DJ LIFE MAG, Vol.1 No.2 Featuring Tay James

Vol.1 No.2

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DJs’ Key Performance Indicators EDC Orlando Polo & Pan Shadient KRK Cans Imaginando Visual Synth

Year-End DJ Poll:

2021’s Top Tracks & Musical Moments

Herbert Holler’s Freedom Party DJ-Loyalty Programs

BIEBER & BEATS: MY DJ LIFE

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NEWS

Boat Party: Florida’s Groove Cruise set for January.

Julian Bajsel

IT’S ON: DJ-LED FESTIVALS SET TO RETURN IN ’22

By Brian Bonavoglia When COVID hit the world in early 2020, fans of DJ-driven festivals and club events had no idea how long their precious beats would remain silenced.

Indeed, the first big event to get cancelled/postponed was one of the biggest and most prestigious: Miami’s Ultra Music Fest in March 2020. During the long lockdown, everyone – DJs, fans, industry folk, media – had to wait until early 2021 to see a trickle of festivals return.

Lucky for fans and DJs alike, it seems that things have finally changed. At presstime, 2022 schedules for DJ-led festivals are out – and there are plenty, many including lineups.

Looking at the first quarter of 2022 (and definitely hoping that our new COVID variant doesn’t again derail us – please vaccinate, everyone), here are some of the more prominent electronicmusic festivals in North America.

Wobbleland at Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco, Calif., on Jan. 14-16, will feature headliners like Kayzo, NGHTMRE, Slushii and Ghost Rydr (Joyryde b2b Ghastly).

Groove Cruise Orlando on the Mariner of the Seas ship will leave Port Canaveral, Fla., and run Jan. 20-24, 2022. It will feature headliners such as Claude VonStroke, Markus Schulz, Gorgon City, Ferry Corsten and Sofi Tukker.

For the Excision Presents: The Thunderdome event at the Tacoma Dome, in Tacoma, Wash., on Feb. 4-5, 2022, the headliners will include Excision, Liquid Stranger, Atliens, Eptic.

The 14th annual Gem & Jam Festival at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, Ariz., Feb. 4-6, 2022, will feature headliners like Claude VonStroke, Lotus and Liquid Stranger.

Ultra Music Fest: Downtown Miami’s big bang. aLIVE Coverage

Illfest at the Travis County Expo Center in Austin, Texas, Feb. 18-19, will feature such headliners as Kaskade, RL Grime b2b Baauer, Borgore, Malaa and The Knocks.

Dirtybird Camp Inn at Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 2527, will feature headliners that include Chromeo, Claude VonStroke, Dillinja, DJ Premier, DJ Heather b2b Colette, Eats Everything and Maya Jane Coles.

For EDC Mexico at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in - Mexico City, Mexico, Feb. 25-27, 2022, headliners will include DJ Snake, Zedd, Dillon Francis, and Seven Lions.

For Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival at Sunshine Grove in Okeechobee, Fla., March 3-6, 2022, the headliners will include Porter Robinson, REZZ, GRiZ, and TroyBoi. For CRSSD Festival at Waterfront Park in San Diego, Calif., on March 5-6 headliners are to be announced.

For Hard Pacific Northwest at Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash., March 19, headliners will include RL Grime b2b Baauer, Kayzo, Waxmotif and Joyryde.

Beyond Wonderland Southern California at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, Calif., on March 2526, 2022, will feature headliners to be announced.

CRSSD Fest: Live at San Diego’s Waterfront Park.

Veranmiky

BUKU Music + Arts Project at 1400 Port of New Orleans, New Orleans, La., on March 25-26, 2022, will feature headliners like Tyler the Creator, Porter Robinson, REZZ and Dom Dolla.

Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park in Miami, Fla., on March 25-27, 2022, the headliners will include: Illenium, Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Carl Cox, Tiësto, Sofi Tukker, Zeds Dead, and Kygo. (For more 2022 festivals, please see Page 8.)

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IN THIS ISSUE

VOLUME 1, NUMBER 2

Still Standing

With NYC’s Longest-Running Club Party, Herbert Holler Keeps the Classic Beats Pumpin’

2021 in Review DJs of All Stripes Weigh in on The Year’s Favorite Tracks & Best Musical Moments

FEATURES

By Jim Tremayne

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By Jim Tremayne

Get with the Loyalty Program

DJs Are Relying More Than Ever on the Best Ways to Sell to Existing Clients. Here Are Some of Them.

By Joshua Volpe

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32 Festival Spotlight EDC Orlando

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ON THE COVER Bieber & Beats

When Tay James Was Called to Spin for One of the World’s Biggest Pop Stars, He Was Ready. Twelve Years On, His DJ Knowledge Still Impacts Justin Bieber’s Music Onstage & In the Studio

By Lily Moayeri

In the Studio With…

Polo & Pan

Sound Bites Shadient Emotional Bass

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8 Feedback

More Festivals Hit 2022 Calendar

40 Studio Session

KRK KNS-8402 Headphones

42 Playback

Imaginando Visual Synthesizer

44 Mobile DJ Profile Maryland DJ Rebounds from Lockdown

46 DJ Business

Customer Feedback — The Key to Success

48 Gear

New Products from Pioneer DJ, JBL More

52 Tracks

Phat Tracks from Kolonie, deadmau5 & More

54 Club Play Chart The Hottest Records, As Reported by Our Top U.S. Record Pools

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FROM THE EDITOR JIM TREMAYNE

WHEN OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS…

Back for Round 2, are you? OK, great – let’s get started…

As it relates to this issue, there are a couple of old sayings that go like this: “When opportunity knocks, you better be prepared” and “Luck is the residue of design.”

Both could apply to our cover subject, Tay James.

Why? When he got the call in 2009 to DJ for a promising, Canadian, teen-artist named Justin Bieber, he was ready. Working previously in Baltimore/D.C.-area clubs and at Hampton University, he’d done the work, he’d perfected his considerable skills and it was time for his next step. Upon graduation, the phone rang and he didn’t miss his opportunity… he became Bieber’s touring DJ, ultimately traveling the world as the Bieber skyrocketed to success.

A dozen years later, James remains onstage with the chart-topping talent, but he’s also become valuable in the studio as Bieber’s beat-finder, giving the singer valuable beat packs for consideration on upcoming projects. In 2021, it was made official: Tay James was named Bieber’s personal A&R man. In this issue, our L.A. correspondent Lily Moayeri caught up with him to discuss his career of beats and Bieber.

Herbert Holler’s career seems to have been informed by another well-worn quote: “If you want something done right, you’ll just have to do it yourself.” And considering that his labor of love, The Freedom Party, remains NYC’s longest-running club party – nearly 19 years now – one would have to say that things worked out. We talked to the Bronx, N.Y.-based DJ/party promoter to understand the level of hustle and perseverance it takes to maintain an event so successful in such a competitive market.

In Sound Bites, Lily Moayeri engages in studio talk with Polo & Pan, as the French duo discusses how they fuse electronic sounds with unique instruments on their latest full-length, Cyclorama. Also, our Brian Bonavoglia connects with U.K. bass DJ/ producer Shadient, who details a crucial artistic transformation he made prior to the recording of his debut album, Have You No Burden.

As we ring in the New Year, we also look back on the year that was by asking DJs of all stripes what rated for them in 2021 – for the music they experienced and the moments that inspired them. As you can see, we got a helluva response. So, a big thanks goes out to all the DJs who were good

enough to participate in our poll.

In our Festival Spotlight, we look back at EDC Orlando, which ran this past November at Tinker Field in Central Florida and featured diverse DJ talents like Kaskade, Nicole Moudaber, Markus Schulz, Patrick Topping and Excision.

From the tech-review columns… our Denver-based DJ/scribe Wesley BryantKing tackles the Playback entry as he checks out Imaginando’s Visual Synthesizer, which adds a visual component to DAW-based tracks. Unique stuff. Also, in Studio Session, Detroit-based DJ/writer Erik Miller tests out KRK’s KNS-8402 set of headphones.

From the mobile-entertainer world, Rochester, N.Y.-based DJ/writer Joshua Volpe reveals in his feature the methods that mobiles use in order to maintain client loyalty. In his DJ Business entry, Volpe explains clever ways that mobile DJs can gather useful customer feedback. In Mobile DJ Profile, we visit with Marylandbased jock Chris Bartosik of Raptor Productions, and he explains how he rebounded from the lockdown.

In addition to our long-running DJX show – set for Aug. 8-11 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. – plenty of industry-related music happenings have hit the 2022 calendar. In this issue, we take a good look at the DJ-driven festival lineups – from New Year’s Eve until Labor Day Weekend. Given the uptick in new COVID cases due to our latest variant, we encourage all of you to please get your vaccinations and booster shots, if you haven’t already. If you want to work or attend DJ events, the science tells us, getting vaccinated is the most effective way of making that happen. Be safe, be healthy and happy new year.

