Tai Chiller: The Challenges and Rewards That Come With Streaming
Like many others, Werner Benkovich, better known as Tai Chiller, was first introduced to Twitch during lockdown. However, he’s a veteran on the decks. Tai Chiller first got into DJing as a hobby for a webradio team in Vienna. Since this was the 90s, he’d mix his favorite tracks on cassette decks in an old-school fashion. He reminisces, “If you have tried that, then you know the struggle to press play and record at the same time and rewind if the announcer talks during the song, which was very common.” It wasn’t long before his talent shone through, and DJing became the foremost passion in his life.
What Streaming Means To Tai Chiller
Tai Chiller admits that he’s dabbled in production, but his real focus is on DJing. Notably, becoming a Twitch DJ has acted as a heavily transformative experience for him. In addition to building a massive music library, he’s incredibly thankful for the fans he’s gained along the way. “There is absolutely nothing better than all of your time you spend with me,” he adds.
As someone who has done tons of streams throughout lockdown and continues to stream today, his favorite stream is still a charity event organized by his DJ team, Vibes For The Tribes. According to Tai Chiller, doing what he loves while raising money for charity is an entirely different and exciting experience that he hopes every artist gets the opportunity to do.
He encourages those new to streaming to stay true to themselves and not pay too much mind to the number of viewers. “If you love what you do, they will notice that and come back,” he says. “Interact with your chat. That’s very important.”
Tai Chiller notes that since live music is reemerging, he’s noticed fewer viewers on his stream. However, taking his own advice, he says the number of viewers doesn’t matter to him. Twitch will always hold a special place in his heart because it allowed him to grow and reach a global audience, something he would have never been able to do otherwise.
Tai Chiller’s Streams Are About More Than The Music
In addition to his electrifying mixing skills, Tai Chiller’s fans love him for his personality. It’s not hard for him to make people laugh and smile while he plays. Something else that demonstrates his perseverance and dedication to music is that he’s entirely deaf in one ear and 60% deaf in the other. Despite the challenges and frustrations that come along with a hearing disability, such as being unable to hear some decibels, Tai Chiller continues to organize and play multiple raid trains on Twitch. Every Thursday is TMT (Techno Madness Thursday), and once a month, he graces fans with his legendary “PSY-jam-a-party.” Both raid trains are free to tune into, and by following Tai Chiller, you can’t miss any of his spontaneous streams either.
Going from someone who learned to play the accordion for four years in music school to a sought-after Twitch DJ, Tai Chiller is a prime example of what life looks like when you chase your dreams. He’s more than just the streamer we all know and love, though. He has a job that he enjoys and a history with the Special Olympics in Austria as a national football player.
Tai Chiller was quick to note that his favorite meal is beef roulades, which his mother prepares for him each year on his birthday. When asked about his favorite drink, he made a bold choice, “Vodka, Ukrainian. Pure, not mixed.”
It’s been a long road for Tai Chiller, but after learning more about him, there’s no doubt the music scene is where he belongs.
