Like most DJs around my age, when I first started spinning, it was nothing but urban music.  Lots of Bad Boy, Jigga, and Luda with some Rnb and Reggae mixed in between.  When I did play house music (I called it “techno”), it was usually a three song set, with the three most commercial songs of the moment —  ”Sandstorm”, “Zombie Nation”, etc.  I really just looked at that mini-set as something the owner wanted me to do.  I pretty much thought anything besides hip-hop at the club was wack, so the dance music set was just an after-thought to me.  Isn’t it funny how things can change?

Back then, I didn’t know BPMs like I do today.   But I did know that house music was waaaaaay faster than everything else I was playing, and maybe this is why I somewhat despised playing it.  It ruined my mix!!   Plus, it was guaranteed that when you played any electronic stuff back then, at least one-third of the crowd would be making that cut-throat motion, telling you to “take that wack shit off!!”   While you still may get that reaction occasionally, it’s definitely been reduced from what it was 8-10 years ago.  Just about everyone likes house music now, whether they know it or not.  (I still get a kick out of people telling me to “turn off the techno and play ‘Krazy’ by Pitbull.”)

However, It still isn’t easy for me to explain why exactly I’ve warmed up to electronic music.   Most likely, it’s because I’m not as into the new hip-hop that’s coming out, and it’s given me a chance to open my eyes to other stuff.  These days, most rhythmic tunes are either 75-85 bpm or 120+.   I’m a 90-100bpm REAL HIP-HOP dude at heart.  This means half the stuff I play nowadays seems way too slow to me.   It got to the point where I started appreciating the 130 bpm remixes of the down-south tunes, because it made it much more danceable in my eyes.  And as for the faster songs that were coming out, I guess some of those started to grow on me as well.

In addition to that, the whole mash-up movement made me think of house music differently.   As someone who mainly listened to and played hip-hop, I obviously knew and respected Crooklyn Clan (DJ Sizzahandz and DJ Riz).  They made the dopest party breaks, that although may have crossed over into commercial clubs, were still very “street” and incorporated the real Hip-Hop that I loved.  When I first heard about their new website CrooklynClan.net, my first thought was “Dope!  I can find some new party breaks!”  Instead, what I found on there really blew my mind.  Now, obviously I had heard mash-ups before I checked the site.  I had even experimented with some of my own from time to time.  But now to see two DJs who I really respected in the Hip-Hop community, now using all genres of music — it really opened my eyes to a whole new world.  It also made me think of house music in a different way.  Riz’s mash of “Let Me Clear My Throat” over Benassi’s “Satisfaction” put my brain in overdrive.  1) Wow.  2) I wish I thought of that. 3) It’s time for me to start doing stuff like that!  I guess I had never considered the possibilities.

Taking dance music, and mixing it with other genres, also helped to change the public’s perception of electronic music.  While there still are a few people in the crowd making sad faces as the bpms go upward, they are now few and far between.  The can connect with the Crooker’s remix of Day and Night, because it sounds enough like the hip-hop hit they know, just more danceable.  They love hearing the older techno songs they recognize, with some Lil Jon hype on top, such as DJ Nova’s mix which we covered yesterday.  Plus, whatever barriers the mash-up game didnt kick down in terms of people’s outlook on  house, Pitbull then came by and SMASHED them down!!  It’s kind of amazing when you think about it.  Pitbull isn’t the best rapper out, nor the worst, yet he is as responsible for the way music has changed in the last few years as anyone else in the game.  As I hinted earlier, some of these 22 year old girls don’t even realize it.  They love The Nightcrawlers and HEART Federico Franchi!!

So now that I had finally convinced myself  that I was into house music, it was time to start playing it in the club.  THAT was definitely not as simple and easy as I had thought it would be, and JD and I will discuss that subject with our friend Richard Fraioli in a special PT. II video of this Editorial.  Check back soon!!

—-Spring—-

That’s right.  As DJ’s we trade MP3′s like we traded sports cards and comic books when we were kids.  You give me some of yours and I’ll give you some of mine.  This hot track for that hot track.  This genre for that genre.  This hard drive for that hard drive.  Sometimes I ask myself, “when is enough, enough?”

Let me start by saying something we all should know by now.  Trading music is, in fact, illegal.  I’m not going to get into that mess of a topic today, but it lays the groundwork for everything else that will be said.

What got me on this subject was that a young DJ friend of mine sent me a text yesterday saying one of his friends wanted some of his music off his laptop, but he didn’t want to give him all of it.  What should he do?  Now this is a situation I think we all have experienced.  We have all spent countless hours importing CD’s, scouring the internet for forgotten classics, reviewing and downloading songs from record pools and blogs, some of us even recording our old vinyl.  Not to mention the time retagging and organizing the songs to fit the way we think about our music.  If I added up all the time I’ve spent doing this it would add up to MONTHS!  Not an insignificant amount of time.