Cheers,

editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@hazanmediagroup.com editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@@hazanmediagroup.com web editor and social media manager Brian Bonavoglia bbonavoglia@@hazanmediagroup.com contributors Wesley Bryant-King, Chris Caruso, Amanda Chavez, Shawn Christopher, Paul Dailey, Reed Dailey, Chris Davis, DJ Deets, Tony Fernandez, Tommy D Funk, Jennifer Harmon, Ryan Hayes, Greg Hollmann, Josh Kerman, Michelle Loeb, Emily Makarewicz, Erik Miller, Lily Moayeri, Jordan St Jacques, Jeff Stiles, Ashley Teffer, Danny Turner, Phil Turnipseed, Travis Wackerly, Curtis Zack chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@hazanmediagroup.com national sales manager Josh Kerman jkerman@hazanmediagroup.com creative director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@hazanmediagroup.com director of technologies and project management Steve Thorakos sthorakos@hazanmediagroup.com graphic artist Andre D'Esterno adesterno@hazanmediagroup.com integrated media manager Cheyenne Chao cchao@hazanmediagroup.com Chairperson & COO/Co-Publisher Robin Hazan rhazan@hazanmediagroup.com President & CEO/Co-Publisher Shawn Hazan shazan@hazanmediagroup.com

Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ LIFE

visit our website: www.djlifemag.com 516.767.2505

Editorial and Sales Office: DJ Life, Oyster Bay, NY 11771. (516) 767-2505 • (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-2505 • djlife@hazanmediagroup.com.

Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, DJ Life Mag, Oyster Bay, NY 11771 or sent to JTremayne@hazanmediagroup.com.

DJ Life Mag is published bi-monthly starting with the second month annually.

Design and Contents: copyright © 2021 by DJ Life Mag and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher.

Web: DJLifeMag.com, DJXShow.com and HazanMediaGroup.com Subscriptions: Complimentary Digital Edition. Email: djlifemag@hazanmediagroup.com Phone: 516-767-2505 ext. 502 Web: djlifemag.com/subscribe

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FEEDBACK

FESTIVAL CALENDAR 2022: THRU LABOR DAY

In the News section on Page 3, we detailed the festival announcements for the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022.

Herewith are the major festivals, venues, and headliners running through Labor Day Weekend, 2022: Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., will run April 15-17 and April 22-24.

Headliners to be announced.

Digital Gardens Music & Arts Celebration at Digital Gardens in Charlotte, N.C., on April 22-23 will feature headliners that include TroyBoi, Caspa and 12th Planet.

Ubbi Dubbi at Texas Metroplex in Ennis, Texas, on April 2225 will feature Diplo, Alison Wonderland, Gorgon City and Excision.

Desert Hearts Festival in Lake Perris, Calif., will run April 28May 2. Headliners TBA. Forbidden Kingdom at Orlando Amphitheater at Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando, Fla., will run May 6-7. Headliners TBA. Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala., on May 20-21 will feature DJ-headliners like Zedd, Illenium, Louis The Child and Slander.

Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nev., will run May 20-22. Headliners TBA. Lighting in a Bottle in Buena Vista Lake, Calif., on May 2530 will feature headliners like GRiZ, Ekali, Black Coffee and Four Tet.

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Aluna’s Noir Fever at various locations in New Orleans, La., on May 27-30 will feature headliners like Aluna, Kaytranada, Derrick Carter, and Kevin Saunderson.

Movement Electronic Music Festival at Hart Plaza in Detroit, Mich., will run on May 28-30. Headliners TBA. Governor’s Ball at Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y., will run on June 10-12. Headliners TBA. Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., will run on June 16-19. DJ-headliners TBA. Electric Forest in Rothbury, Mich., on June 23-26 will feature such headliners as Disclosure, GRiZ, Porter Robinson and Fisher.

Northern Lights Music Festival at Cook’s Valley Campgrounds in Humbolt, Calif., on July 15-17 will feature such headliners as Claude VonStroke, TroyBoi and J. Worra.

Lollapalooza at Grant Park in Chicago, Ill., will run July 2831. DJ-headliners TBA. Outside Lands in San Francisco, Calif., will run Aug. 5-7.

Headliners TBA. Splash House in Palm Springs, Calif., will run August 13-15 and Aug. 20-22. Headliners TBA. Elements Music & Arts Festival in Long Pond, Pa., will run Aug. 19-21. Headliners TBA. Electric Zoo at Randall’s Island in New York, N.Y. will run Sept 2-4. Headliners TBA. North Coast at SeatGeek Stadium in Chicago, Ill., on Sept 2-4 will feature such headliners as Diplo, Fisher and Gryffin.

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SOUND BITES

SHADIENT’S EMOTIONAL BASS

Shadient: “[My music’s] about ideas now, rather than energy.”

Long-known as a remixer for acts like RL Grime, the Essex, U.K.-based Morgan Hicks (aka Shadient) began to release his own music in 2017. Since then, he’s become embraced by the world of experimental bass music with a trio of strong EPs that often buzzed and banged with force.

But his recent debut full-length, Have You No Burden [Gud Vibrations], is a significant departure from those days, as he’s been inspired by the strange sense of unity that he experienced during the worldwide lockdown. In body of work that he describes as is more of a diary entry, his 13-track offering is an album that provokes true emotion. Not merely an exercise in dynamics and energy, Have You No Burden delivers an impressive range of sounds and feelings.

Whether exemplified by nervy soundscapes like “Sympathy Coil,” infectious groovers like “Dancing Alone Again” – both featuring fknsyd on vocals – or ethereal dream-pop like “Solitary,” Shadient’s full-length marks new, exciting artistic territory for the 23-year-old DJ/producer.

We recently took the time to chat with Shadient to discuss his emotionally charged debut album and how it came together.

DJ LIFE: You’ve released plenty of tracks over the years, but Have You No Burden was your 10

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debut album. What was your approach in putting a 13-track album together?

Shadient: It was definitely the most honest experience I’ve had in my years writing music. I finally felt like I wasn’t just putting sounds together and hoping for the best. It felt like I was contributing to this existing world made up of a specific feeling, almost like I wasn’t needed, but my effort was merely setting the lens into that world into a clearer degree of focus.

DJ LIFE: Where do you find your studio inspiration?

Shadient: There’s strong figures who have inspired my production tastes in terms of certain drum sounds, synth sounds. To name a few…

SebastiAn – his drums are second to none, the best I’ve ever heard – Burial, Lorn, Boys Noize, SOPHIE. DJ LIFE: What studio gear and programs do you use?

Shadient: I only used software for the longest time, but for this album I really wanted to have lots of imperfections – dust, noise, buzzing lain deep in the background of the channels... pitch drifting of imperfect old synth circuits. I did everything I could to make the sounds to feel as real and organic as possible – even if they came from a digital source.

DJ LIFE: What’s your creation process in the studio? You’ve mentioned that your album is more of a diary entry.

Shadient: It really is like writing in a diary these days. I’ve been making music so, so much, like every day, since around the time I started the album. It’s amazing. I feel like I’m so capable of channeling moods, feelings, inspiration from specific things or music straight into the tunes. I always start with the main body of the song. It’s crucial for me, because it’s so difficult, to sustain the initial excitement from start to finish. With this

album, I had that for every song with almost no conscious effort at keeping it.

DJ LIFE: If you had to pick one, what would you say is your favorite track of the album?

Shadient: It’s very hard to say, but I think “Solitary.” It’s so clearly the definitive sound of what this album is saying and where I was mentally at the time I wrote it. I think it’s my most authentic and raw song. Writing it was also a complete breeze!

DJ LIFE: How would you say your sound has evolved since your earlier releases?

Shadient: In my earlier releases, I would focus solely on the energy of a track and how it would translate to a crowd in an EDM context. Now, I’m much more orientating my music towards people listening on their headphones on lonely walks home. It’s about ideas now, rather than energy.

DJ LIFE: You were quite outspoken prior to the release of Have You No Burden. You said it wasn’t about stats or streams and some might feel that it isn’t as heavy as your earlier work, but you were now embracing your creative freedom and free of any boundaries. You’ve always been versatile, but is this the beginning of a new chapter for Shadient?

Shadient: It so is. I can’t quite put my finger on this feeling, but making this album is like a flagpole in the timeline of my life as a musician.

I finally understand now how my favorite artists got to their purest artistic levels… because they weren’t trying to do that, they were just being themselves.

DJ LIFE: What advice do you have for up-andcoming DJ/producers who might get caught up in the numbers, especially with it being Spotify Wrapped season?

Shadient: Being in the industry is a fake illusion.

Labels aren’t necessary. You can self-release

Academy LA

“THIS ALBUM IS LIKE A FLAGPOLE IN THE TIMELINE OF MY LIFE AS A MUSICIAN.”

a tune and pull millions of numbers all you want.

Fuck-all matters except the music. Do what makes you happy, I’d say.

DJ LIFE: Now that your debut album has been released, have you been taking some time off or did you dive right back into the studio?

Shadient: I tried to take a break, but it just goes against my nature, honestly! I’m making tunes constantly. I’m always inspired at the moment, so I’m gripping to this feeling out of fear of it going away.

DJ LIFE: What can fans expect from Shadient in 2022 and beyond?

Shadient: It’s a secret!

– Brian Bonavoglia

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SOUND BITES: in the studio

Polo & Pan: (from right) Armand-Delille & Grynszpan.

