Mike ‘Kwal’ Kowalczyk, 25, has been into house music since his teen years with buddy Steve Gerard and slowly worked his way into the industry.

Kwal works with record label, ADDIKTION Records from Australia.

Kwal will be DJ’ing at Stu’s Bar and Martini Lounge Friday for his debut at Eastern.

The Verge: Growing up, who did you listen to?

Kwal: “Like I said when my friend Steve got us into it we were about 14-years-old. It’s embarrassing to say now, but we used to listen to Euro and stuff like that. I feel like it all evolved into something bigger, so I can’t be too upset about it. We all started somewhere a little goofy.”

TV: Are there fellow DJ’s or artists than inspire you?

K: “Absolutely. There’s just too many to name. Some of my favorites lately are Amine Edge & DANCE. Guys like that, they really make gritty, gangster kind of house music. It’s not boring compared to most. A lot of people think this music is boring. It appeals to everybody. It’s really interesting stuff.”

TV: You recently released a mix “Get These” with CousinVinny. What’s the response been?

K: “Actually really good. It’s only been out for a couple of days and we’ve had 100 downloads which is good for me… Someone who’s not really big into the stuff with a rather small following. I’ve gotten support from some bigger DJ’s like Intermodal and other bigger labels.”

TV: We have it playing now actually. It’s great.

K: “Well, thank you. That’s the kind of sound I’m talking about. That gritty kind of house song. It’s not the same thing everybody’s used to hearing. It’s different.”

TV: What’s it feel like doing exactly what you love and want to do?

K: “Believe me, it’s as amazing as anyone would think. It’s amazing if you can actually go day to day and just do what you love. We all struggle, but it’s nice to do something you love. You also just have to take a risk in doing this. It never just falls into anybody’s lap.”

TV: What are you looking forward to most about playing at Stu’s?

K: “New faces and a new crowd, that’s definitely number one. Plus I checked Stu’s out and it looks pretty cool. The setup looks great and overall just some good energy and a good experience.”

To stay up-to-date on Kwal’s work head to soundcloud.com/kwalchicago.

Cayla Maurer can be reached at 581-2812 or ccmaurer@eiu.edu.