Stealing Time Is Not a Crime With Bandit

As the pandemic began to abate, creative people from all regions of the world were given the opportunity to cultivate abilities that had previously gone unidentified. The same as Darren, better known by his moniker Bandit from Manila. We were quite fortunate to have the opportunity to catch up with Bandit, despite the fact that his calendar is typically quite packed, whether it be broadcasting a game or spending the night DJing at various pubs. For Bandit, who happens to be Ekko’s real-life embodiment, gaming and the nightlife aren’t two separate domains, but one. (Ekko from League of Legends). We decided to ask Bandit some questions about how he got started and how he schedules his time out of simple curiosity for this week’s UNDERSCORE.

What started it all?
Bandit here! I got my name from my dog Bandit; amusing story, when my manager at the time (2013) phoned me and told me I needed a DJ name, my dog (Bandit) jumped on my lap and I blurted out “Uy Bandit!” and thus Bandit was born. I’ve been DJing since I was 13, and I used to be in charge of compiling my dance crew’s mixtapes, but I only started doing DJ gigs around 2012. My favorite game is League of Legends; I’m a high elo player who achieved the rank Master (top 500) in the Philippines in 2017. Recently, I’ve become obsessed with Valorant, despite the fact that I’m just Bronze. Aside from competitive games, 90’s kids OG games such as Castlevania, Resident Evil, and Final Fantasy have been a significant part of my life, with me reliving them every few years. I even have an exact replica of Cloud’s Buster Sword!

Unlike the realms of nightlife and gaming, they are wholly separate. As a DJ, how did you first get into gaming?
I first became interested in gaming before I realized I had a talent for DJing. I’ve been a gamer my entire life, growing up with consoles such as the SNES, N64, and PS1. I honestly can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t around video games, thanks to my older brother, who was also a hardcore gamer at the time.

What was the very first gaming console you owned, and which older game(s) do you consider to be your all-time favorite(s)?
My family always had video game consoles like the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Nintendo 64, and Sony Playstation 1 (PS1) when I was growing up, but I never felt like they were truly mine. The first video game console I ever owned was a GameBoy Advanced (GBA), and some of my favorite games for it include Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and the Fire Emblem Series.

Are you able to incorporate DJ approaches into your gaming live streams? and what are those attributes?
When it comes to my livestreams, it can be challenging to incorporate any of the skills that I’ve gained from DJing, but when it comes to content creation, that’s where my DJing expertise really shines. I’m able to perfectly balance all of the audio levels thanks to the mixing skills that I’ve gained from DJing, and I’m also able to find the best non-copyrighted songs due to my tastes in music as a result of my years of experience as a DJ.

Did being a part of Tier One help you improve as an on-camera personality? Do you intend to broadcast your DJ sets as well?
They reassured me that being myself was the best approach, and seeing how it’s going now, it was the best advice I could have gotten. Being in the Amplify program with Tier One has been a huge help for me. Before I was in the program, I was seriously considering faking my personality.
I don’t want to give the impression that I won’t ever broadcast my DJ sets, but as of right now, I have no plans to do so. If any of my fans want to hear me play, they need just come see me perform at one of the gigs that I have every day of the week (except on Sundays).

How did the game you’re about to livestream come to you? Is it the same when it comes to prepping your music for DJing?
I stream League of Legends primarily because of the fact that I have carved a specific niche for myself within the game: I’m a high-elo one-trick Jungle Warwick player. When it comes to preparing music for a show, the process can be comparable to that of preparing tracks, hotcues, and playlists for DJing. Before going live, you need to make sure that everything is configured in OBS (the streaming software), just as when you prepare music for a gig. Being well-prepared is essential to achieving one’s goals.

Do you have any other interests or hobbies outside from music and gaming?
I cosplay and make video stuff (comedy skits), and I’m also a diehard car guy. If I’m not streaming and I’m not out at clubs and bars, you can usually find me in talyers spending money on my car! I’m also a huge anime weeb, to the point where I’m probably the only DJ you’ll see at events wearing anime-themed clothing (such as a Naruto shirt or an Attack on Titan hoodie, for example)!

Is there anyone in particular to whom you’d like to express your gratitude or give a shout out?
I definitely wouldn’t be where I am right now without my friends and family, but I’d like to give special thanks to the Tier One fam, especially Tryke Gutierrez & Mary Reyes, they’ve been really supportive since the start and we’re all excited for what’s to come.

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