POLO & PAN’S CYCLORAMA If you slap the “French Touch” label on Polo & Pan, they don’t seem to be upset about it.

The chart-topping Parisian duo of Paul “Polo” Armand-Delille and Alexandre “Pan” Grynszpan, who emerged just under a decade ago, is the 21st Century version of the classic and much-replicated electronic sound that permeated the late ’90s and early aughts.

“We’re ‘French Touch’ in the wide sense,” Armand-Delille offers drily, “because we’re French.” Très français.

Still, Polo & Pan are reconfirming their space in the landscape of French music with their irresistible second album, Cyclorama, the follow-up to 2017’s Caravelle. Released earlier in the year, Cyclorama began from 30 demos, ideas generated while the duo was on tour for Caravelle. They didn’t want to veer too far from the cinematic and playful sound they had already established; at the same time, they wanted to push themselves laterally.

One of the ways they did this was to purchase many of the instruments used on Moon Safari, the 1998 classic from fellow French duo Air. These included a Rhodes and Minimoog, among other vintage synthesizers. They also got a 1981 Trident mixer, which they used for its effects.

“Our gear evolved, but we had our sound and we tried to not

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go all out into experimenting with this new gear,” says Armand-Delille. “Caravelle was a lot of recordings and then all digital plug-ins and samples. Cyclorama has more layered analog synthesizers. Both albums have flutes and wind instruments and percussions.

Cyclorama is a collection of a lot of demos that came from our laptops. In that way, it’s a little less coherent and goes in more directions than Caravelle. But once a demo kind of works, it’s hard to change everything about it.”

Polo & Pan have a bank of signature sounds to which they are always adding.

These are generally recorded acoustically and include a great deal of percussion and mallet instruments from around the globe, as well as unusual and rare instruments such as the balafon (African percussion), metallophone (xylophone-like instrument), Cristal Baschet (glass tubes) and ondes Martenot (electronic instrument using a ring on a wire).

Additionally, they will sample indigenous sounds from vinyl. These sounds are treated, processed and sometimes resampled.

The duo realized early on that having a mix of sounds from digital sources, recorded sources and sampled sources gives the music a lot of space. At the end of “Canopée,” from Caravelle, for example, layers of mallet instruments play leads that are layered with samples and stacked. According to Armand-Delille, this ’80s technique of layering MIDI tracks with samples, “gives a very rich texture.” Indeed, it does.

Polo & Pan delve deeper into essential sounds by recording water, metal and wood. Different levels of water in wine glasses are heard on “Dorothy” from Caravelle. Says Armand-Delille, “If you put it in a sampler, it’s going to sound really interesting and very organic. It’s not going to sound like a plug-in. It’s going to have its own texture. It’s a great way to create electronic sounds because they’re very pure sine waves, but by sampling. It’s not that they sound different from a plug-in. The

waveform looks different, and they occupy a different place in your song, so it’s going to work much better in it.

“What I love is sampling a ’40s sound,” he continues. “When you have some jazz and it’s on the medians and there’s so much music in a small spectrum. If you put a modern sound around that, like modern highs and low bass, you’re going to get a lot of information and it’s tight. The way it sounded like back then is interesting to dabble with for producers. There’s something interesting in trying to emulate those recording techniques. Usually, it goes by buying extremely expensive gear, and also finding musicians that don’t exist anymore, so sampling is still relevant. You can make your own samples by recording or sampling records. Mixing all those different sources is a real source of richness for the producer.”

Polo & Pan work in Ableton Live, citing the popular DAW’s micro-sampling capabilities as one of its main draws. They create noteby-note keyboards for all the instruments they are using, as well as for the vocals.

Armand-Delille sings on three of the Cyclorama’s songs: the bubbly and tropical “Feel Good,” the nocturnal and humid “Jiminy,” and the quirky and cosmic “Artemis.” Channel Tres is one of the only features on the album on the moody and dark “Tunnel.” The song went through a few back-and-forths between Paris and Los Angeles with Polo & Pan initially providing a classic Chicagomeets-Detroit beat similar to what Channel Tres is accustomed to singing over. When he returned his vocal, they swapped out the backing track and sent it to him with a new instrumental with a decidedly Turkish-style chords, which gave Channel Tres direction as to how he should adjust his vocals.

Their collaboration with Channel Tres was remote, as was all of Cyclorama, which was finished during the pandemic. The duo has a studio north of Paris. Initially housed in an abandoned printing factory, this was also where Armand-Delille lived off the grid for five years during the early days of the group. They moved to a new studio two years ago that is not acoustically ideal, but it has a big recording room. Here, Grynszpan, who used to solely be the DJ side of the duo, has honed his production chops and Armand-Lille has developed a knack for DJing.

“As we’ve evolved, roles have reversed many times,” says Armand-Lille. “We learned a lot from each other. Although we have different personalities, we try to not assign roles. We have different approaches, but we enjoy the same goal and that works well.”

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Bieber & Beats When Tay James Was Called to Spin

for One of the World’s Biggest Pop Stars, He Was Ready. Twelve Years On, His DJ Knowledge Still Impacts Justin Bieber’s Music

Rory Kramer

Onstage & In the Studio

By Lily Moayeri Los Angeles – Tay James has been in four different time zones over the course of two weeks: London, Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, back to London, and now, home in Los Angeles. For a little over a decade, James has been Justin Bieber’s DJ and is accustomed to whirlwind jetlag. Even when James is stationary in Los Angeles, he has a hectic schedule.

Today is no different. At the moment, he’s in rehearsals for Bieber’s upcoming tour for the first half of every day, and in the studio working on the next album for the second half. In-between, he finds time for an interview.

The 34-year-old Baltimore native has come a long way from his early introduction to DJing in the late 1990s to A&Ring Bieber’s 2020 album, Justice, the latest in the global pop sensation’s string of smashes. Along the way, James got schooled by the robust DJ scene in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area, became known as a party-rocking DJ, developed a strong worldwide network of DJs and producers, and DJed everywhere from Las Vegas’s Zouk to London’s exclusive Tape, where he had Rihanna grooving to his tunes.

Upon landing in California and after a much-delayed flight, the down-to-earth Taylor Austin James settles in with a giant coffee to trace his musical trajectory, drop some hard-earned knowledge, and discuss Bieber and his beats.

DJ LIFE: When were you first exposed to DJing?

James: Watching DJ Skribble on MTV. He was the host of Spring Break. He was DJing for thousands of people. He was performing. He was interviewing people, and he was, like, controlling everything. Whatever that guy was doing, I wanted to do.

DJ LIFE: How did you learn to DJ? James: I started DJing at 12.

My brother and all his friends were top DJs in Baltimore. I was able to get knowledge from them. My brother taught me how to blend two vinyl records together, how to blend one song into the other. Once I learned how to blend two songs, it unlocked something in my head and all I did every day was DJ. I would come home from school and just blend whatever records I had in my collection.

DJ LIFE: The D.C./Baltimore scene has always had a lot of great DJs of all stripes. Were there particular DJs you discovered from the area?

James: When I turned 14, I had an opportunity to work at a record pool called Unruly

Records, which is still around in Baltimore to this day. There were a bunch of DJs from The DMV [D.C./Maryland/Virginia]: Quicksilva, Jay Claxton, rest in peace K-Swift – she was the leader of Baltimore club music, which was a huge sound in that area. All the DJs in Baltimore were signed to the record pool’s label. I was interning there, working at Burger King and at Best Buy to help fund my DJ career. I got a little DJ starter pack. From there, I added to my record collection because, back then, you couldn’t play a record unless you had the actual vinyl. Through the record pool, I met all the DJs in the city, all my idols, the people whose mixes I would listen to and record on tapes.

DJ LIFE: What was your first exposure to nightlife?

James: There was no YouTube, so how do you learn how to DJ? How do you learn how to do a party? How do you learn what song comes after the another? How do you learn that motion? You had to literally shadow a DJ. For me, the easiest way to get into a club at 14, 15 was carry a crate of records and sneak in through

the back door, and that’s what I did. I wouldn’t really hang out with my high-school friends and I would go straight to a 21-andup club and just sneak in.

DJ LIFE: Who were some of the influential DJs you were shadowing and learning from?

James: Jay Claxton – he’s the first person that snuck me in. I was watching him throughout these parties. He was special.

He would never drop records.

He would blend throughout the whole party. The first song was at 68 BPM, and he would get to 120 BPM, straight blending. That would amaze me. He didn’t drop. He barely scratched. It was all blending and controlling the mic. My mentor, DJ Alizay, he’s a longtime D.C. DJ and probably the best DJ I know to date. He took me under his wing. My style is a mixture of him and the DJs I met coming up. He’s the one that schooled me to the game of DJing and showed me so many different ways of mixing genres and scratching and blending. He was known for doing live blends on the radio. If you mess up on a live blend, it sounds bad; but if you hit it, it sounds amazing. I got that from him.

DJ LIFE: Was it a competitive scene, or did DJs help each other?

James: Super-competitive.

There were not a lot of DJs at this time. You can just come in and be a DJ. We all had to buy equipment. Even with that, it was still saturated. As a young kid coming up, you look upon your OGs or your big brothers to get on. That’s why I love Alizay.