Then someone, often another DJ, even more often a beginner DJ, comes along and asks, “He man, I really like what you play.  Any way I can get all those songs?  Could I get a copy of your hard drive?”  And if you’re lucky, for good measure they’ll add an, “I’ll trade you for it,” or better yet, “I’ll pay you for it.”  Ummmmm… NO!  Is what I’m sure the majority of us say most Read more…

We all know every DJ’s goal is to someday become a traveling DJ.  Who wouldn’t love to be paid good $$ to be flown to the hottest clubs in the world just for doing what you enjoy??  However, unless you’re in the small and fortunate group of DJ’s who ever achieve this goal, when you work, it is likely that you have a residency at a local spot.  JD and I both have residencies, and many DJs who do lots of traveling have residencies in different places too.

There is definitely a bright side to being a resident somewhere.  If you have been at a place for a while, you tend to get a feeling of comfort.  Once you have built a reputation as a DJ who’s on time, can hold the crowd, and know what you’re doing – you can breathe a small sigh of relief.   You know if you accidentally run late to your 200th gig, or if your computer crashes at gig #373, you probably won’t lose your job.  You have earned the owners trust, and he/she will likely understand that accidents happen.  It’s not nearly the same thing as if you’re flown out to NYC and something goes wrong your first time there.  In that case, you likely won’t be asked back.  Residencies are also fun because the workers can seem like family.  Over time, you’ll build relationships with the bouncers and bartenders, and going to work could even seem like hanging out with friends.  With that said, there is one BIG danger of being a resident DJ:  you likely are playing for the same group of people over and over again!!  How can you avoid sounding STALE??

As a resident, I’ve discussed this topic before with different owners and staff at some of my clubs.  I’ve actually heard conflicting statements.   Some owners have told me, “Oh, don’t Read more…

As you all know, remixes are COOL!!!  And FUN!!!   If DJs, including myself, didnt play them, this site wouldn’t exist.  Like I’ve mentioned before, most people expect DJs to play their own remixes, and of course, hot ones that other people have made.  I can’t imagine it’s possible to spend a night at a bottle service club and not hear the DJ play any remixes or party breaks which were made by either themselves or other DJs.  But is there a limit to the amount of remixes a DJ should play at the club??  Of course!

The whole “Burning Bible” thing became a very popular subject on twitter.  But discussion on ”The DJ who plays too many mash-ups” is something I also noticed alot of on the social networking sites.  Therefore, I thought it was time to address this topic as well.  No one in their craft wants to be the object of ridicule by their peers — so what amount of mashes/remixes puts you into the category of “the DJ who goes overboard”??  It’s not very easy to define.

First off, not all remixes hold the same weight in this discussion.  Playing three “redrums” in a row is NOT the same as playing three DJ Scooter segways.  Playing three “Hype Intro” mixes in a row is NOT the same as playing three Bmore remixes of hip-hop songs.  So when I hear a DJ complain that another DJ at the club is playing nothing but songs off of CrooklynClan, I’m still not sure exactly how bad a situation it is.  There is definitely a limit of remixes one should play, but it’s a tough thing to specify.

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What’s the one thing DJ’s can’t live without, yet constantly ignore the importance of?

Their hearing!!

We are in a profession where hearing loss is the norm.  We’re constantly in  loud environments, whether it’s a club, car, headphones or the studio.  We can’t get away from it.  We leave work feeling like we have cotton balls stuffed in our ears or we hear a constant ringing.  It’s a huge problem, but it’s rarely talked about and I’d say, rarely thought about as well.

I’ve been a musician my whole life, so my view on the importance of sound and hearing may be different from people who got into the music scene at an older age.  Music is and has been at the center of my life since I can remember and I plan on keeping it that way.  Because of this, losing my hearing is NOT an option.  I doubt anyone thinks any differently.

I’m not saying I haven’t given my ears a good workout throughout my lifetime.  I certainly have, and I continue to.  It’s part of the job.  But I have come to realize that I need to be much smarter about how I listen to music.  It’s not like I’m at a club 1 day a week or at a loud concert once a month.  I’m in the club 5-6 days a week!  If you are too, you need to do something about it!

