genres. I think a lot of the music now is drawing influences from some of the old-school dance music records. My outlook on all of it is very positive – there is party or festival music for people who want to party, then there is deeper, groovier stuff for the more mature dance music listener. Each has its purpose – and neither group should criticise the other.” One love, indeed. 

Fong has heard good things about the Oz circuit from buddy Tommy Trash. The American aims to drop “some unique tracks a lot of other DJs aren’t playing”, including his own edits of hip hop club bangers. “I’m really excited to play for a completely new crowd of people. The music [culture] there [in Australia] seems to be a bit different and I’m excited to try out some new tracks. Also I’m definitely excited to go surfing in my time off!”