DJ LIFE: What made him special?

James: The reason why I think he’s one of the best DJs is he did a live broadcast on the radio every Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., and every week it was a different mix. It’s a live mix, so it’s different each time. You don’t know what you’re going into. I never heard him repeat any songs in

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Rory Kramer

needed to leave Baltimore because it’s oversaturated with DJs. It was hard to get your own identity. Going to Hampton was a way for me to get my identity as a DJ. I came down there with 2,000 mixtapes, just for the freshman class. I passed out mixtapes throughout the whole campus.

DJ LIFE: Sounds like an auspicious start…

James: My sophomore year, I had a mixtape called “Sophomore Slump.”

I had Justin Timberlake featuring T.I. and Timbaland, “My Love,” three weeks before anyone else had it. I put on my mixtape, filtered with a bunch of different drops from other artists, like “Hampton University’s own DJ Tay James.” Brand-new music, new blends, different things and dropped it before the year started. It exploded on my campus.

I ended up getting 2,000 of them printed up and I started taking them to other campuses. It became a thing where I started dropping mixtapes every semester. I created a mixtape series titled “College Radio,” and started having “College Radio 1” then 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

DJ LIFE: You were giving these away free of charge?

James: Everything’s free.

I was sponsored by Direct Drive, the record pool I was working for. They ended up signing me as one of their DJs, so this was part of the benefit. I spent a couple of dollars, but the reward is way more than what I’m spending to get these mixtapes done. It became a thing to have a mixtape.

People started hollering at me. I started making mixtapes for different school events, while still keeping up my “College Radio” ones.

DJ LIFE: That’s a great way for people to get to know you and your sound.

James: At the time, you

“A DJ CAN BE MORE THAN JUST THAT GUY IN THE CLUB THAT JUST PLAYS MUSIC. YOU CAN BE TAPPED TO DO SO MUCH MORE.”

Rory Kramer

three years that he did this live broadcast. When he got off the radio, he would give me the headphones, and say, “Go mix,” and he would leave. This made me more confident as a DJ. It allowed me to know how to play for older crowd.

He helped me build that confidence. I became his mentee and I followed him around. I’m appreciative of that experience because without that happening, I don’t think I’ll be here today.

DJ LIFE: What were some of the first parties you DJed? James: High-school parties. I got cut from the basketball team, and I started DJing the basketball games, so I had a gig every Friday. That’s how you start doing things. You don’t really know where it’s going to take you, but you know it’s all part of the game, all part of the education of DJing. By the time I was 17, I had about five crates of records.

DJ LIFE: Did you do mobiles?

James: I did. I used to carry my crates of records in a Mazda Miata, my turntables in the trunk, and my mixer right behind my seat. I had a little CD book for the songs I didn’t have on vinyl.

I would hire a sound guy to bring the sound. That’s how you would do any gig back in the day.

DJ LIFE: How did you get into the mixtape game?

James: Everybody was doing mixtapes. There was no streaming, and a lot of times DJs got all the music first. A real pivotal moment for me was right before going to college at Hampton University. I wanted to bring a mixtape to college. I went to an open house and the DJ they had was this older guy and the only DJ on campus. I thought, “I’m going come through here and take all of this.” Also, I

Rory Kramer Rory Kramer

“BIEBER CHALLENGES ME WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC… AND I LIKE IT.”

don’t know exactly what you’re doing or the effect it’s going to have on anything, but it’s going towards something. I’ve always been a firm believer of that. I always did things that were different than what my peers were doing. I always wanting to bring something different to the table. I had all this knowledge from being in Baltimore dealing with all these DJs and not getting the look I really wanted, but knowing that I’m special, knowing that I had some type of talent, knowing that I am good, I am nice. I just needed the space to do it.

DJ LIFE: You also had a blog you were maintaining?

James: Yes, collegeradiomusic.com. My frat brother was my partner on the blog, and he was handling publications. I was in the music and the mixtapes.

DJ LIFE: Were you doing parties as well?

James: I was doing college parties and I was throwing a college party at Love Nightclub, which was one of the biggest clubs on the East Coast. I would drive three hours up to D.C. every weekend to do the nightclub, and then drive three hours right back down the school the same night – and go to school on Monday.

DJ LIFE: Your college experience sounds like it was a great place to get your DJing going.

James: I went down to Hampton and realized this is an open, untapped market. I could come down there and really succeed, and that’s what happened.

By me just being the man on campus there, it got me the opportunity to DJ D.C., which was the city I wanted to be in as a DJ. Virginia had nothing. You DJed at bingo halls and skate parks; D.C. had all the biggest clubs. Love Nightclub was

huge. They started me off on the fourth floor, which is the last floor, and I worked my way down to the main floor. At the time, there were at least 130 different colleges within the DMV area. All these schools were coming down to our party.

We’re throwing them every Saturday, and I was the main DJ. DJ LIFE: How did Love inform your music knowledge and improve your DJing?

James: D.C. and Baltimore are separated by an hour, yet you have two separate music scenes. You got Go-Go and live music in D.C. and Baltimore Club in Baltimore. At Love, I was able to mix both to tap in on all crowds. I was going to Hampton, so I’m getting all the new records from Atlanta and I’m bringing them up to D.C. Being able to DJ for a melting-pot scenario, so many people from so many different areas and being able to please everybody at one time is tough. People want to hear so many different things.

I was on every blog site. I was on every little message board. My job was finding and downloading music because we had the blog and I had the mixtapes. It was always good to have some things first. I learned about so much different music from different areas: South, West Coast, reggae, Afrobeat. I’m learning about genres of music that I didn’t know about until I got to college.

DJ LIFE: What do you think makes a great mix?

James: For me, it’s always about the element of surprise. Blending records that you don’t ever expect to hear together, that don’t even really make sense, but makes sense when you hear them and it’s dope. I took pride in always creating mixes like that where I’ll take David Banner “Play” and I put Maroon 5 “This

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Meg Blair

Love” over it. You like both songs, but you never heard both songs mixed together.

I consider all DJs party psychologists. I can literally change your emotion when you walk into my party.

That’s all we’re here to do, bring people together through music. That’s what I strive to do ’til this day.

DJ LIFE: How did you connect with Justin Bieber in 2009? What was going on for you then?

James: I had the opportunity to DJ for some artists, and my dad made me turn them down. I was pissed off at my parents because I didn’t want to go to school.

I just wanted to DJ. School was just a way to make my parents happy. My dad always told me, “Finish school. The opportunity you want is going to happen right when you get out of school, just trust me.” I used to hate him for it. Literally two months after I graduated college, I got a call from

Scooter’s [Braun, Bieber’s manager] assistant. This is based off of a relationship two years before with a guy I met who dropped out of college and moved to Atlanta. He met Usher’s assistant. They become friends. When Usher and Scooter got together to do to do the Bieber deal, they needed a DJ to go out with. They hit my boy up.

Everyone was already doing other projects. He said, “I have the perfect guy.”

They called me.

DJ LIFE: And you were ready then to move onto something bigger, it seems.

James: Bieber was doing a bunch of YouTube videos, so I was already familiar with him. We already were posting about him on our blog as the next Timberlake, the next big thing to happen. It was crazy how this came full circle. They said, “We want you to come out to be his DJ, but we can’t pay you at all. We can just

offer you per diems.” I said, “Cool, take me.” I had to call my residencies and I tell them I have this opportunity, and I had to at least try it out.

DJ LIFE: How exactly were you prepared for this opportunity with Bieber?

James: With DJing, a lot of times it’s not even about your talent, it’s about how you are as a person. Are you a people person? Do people want to be around you? And I pride myself in that, too. I make sure that I’m very respectful. I make sure that I’m always doing my job. I make sure that I’m not being weird or any type of way and just being genuine. If you keep that first, mixed with your talent, mixed with your skills, that will be able to take you anywhere. Bieber and I clicked right away.

DJ LIFE: What was your audition process like?

James: His first show ever was my audition. I had none of the music they wanted. I wasn’t a pop DJ. I didn’t know nothing about pop music at all. Sean Kingston was supposed to be the headliner, but he called out, so they needed Bieber to headline his first, maybe his second big show that he’s ever performed.

Me and him were in the dressing room and he was like, “Let’s create a setlist, bro. Let’s figure it out right now.” We got the songs that he wanted to use.

Part of his choreography in “One Time” was the “Swag Surfin’” [song by Fast Life Yungstaz] dance. He said he wanted to use the song somehow. I put it on my laptop and I made the edit to his “One Time,” so it ended as “Swag Surfin’.”

He was like, “Amazing, you have the sound effects?”

I got that, too. This is all on Adobe Edition and GarageBand. We went out there, did the show. It was

incredible. This was July 2009, by the time December hits, he’s a pop star.

That’s how quick it was.

DJ LIFE: How did you start A&Ring for Bieber?