First and foremost, you need earplugs!  And I don’t mean the little yellow foam things you get at walmart.  You need professional, fitted earplugs.  I got them recently and they are amazing!  What you need to do is search google for an audiologist (hearing doctor) in your area.  Make an appointment for a hearing test and to get fitted for earplugs. Read more…

In today’s Editorial Edition of Remix Report, I’m gonna break down what I feel makes a good live DJ.  Obviously, you need to know how to mix and how to read crowds, but that isn’t breaking news so I won’t really get into that.   Instead I’m gonna try and get into the stuff that separates the elite from the average.

1)  KNOWING YOUR MUSIC/PREPARATION:

Volumes – Even if your mix is on point, if the next song comes in too low, it sounds awful, and ruins the vibe.  Consistent volume is key to maintaining a high energy level.

Intro Lengths – For songs where you don’t have pre-made intros, its important to know how many bars you have before the songs starts.   I’ll discuss this in more detail in the next section.

Energy Level – For lack of a better word, some songs just sound “empty” to me.  I don’t mean that in a demeaning way.  “Get It On Tonight” by Montell Jordan is a dope song, but try playing it after a song like “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira and you would know what I meant.  I know that’s a random example, but it’s just to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

Read more…

Those of you that are too young to have actually bought and spun vinyl may not understand this post.  Today I ask the question, are we connected to the songs we play anymore?

I started thinking about this when I was reminiscing about the “good old days” when I was in high school, spending my hard earned cash on a few vinyl singles every week.  I’d go down to the local record store and flip through everything twice to make sure I didn’t miss something good.  There wasn’t a huge selection, but that was the only store around.  I’d only have enough money to get 4 or 5 records, if that, so each selection was an important, often long and meaningful process.  There would be times I would just sit records next to each other in the bins and stare at them, hoping that one would jump out and say, “pick me!”

Because of this process, there was a much deeper connection to the songs you played.  You only had those records and you were going to play them at your parties, whether anybody else liked them or not! Haha.  In those days you would listen to every track on that record.  You’d interrogate every remix of a song.  You might even play the b-side.  You were connected to the music you had, because you owned it!

I think a lot of that connection is lost these days.  Sure, it’s great that all this music is at our fingertips.  It’s nice not having to leave your house to get the hottest remix of a song.  You don’t have to pay a dime for your music if you really don’t want to.  But the connection with the song is gone.  And if not gone, then it’s substantially less than it used to be.

If a song gets deleted from your iTunes you might not ever notice, but if you lost a record… you’d be going all over the place looking for it.  Times are always changing and I’m not saying it’s been for the worse.  I’m simply making an observation.  What’s your experience been?  Do you still feel the same connection to the songs you play?  What do you miss about the vinyl days?

To start off, JD and I would like to thank everyone who’s stopped by the site so far.  We’re glad that people have been participating by leaving comments as well as hitting us up via facebook and twitter.  We appreciate both the positive feedback as well as the constructive criticism.   We also welcome any ideas that you would like to see discussed.  Today’s topic has been something we’ve both been thinking about, and when Alex K from Anthem Kingz mentioned it this past week, I figured it was time to write it up.

First of all,  I wanna briefly mention the terminology –  The word “remix” vs. “mash-up”.  A REMIX is a term that covers almost any product a DJ can put out in which he/she has changed the song, while MASH-UP usually refers to mixes which incorporate more than one genre.  However, over the last 4-5 years, those two words have almost been “blurred” together.  The word MASH-UP has now seemingly taken on a broader meaning, much like the word REMIX.  Now many DJs use the word MASH very loosely to cover all types of mixes Read more…

Thanks to everyone who commented on our Bootleg Rage post. Great conversation and glad to hear all sides voicing their opinions.  We also wanted to say thanks and encourage everyone to re-read the original post and keep things on topic.  Thanks!

If you haven’t heard, last night was epic in the crooklynclan/crack4djs twitter community.  There was a very entertaining  conversation started by Alex Rage (follow him @alexrage  and read his timeline to catch up) calling out people whom he felt were taking more credit than they were due.  These conversations have been happening between DJ’s for a long time, but this is really the first time it’s come out in public.  This is my take on it.

There are basically 3 types of places to buy music on the net.

- Music Stores: Artists make money selling their original music (iTunes, Amazon, Beatport)

- Remix Sites: Remixers make money selling their creations, editing and mixing different songs together in an original way (Crooklynclan, crack4djs, yourremix)

- Record Pools: Labels and remixers release new music for DJ’s to promote.  DJ’s make intro/outro, acapella intro/outro, and various other kinds of edits of the original song or a remix of the song. There is a small monthly fee to th record pool which allows them to host the site and get official tracks from the labels.  DJ’s/remixers do not make money of these sites. (djcity, directmusicservice)

The problem that many DJ’s have seen is this.  Too many remixers are doing “record pool” edits and selling them on remix Read more…