In the summer of 2013, after weeks of preparation and facing-off against hordes of challengers, DJ Packo was crowned the first ever Iron DJ in Hawaii. Years of live performance, crate digging and other musical adventures culminated into 4 weeks of disc jockeying, competition and fun. But it was no easy feat. Each week, 14 DJs were eliminated off the roster, until finally Packo remained the last one standing – without a scratch on him. While the competitive hype was enjoyable along with the post-win kudos, Packo stated afterwards, “what I’m most proud of is that when it came down to it, what really mattered were simply pure, DJ skills.” And that is the essence of Packo – a fundamentalist who embraces the latest tricks and flips, but only when they advance the core mission of creating music that pierces straight through to your soul. When he’s not creating intensely detailed Dubstep, Hip Hop, Glitch, Funk, and other EDM mixes, Packo plays alongside one of Honolulu’s favorite bands, Kings of Spade. He is a turntablist before he is a DJ, always seeking to push the art of the turntable as an instrument. Some have even likened Packo’s performances to witnessing a DJ art installation with Packo feverishly scratching, mixing and banging buttons in melodic harmony. A music enthusiast at heart, his field of study widely ranges between, around, above and beyond all genres of music. Pulling it all together is Packo’s insatiable desire to tap into musical energy in its most powerful state and share that positive with his audience. He’s a man of a few words, but stand forewarned – beware the man who speaks through his hands.