James: I started before Purpose came out [in 2015]. Any of the records on Purpose I’m responsible for, I found the beat or found the producer that made that beat. I didn’t get any credit for it, which, at the end of the day, is my fault. But it was my first experience. I have that on Journals and I have that on Purpose. I had one song on Changes that I was responsible for. Bieber is the reason why I got tapped in to make it a formal role after Changes, for Justice, the pop project. He trusted my ear. He always has. This is after years of us touring.

DJ LIFE: How does the A&R process work with Bieber?

James: I started making beat packs. I will put 25 beats in a pack. He’s going to like at least five or six of them. He will either write something to it or start an idea, or ask me to send it to a songwriter that he’s working with to see if they can write something to it. I’m on beat pack 30 right now.

DJ LIFE: How does your DJing inform your A&R role?

James: Being a DJ came to play because I’ve made connections with producers throughout the years. Now I’m able to tap into these relationships. And I was already connected with DJs from around the world, so I’m able to tap in and be able to be like, what’s the hype? What’s the hot music over there? I listen to what the hot music might be in London or in Germany or in Japan or in Australia. Who produced that? Let me reach out to that producer and now I’m connected with that producer. I look at being an A&R like making

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got the job, he connected me with songwriters that Bieber has worked with in the past and that really helped me. He told me to listen to more melodic things. Early on, there would be a song that I felt was really good and he would tell me it’s not a hit. That would really make me question and realize, I have to listen for certain elements. It’s like a math problem. Two plus two equals four. That’s how a hit record works or how good records would work. Let me reach out to a songwriter that I know we like – Poo Bear, or Allday, or Jon Bellion – see what they have. Let me send these to Justin and see if any of these records mess with him.

DJ LIFE: What were some of your key A&R moments on Justice?

James: One of the main points of being a DJ is not just about playing music, it’s also about connecting the vibes. My cousin put me onto The Kid LAROI a long time ago, me putting Giveon on music, the WizKid “Essence” remix. That “Essence” remix is such a treat because it was literally a weekend. Bieber wrote the verse himself, cut it on Monday. That record is the first Afrobeat record in the Top 10 Billboard Hot 200, ever.

This is all a DJ making these plays. A DJ can be more than just that guy in the club that just plays music.

You can be tapped to do so much more. Bieber challenges me when it comes to music. I’m challenged to go find something that he likes real quick. That makes me get in my bag and reach out to a bunch of different people and open up my laptop and make sure I go through some stuff that I know he hasn’t heard. I’ve sent him over 1,000 beats.

He wants more. He challenges me to just be better

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in that regard as well – and I like it.

DJ LIFE: People don’t realize how involved Bieber is in the music he does.

James: I remember him playing “Stay” for us. This is after us playing basketball.

We’re all hanging out. I remember Bieber saying, “This is the hit.” He knew what it was when he first heard it.

He had that already in his head. He’s the one running the play. And that’s why, even now he’s so next-level. We’re just trying to push the culture forward.

DJ LIFE: How much would you say DJs and DJ-driven music has influenced Bieber over the years?

James: I’m a firm believer that one of the reasons why everything’s working is the fact that he has a DJ. That’s a missing part for a lot of these big artists. The fact that I’m actively still a DJ, I hold down residencies and I DJ every big club in the world, I’ve done every room that any other DJ has done, I’m connected to all DJs, that’s my benefit to this team. There are so many different sounds on those beat packs. Out of that, you hear some new stuff.

That’s all we’ve been trying to do, pushing the envelope. We’re in the people business, bringing people together.

DJ LIFE: Do you produce yourself?

James: No, I haven’t gotten into that. Sometimes I tell producers to send me a loop and we’ll make the beat later around that loop. I can get a loop and I can sit with a producer and say the delay should come in like this. I can hear a drum loop and say we should add some chords to this. That’s the extent of production I do. But I know what sounds good. And I know the BPM to any song or any beats by just listening. That’s my DJ ear.

Rory Kramer

a big mixtape. How do we push the culture forward with the sounds we are using? We can’t be like anyone else. We have to be different. Bieber has always been the person that was innovative. He is always using new music, new sounds.

We got to keep that going.

DJ LIFE: How does your A&R role fit in with other members of Bieber’s team?

James: [Braun] connected me with Skrillex. I started going to Skrillex’s studio and hanging out and becoming friends. That turns into “Don’t Go,” Skrillex single, and that turns into “Somebody” on the album, that turns into “2 Much” on the album. This is us coming together and being genuine.

I don’t want to take from you. I want to learn from you. And that’s kind of how I use all these relationships.

Harv [aka Bernard Harvey], who produced “Peaches” and “Somebody” and a few other records on Justice, is one of my best friends. We’ve been part of Justin’s bands for 10-plus years. Some of these bigger songwriters and producers, I didn’t really have. I could tag him on whatever I need. People will bring me the opportunities. It’s all about what you do with opportunity after you get it.

DJ LIFE: How are you working alongside Josh Gudwin, who is both Bieber’s vocal producer and executive producer?

James: He literally schooled me to the game.

He’s a mentor when it comes to A&R. He basically was doing all of that for Bieber. Everything is in-house. Bieber doesn’t use his A&R at the label [Def Jam]. It’s always been like that. [Gudwin] had all the Rolodex because everybody’s been sending him music for the longest. As his workload became a lot, he needed my help. When I

DJ LIFE: Besides working with Bieber, you are still DJing regularly. How do your sets differ from playing in his band to your Las Vegas residencies to one-off gigs?

James: I approach everything based on the room I’m in or the city I’m in.

Before streaming, there was at least a six-to-eight-month gap for music. A song that was hot in the United States, in the U.K. or Europe or Australia, they’re not listening to it yet. I had to link up with a DJ from the area and ask what they were playing there. Then taking that knowledge and mixing it with my own sound, and that’s how you make parties unique and different.

Vegas is high-energy music and that’s why I love being open-format because I can play everything, I don’t have to be stuck to one genre. They’re hired me to do me – and I’m partyrocking.

DJ LIFE: You’re a resident at Zouk Nightclub in Vegas…

James: I just did a gig with Tiësto. I feel like people probably expected me to play all EDM. I’m going to still be my expression of high energy, and then you’re going to have a great show from Tiësto. But that mix could change. I could come into my Vegas residency and they want to hear mostly EDM. I’m going to start off with mad EDM and then I might add some other flavors to it. It just really depends on what the crowd is vibing off of when I walk in. A lot of times I like to listen to what the DJ is playing before me just to see what’s going on. At the end of the day, it’s crowd control. If I’m at a random spot like Little Sister in New York, a smaller spot, but it’s one of the most exclusive, I’m not playing crazy EDM in here. I’m playing dope

New York cuts. I’m doing remixes. I’m doing blends. I’m more in my DJ bag in that way. I’m scratching a little bit more because that’s the culture of New York. Being able to tap into the scene and adding your flavor to that scene.

DJ LIFE: What’s been your DJ-gear evolution?

James: I was there when Serato came around and changed the game. I still use Serato and djay Pro from algoriddim. It’s an app you can use on an iPad or on your laptop. It is nextlevel. You can DJ off of Spotify titles and streaming programs. On top of that, you can make your own stems of every song. I can take a record, put it up on this program and make it a cappella by one click, or make it an instrumental, or I can take the drums off and the words out and just hear the chords. You can record it, too. If I want to make something exclusive, I do it on that. But as far as in the club, I’m still Serato and a Pioneer mixer.

DJ LIFE: Are you surprised that the DJ culture has grown to the extent that it has?

James: No. Everybody wants to be a DJ somewhere deep down inside.

Everybody wants to create that playlist and have their friends like their flavors. My dad had such a massive record collection, and he would make mixtapes for his friends, and that stuck with me. That’s a form of

DJing. Back in the day, it was expensive to be a DJ. That’s part of the reason why no one dived down that road. To get a pair of Technics, that’s $500 apiece. What 13-year-old has $500 to get that equipment? That’s the dedication you had to have. I worked two jobs to pay for my DJ career, to pay for turntables, to pay for my speakers, headphones, records, all the equipment to be a mobile DJ. The $200 for the sound guy. With technology now and everything being ramped up, I think it’s great. The whole point of being a DJ is not keeping the culture away.

You’re supposed to promote the culture. Anybody who wants to be a DJ, I want them to. I want them to learn the craft. I want them to really get down and get in tune with music.

DJ LIFE: What advice would you give up-andcoming DJs? James: It’s about the music. It’s about bringing people together through the love of music, through the connection that music draws. There are people who don’t believe in anything, but they believe in music. I always tell people start with the music. Find the genre of music that you like and dive deep in that.

It is time and preparation.

The road less traveled is not always the one that people like to go down, but that’s what it is to be a DJ.

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IN REVIEW

2 0 2 1 Here we are, finally, where 2021 meets 2022… and, hopefully, a little more normalcy is just around the corner (variants be damned).

So, as we wrapped up ’21, we fired off a quickie poll to DJs of all stripes, asking how 2021 looked to them in the rearview. We asked three simple questions: What’s your top tune of the year (one that’s not yours)?

What was your best accomplishment of 2021? What was the best DJ/musical moment (live, streaming or studio)?

Here are the first 100 responses we got.

Ready, steady, go…

100 DJS

OF ALL STRIPES WEIGH IN

ON THE YEAR’S

FAVORITE TRACKS & BEST MUSICAL MOMENTS 22

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BY JIM TREMAYNE 1 Anabel Englund, Ultra Music, L.A. Tune: “What You Need” by Kaytranada feat. Charlotte Day Wilson.

Accomplishment: Getting my fifth No. 1 on U.S. Dance Radio with “Midnight Rapture.”

Musical Moment: Playing Space in Miami was so epic – definitely a huge accomplishment for me.

2 Plastik Funk, Hexagon/Spinnin, Ibiza, Spain Tune: It’s still Laurent Garnier’s “Man With the Red Face.”

Accomplishment: I released 12 tracks on my favorite labels with massive DJ support.

Musical Moment: I was the first international artist who got a visa for Vietnam in April. After a two-weeks hotel quarantine, I headlined my first gig and celebrated my birthday with 1,000 fans in Saigon – one of the most special events of my career.

3 Wax Motif, Divided Souls, L.A. Tune: Anti-Up’s “Something’s About to Go Down.”

Accomplishment: Playing B2Bs with Zhu, Tchami & Chris Lorenzo.

Musical Moment: Closing Gold Rush Festival with Loz in Arizona with drum-n-bass.

4 Herbert Holler, Freedom Party/My House, NYC Tune: “You Need Me” by Black Coffee feat. Sun-El Musician & Maxine Ashley.

Accomplishment: Bouncing back from the pandemic in better form, both physically and mentally, than I’ve ever been.

Musical Moment: Bringing 1,500-plus people to the first party back in a park in Brooklyn, then doing it again on a boat in Philly.

5 Wankelmut, Perfect Havoc, Berlin Tune: Burns’ “Talamanca.”

Accomplishment: I managed to release 14 tunes this year, all while touring & becoming a father! It’s been a wild 12 months.

Musical Moment: My gig at Club Revellin in Dubrovnik, Croatia – insane location & a crowd with unbelievable energy.

6 Mike Walter, Elite Entertainment, Tinton Falls, N.J. Tune: Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u.” I didn’t play it every gig, but when I did it was a banger.

Accomplishment: I did 112 events, including 108 weddings – most I’ve done in two decades.

Musical Moment: Spinning at the DJ Expo this past August in Atlantic City – it’s a rush playing music for my industry peers.

7 ATTLAS, mau5trap, Toronto Tune: Promises, an album by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra Accomplishment: My first JUNO nomination for Electronic Album of the Year.

Musical Moment: The first show back was incredibly special, in Salt Lake City, Utah, a city I’ve never played before.

8 AVAION, RCA Local, Nürnberg, Germany Tune: “About You” by KREAM. Accomplishment: Getting Platinum-certified for my song “Pieces.”

Musical Moment: Playing the Open Beatz Festival in a sold-out arena as a main act – an amazing experience.

9 Martin Jensen, disco:wax, Silkeborg, Denmark Tune: Shouse’s “Love Tonight.”

Accomplishment: Taking my “Me, Myself, Online” concept to the live crowd, filling up two huge venues with a branded “Me, Myself, Live” event.

Musical Moment: Following Taylor Swift and her journey – year after year is something very special.

10 DJ Mike Márquez, Mix93fm, NYC Tune: Shouse’s “Love Tonight.”

Accomplishment: Presenting my “Expanding Your Brand with Twitch: One DJ’s Story” seminar at the ’21 DJ Expo in Atlantic City.

Musical Moment: Completing 52 consecutive weeks of Twitch streaming outdoors with a cel-

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11 gardenstate, Anjunabeats, Helsingborg, Sweden Tune: Pete Oak’s “Between Two Worlds (Losless Remix)” Accomplishment: Releasing our debut album, Inspirations, was big.

Musical Moment: Playing at ABGT450 in London was massive.

12 Joe Bermudez, Mass Movement Radio, Boston Tune: “Sun Came Up” by SOFI TUKKER & John Summit.

Accomplishment: That I was still able to avoid getting a “real job,” even with the lack of club gigs during & post-lockdown.

Musical Moment: Playing DJ Expo’s opening party in Atlantic City this past August. Not only did it feel amazing to be back behind the decks, but it was extra special to get to share that moment with my fellow DJs.

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13 DJ Spen, Quantize Recordings, Baltimore Tune: It would have to be “Higher” by Terry Hunter.

Accomplishment: The release of my album, Soulful Storm, which was also Traxsource’s No. 1 album of the year.

Musical Moment: The “Dance For Stevie” fundraiser – for DJ/promoter Steve Laviniere of Bobby & Steve fame – at Ministry of Sound, with such a plethora of DJs in attendance, including David Morales, Simon Dunmore, and Mark Knight.

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14 Terri B!, The HouseCrunch Radio, Hamburg, Germany Tune: Mark Knight & Beverly Knight’s “Everything’s “Gonna Be Alright.”

Accomplishment: Signing one of my biggest hits, “Get Down,” to Spinnin Records for 2022 with Moguai.

Musical Moment: Playing in Taipei, my first big set as a DJ.

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16 Wooddrowe, Build Up Records/Beatclan, Nashville Tune: Shouse’s “Love Tonight.”

Accomplishment: I released 25 DJ “weapons,” which are my custom remixes tailored for professional DJs. Musical moment: Dropping my “Weapon Remix” of “Love Tonight” while opening for Gorgon City at AREA15 in Las Vegas.

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18 LP Giobbi, Femme House, Austin, Texas Tune: DJ Tennis’ “Atlanta.”

Accomplishment: When my non-profit, Femme House, launched She Is The Producer to create a free month-long bootcamp teaching women & gender-expansive people how to produce music, in partnership with Alicia Keys’ She Is The Music and Emily Lazaar’s We Are Moving The Needle. We had 3,300 enrollees from 1,400 cities and 77 countries.

Musical Moment: Getting to play for Hulaween’s magical dancefloor.

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17 Tobtok, Perfect Havoc, Stockholm, Sweden Tune: Jungle’s “Keep Moving.”

Accomplishment: Hitting 50 million streams on Spotify.

Musical Moment: When Adele’s “Easy On Me” was released – it’s something people will sing at karaoke in 20 years’ time.

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15 Mark Knight, Toolroom, Maidstone, U.K. Tune: “The Shake” by Ellis Moss.

Accomplishment: Definitely releasing my album, Untold Business. It’s been a long time coming, but time off touring, due to the pandemic, gave me the headspace I needed to dedicate the necessary time to it. I’m super-proud of the project.

Musical Moment: Manchester (All Night Long) at Joshua Brooks. It was my first gig back after a year out, so it was not only great to be back, but to play open-to-close and be able to play a wide range of music was something I won’t forget for a while.

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19 Sleepy & Boo, Transmit Recordings, NYC Tunes: ARTBAT’s “Flame” was a powerful dancefloor track & we loved Maceo Plex’s rework of Faithless’ “Insomnia.”

Accomplishment: We’re really grateful to have released so much music in 2021.

Musical Moment: We’ll never forget our first night back on the decks in Brooklyn in June, after NYC had lifted most of the COVID restrictions for indoor gatherings. People were going wild to every single track. So much love, so many hugs.

20 Parnassvs, Enhanced/Blackhole Recordings, Manilla, Phillippines Tune: Allen Watts’ “GDL” (Yoshi & Razner Remix).

Accomplishment: Getting signed to Enhanced under Daniel Kandi’s label and establishing our first Festival series, “Elevation,” in Manila.

Musical Moment: Seeing international artists on “Elevation 2021” online festival!

21 Pagano, Toolroom/Tronic, London Tune: An album, Kommit, by Der Dritte Raum.

Accomplishment: Participating in live-stream sessions from Beatport and by techno legend Christian Smith for his Tronic Thursdays. Also, reaching No. 1 on Beatport Techno with my album, Infinite Regress.

Musical Moment: Seeing Adam Beyer playing my track “Panta Rhei” at a sold-out Printworks in London totally took me by surprise.

22 Lopezhouse, Bedrock, Valdepeñas, Spain Tune: “True” by Danny Elfman & Trent Reznor.

Accomplishment: Finishing Apollo, our debut album on Bedrock Records.

Musical Moment: The Live from the Bunker session with John Digweed & our gig in San Isidro, Madrid.

23 SLANDER, Heaven Sent/Gud Vibrations, L.A. Tune: RIOT’s “Juggernaut.”

Accomplishment: Selling out our first solo headline show at Red Rocks.

Musical Moment: Headlining Lollapalooza with THE EYE! 24 Yves V, Spinnin Records, Antwerp, Belgium Tune: Tiësto’s “The Business.”

Accomplishment: “Complicated,” my collaboration with Steve Aoki & Ryan Caraveo.

Musical Moment: Being able to tour again, including my live show at Shalvata in Tel Aviv!

25 Howard “HK” Kessler, In The Mix with HK, Minneapolis Tune: Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License.”

Accomplishment: Helping our millions of radio listeners stay home, healthy, sane, and entertained through the pandemic every weekend.

Musical Moment: My first live gig back in front of an audience & crushing the dancefloor for four hours.

26 The Scene Kings, Sektor Records, NYC Tunes: “Do it To It” by ACRAZE & “Kill the Lights (Audien Remix)” by Alex Newell, Jess Glynne and DJ Cassidy feat. Nile Rodgers.

Accomplishment: We had a release on Liftoff Recordings that’s done very well for us.

Musical Moment: Just DJing to in-person crowds again.

27 DJ Yoshi, Army/Big Ten Football DJ, NYC Tune: Shouse’s “Love Tonight.”

Accomplishment: Learning Ableton Live as a production tool, instead of utilizing is as a sample-triggering program. Also, starting a talk show on Twitch called Studio Series.

Musical Moment: Fans returning to arenas & stadiums. There is no better feeling as a DJ than playing for 80,000 people & watching them sing, dance & smile.

28 AUDIO1, Twitch Music Streamer, San Francisco Tune: Tchami’s “Buenos Aires.”

Accomplishment: Continued recovery from the stroke I suffered in 2020. The progress I’ve made in 2021 has been remarkable. Grateful and thankful for this second chance at life.

Musical Moment: My return stream on Twitch six months after the stroke was a pivotal moment. The amount of love and support was truly overwhelming.

29 Matsu, DJcity/Beatsource, NYC Tune: Duck Sauce’s “Smiley Face.”

Accomplishment: My debut EP, “R U With Me,” supported by myriad of DJs, blogs, playlists & record pools worldwide.

Musical Moment: Series of live streams on Twitch, Slow Roast Sundays, with Craze throughout the first half of the year.

39 Michelle Sparks, Octopus Recordings, Phoenix Tune: Simina Grigoriu’s “Contraband.”

Accomplishment: Had a lot of time in the studio that was super-productive & did a long-running live-streaming series for the year.

Musical Moment: A live gig in Philly for the Fold Theory crew – it was a sold-out, wild, sweaty & a full-on vibe the whole night.

30 DJ Vivona, King Street, Palermo, Italy Tune: Gil Bokobza feat. Loren’s “Heaven Or Hell.”

Accomplishment: Remixing “Piece of Meat” by Byron Stingily, an artist I’ve always admired. His voice is magical.

Musical Moment: Returning to play in the beautiful island of Favignana in southern Italy.

40 Kmyle, Arts/Mord/Skryptom, Toulouse, France Tune: System F feat. Marc Almond’s “Soul On Soul (Elektrochemie LK Remix).”

Accomplishment: The debut of my own record label, Kmyle Records.

Musical Moment: Hybrid b2b live with my friend Laurent Garnier at Bikini in Toulouse.

31 Lubelski, dirtybird, L.A. Tune: Red Axes’ “Some Lights.”

Accomplishment: Releasing my second album, Happy Accidents.

Musical Moment: Headlining Sound Nightclub in my hometown of L.A.

41 The Crystal Method, Ultra Music, L.A. Tune: Habstrakt’s “The Sound.”

Accomplishment: Completing The Crystal Method’s seventh studio album, The Trip Out. Musical Moment: Scoring two scenes & the end credits for Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix animated movie, “Trollhunters: Rise of the Titan.”

32 Luda Weigand, 4AM, NYC Tune: Paul Woolford, Diplo & Kareen Lomax’s “Looking For Me.” Accomplishment: DJing a luxury-brand event in The Hamptons Musical Moment: Any of James Hype’s live-streams is an experience!

33 Collin Oliver, Brooklyn Fire Records, NYC Tune: Wh0 Feat. Nile Rodgers & Josh Barry’s “Better Day.” Accomplishment: Getting to tour again.

Musical Moment: Electric Zoo Supernaturals at Randall’s Island, N.Y. 34 Luis Martinez, Mix93fm, Tampa Tune: Vintage Culture & Fancy Inc. feat. Roland Clark’s “Free.”

Accomplishment: Being able to express my music & passion to make people feel happy & free again on the dancefloor.

Musical Moment: Traveling around the globe & experiencing how the different cultures react to my music.

35 Phoenix Lord, La Chapelle Records, Montreal Tune: “So Free” by Todd Terry, Kokiri & Jem Cooke.

Accomplishment: My song “I Believe” with Robin S was No. 1 on a radio station in Prague, Czech Republic, thanks to the remix of Czech DJ Jean Luc. Musical Moment: I loved producing my remix of “We’re Gonna Make It” by Bruno Kauffmann & D’Layna.

42 DJ Tsu, Mixed In Key, Campina Grande, Brazil Tune: John Summit’s “Human.”

Accomplishment: Resuming my DJ/producer project & playing some gigs again, especially those long sets that we all love.

Musical Moment: I played an eight-hour set at a local club called Vegas Pub & the crowd’s vibe was amazing.

43 Feather, Indie DJ/artist, Nashville Tune: “Anywhere” by SLANDER & Au5 feat. shYbeast & PLYA Accomplishment: Releasing my EP, “Becoming,” was a big step, a very full-circle moment creatively.

Musical Moment: Playing my very first headlining show in Minneapolis, my hometown, was a humbling & inspirational experience.

44 Austin Millz, Boom.Records, L.A. Tune: Fred again… feat. The Blessed Madonna’s “Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing).”

Accomplishment: Releasing my EP, “Midas.”

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36 Sly Chapel, Mix93fm, Montreal Tune: “Feelin’ Feelin’” by the amazing Inaya Day. Accomplishment: Producing my own single, “Abracadabra.” I wrote this song to make people believe in magic & that dreams are made to become true.

Musical Moment: Recording “Abracadabra” in the studio with a 9-year-old girl who brought so much character and theatricality.

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37 The Archer, There Is A Light, L.A. Tune: “Lights Go Down” by Drinks On Me & Why So Low Accomplishment: Starting the label, There Is A Light Records Musical Moment: In the studio, creating a lot of great music for 2022.

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38 Oliver Nelson, Perfect Havoc, Stockholm, Sweden Tune: “Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing)” by Fred again... feat. The Blessed Madonna.

Accomplishment: Releasing my remix of The Wombats’ “Greek Tragedy.”

Musical Moment: Being part of Donna Summer’s I’m A Rainbow Recovered & Recoloured album.

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45 Melissa Nikita, Minitech Recordings, NYC Tune: Noir’s “Undone (Electric Rescue Remix).”

Accomplishment: Working with Serato DJ again for its live-stream video showcase of the new Denon DJ LC6000 PRIME controller.

Musical Moment: Filming for the Melodic Underground’s annual New Year’s Day 24-hour livestream festival.

46 Mr. Black, HYBIT/Revealed Recordings, Tel Aviv, Israel Tune: Tiësto’s “Adagio For Strings 2021 (Extended Remix).”

Accomplishment: Opening the imprint HYBIT together with Hardwell’s Revealed.

Musical Moment: The moment I went off-stage at Tomorrowland after performing for thousands of people. us

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47 John Hohman, MetroMix, Pittsburgh Tune: Elton John & Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart (PS1 Remix).”

Accomplishment: Creating the MetroMix Top 15 Dance Countdown with John Hohman.

Musical Moment: Just seeing my mixshow grow on more radio stations.

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48 Ship Wrek, Big Beat, L.A. Tune: Zeds Dead & MKLA’s “Alive.”

Accomplishment: Building our dream studio. It kept us motivated earlier this year when shows weren’t happening.

Musical Moment: The rush of having three or four shows a week again when touring picked back up.

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49 DJ Nikis, Mix93fm, Boston Tune: Alesso & Marshmello’s “Chasing Stars.”

Accomplishment: Getting my show on two more FM radio stations, with weekly mixes.

Musical Moment: Doing a noontime workout mix three times a week on an FM radio station for The Klubjumpers.

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50 Surf Mesa, Astralwerks, L.A. Tune: “I Wanna Run Away” by R3HAB, Mr Eazi & Wafia.

Accomplishment: The Life Is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas, because I flew out my family from Seattle to watch me perform for the first time.

Musical Moment: At Life Is Beautiful, I saw Green Day – such a thrilling experience to be around a legacy band. They still got their rock-star energy.

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Musical Moment: Performing the “Midas” songs live in front of people – fulfilling.

52 AMÉMÉ, One Tribe NYC, Berlin Tune: Jamie Jones & Alan Fitzpatrick’s “Sundancing.”

Accomplishment: Building a team comprised of the best management & agencies in the world.

Musical Moment: Black Coffee at Void Mykonos.

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53 Lauren Mia, Harabe, L.A. Tune: Pan-Pot’s “Sleepless (Stephan Bodzin Remix).” My moment of epiphany to pursue music professionally.

Accomplishment: Playing the Anjunadeep Open Air at Brooklyn Mirage.

Musical Moment: Playing my record, “Labyrinth,” at The Concourse Project in Austin – I’ll never forget the crowd’s reaction.

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54 XIE: Create Music Group, L.A. Tune: “I Found You” by Fred again…

Accomplishment: Co-directing & editing my first music video.

Musical Moments: Being direct support for two sold-out shows at Exchange with Adventure Club & ARMNHMR.

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51 Joee Cons, Simmetry Sounds, Toronto Tune: Faithless’ “Insomnia 2021 (Maceo Plex Remix).”

Accomplishment: Creating two remixes for the same track, “Finally” by Sara Simms feat. JEI. Musical Moment: Playing a seven-hour set.

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55 Tracy Young, Ferosh Records, Miami Tune: ACRAZE’s “Do It To It.” Accomplishment: Getting a Grammy nomination for my “Fashionably Late Remix” of k.d. lang’s “Constant Craving.”

Musical Moment: David Morales’s Sunday Mass on Twitch.

56 Ravell, Kazaa Records, L.A. Tune: Dubdogz, Mariana Bo & Flakkë – “Drop It.” Accomplishment: The release of my song, “Siento.”

Musical Moment: Insomniac’s Park ‘N Rave.

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66 NURKO, Proximity, NYC Tune: “Supersonic (My Existence)” by Skrillex, Noisia, Josh Pan & Dylan Brady.

Accomplishment: Signing a major record deal.

Musical Moment: When I accidentally upgraded my synth stack, which is a secret sauce I use in my drops now.

67 SOHMI, Permission, L.A. Tune: Alan Fitzpatrick & Lawrence Hart’s “Warning Signs.”

Accomplishment: Launching my label, Permission, & going on my first tour.

Musical Moment: Having Beatport live-stream my set from Seismic Dance Event.

57 Kito, Astralwerks, L.A. Tune: Rain Radio & Craig Gorman” “Talk About.”

Accomplishment: Making my EP, “Blossom.”

Musical Moment: Art Basel in Miami – just such an explosion of energy, 68 Franky Wah, Ministry of Sound, Yorkshire, U.K. Tune: Chromatics’ “Shadows (Maceo Plex Remix).” music, art and friends.

Accomplishment: Selling out my first-ever U.K. headline live tour.

Musical Moment: My “All Night Long” set at London’s Fabric.

58 22 Weeks, House of Hustle, Brussels, Belgium Tune: ZOF’s “Cupcake.”

Accomplishment: Releasing music on the labels I really like – Low Ceil- 69 James Juke, Late Night Jackin’, San Francisco Tune: Demuir feat. Phil Weeks’ “To Be A Star (Mat Lunnen & Darren ing, House of Hustle, OFDM, Safe & Wildcard.

Marshall Remix).”

Musical Moment: Playing at Amsterdam Music Event again felt really Accomplishment: Released my debut EP, “Where The Party Starts.” awesome.

Musical Moment: Louie Vega’s set at Halcyon in San Fran – a true master at work.

59 Matt Bishop, Trance Mind State/Mix93fm, Tampa Tune: Above & Beyond and Justine Suissa’s “Almost Home (Club Mix).”

Accomplishment: Staying in the mix and doing what I love, while we all 70 KICE, DistroKid, Chicago Tune: KC Lights feat. Lowes’ “Share A Little Love.” dealt with COVID. Accomplishment: Playing Spring Awakening Music Festival.

Musical Moment: Seeing Armin van Buuren.

Musical Moment: My release, “Pusher.”

60 Bleu Clair, Insomniac, Jakarta, Indonesia 71 Mannix, Dafia Records, Vienna, Austria Tunes: Biscits’ “Wait A Minute.”

Tune: The Pleasure Principle feat. Heidi Vogel’s “Coral Drive Hustler Accomplishment: Releasing my debut EP, “Prelude.”

(Expressive Records).”

Musical Moment: Performing at EDC Las Vegas.

Accomplishment: Building up my new label, Dafia Records, with eight great singles & releasing my debut album, Standing Right Here.

61 Nick Spinelli, SCE Event Group, Howell, N.J. Musical Moment: On the live-streams, DJ Meme was good and funny.

Tune: Silk Sonic’s “Fly As Me.” Accomplishment: My YouTube channel.

Musical Moment: I got a grandma to twerk to Cardi B at a wedding this year – God bless America.

62 ONEDUO, Overdrive Mgmt, NYC Tune: Machine Gun Kelly’s “papercuts.”

Accomplishment: We shot our first-ever music video for our new style/ genre that we’re debuting in the new year.

Musical Moment: Playing EZoo in front of our hometown crowd.

63 Paradoks, Purified Records, Brussels, Belgium Tune: Undercatt’s “Oraculum.”

Accomplishment: Growing as an artist despite the pandemic, all while finishing a master’s degree.

Musical Moment: My recent Argentina tour.

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64 Rick Wonder, 4 AM/Deep Root, NYC Tune: ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight).”

Accomplishment: Coming out of the pandemic bigger & touring more aggressively than before.

Musical Moment: Doing the halftime show at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks.

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65 Patricia Baloge, Platoon, NYC Tune: Rosalinda de la Espada’s “Quiribi (Yamil Remix).”

Accomplishment: The release of my debut EP, “Womb.”

Musical Moment: In the studio, producing new music & finding my voice.

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72 Tibasko, Three Six Zero, Welwyn Garden City, U.K. Tune: Overmono’s “So U Kno,” a lethal club banger.

Accomplishment: Our debut gigs at Creamfields and The Warehouse Project.

Musical Moment: Playing in Athens, Greece, in a 120-year-old train museum was such a unique experience.

73 Topic, Polydor Records, Solingen, Germany Tune: Fred again… feat. The Blessed Madonna’s “Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing).”

Accomplishment: Buying my first house.

Musical Moment: Exit Festival – first festival with a real crowd after two years.

74 Crystal Skies, Lost in Dreams, Minneapolis/Denver Tune: Steve Brian & RENEE’s “Sweet Little Lies (Myon Summer of Love Mix).”

Accomplishment: Writing & completing our debut album.

Musical Moment: Playing Lost Lands.

75 Skyler Madison, Monstercat, L.A. Tune: Can’t pick just one!

Accomplishment: Making my label debut with Monstercat, hands down!

Musical Moment: Just growing as an artist in the studio.

76 Marc Tattoo, Mix93fm, Vancouver Tune: Marsh’s “Healer” (Guy J Extended Remix) Musical Moment: Seeing James Deron.

Accomplishment: Not totally losing my mind & surviving 2021.

77 KSHMR, Dharma Worldwide, L.A. Tune: Greta Van Fleet’s “Heat Above.”

Accomplishment: Releasing my debut album, Harmonica Andromeda. I really put everything that I have into that.

Musical Moment: In NYC, I headlined EZoo Fest & then, directly after, I had a show at the Brooklyn Mirage – a crazy night & extremely fun.

78 ARMNHMR, Monstercat, L.A. Tune: Illenium & Tori Kelly’s “Blame Myself.”

Accomplishment: Being able to really establish our “Infinite Skies” brand.

Musical Moment: A tie between our Circuit Grounds set & our Hollywood Palladium shows.

79 Mister Lady, Record Union, L.A. Tune: Ramon Tapia’s “Last Step.”

Accomplishment: Releasing my first EP, “The Feeling.”

Musical Moment: Seeing Kai Tracid at EDC Las Vegas – a perfect genre-bending combo of trance & techno.

80 Ed Unger, Mix93fm, Miami Tune: Zato DJ feat. Treekoo’s “Pepas” (Remix).

Accomplishment: DJing in the Bahamas a couple of times after the pandemic.

Musical Moment: A tie between seeing James Hype & Bob Moses in Miami.

81 Luna, Indie Artist, L.A. Tune: “Silhouette (Feed Me Remix)” by Bad Computer feat. Skyelle Accomplishment: Headlining the Whisky a Go Go. Musical Moment: Kaskade Live with deadmau5 at SoFi Stadium in July.

82 House of Cheetah, House of Cheetah Records, Maui, Hawaii Tune: Paul Johnson feat. Zoe Thorn’s “You Drive Me Crazy (Supernova Extended Remix).”

Accomplishment: Launching House of Cheetah Records & getting out our first three releases.

Musical Moment: The Lab: 10 Years Party… five hours of back-to-back legends beaming in from bedrooms & beaches around the world.

83 EchoStorms, Force of Habit, Warsaw, Poland Tune: Nick Raff’s “Ballin’.”

Accomplishment: Reaching No. 1 on the Beatport Tech-House Releases Chart and No. 2

overall with “Delirious.”

Musical Moment: James Hype live in Warsaw – he’s the best in the game as a DJ, a brilliant showman.

84 tau0n, Slothacid/Modarnity, L.A. Tune: Township Rebellion’s “Definition of Mimosa.” – Accomplishment: Playing our first festival and out-of-state shows.

Musical Moment: Performing our first live set at Academy for Insomniac’s Day Trip.

94 Ken Bauer, Future Rave Music, Stockholm, Sweden Tune: Tiësto’s “I’ll Take You High.”

Accomplishment: Being eligible for a Grammy nomination for my track, “The Sirens Are Calling.”

Musical Moment: Collaborating with my friend J-Rob MD on our track “So Alive.”

85 Doc Brown, Unlearn:Records, Miami Tune: Hotswing’s “Pump Up” – a total vibe.

Accomplishment: Putting together a festival on Twitch was both the most challenging & the most rewarding.

Musical Moment: Performing at EDC Orlando was extra special.

95 Lenell Brown, Clipper’s Sounds, Thun, Switzerland Tune: Martin Garrix feat. Tove Lo’s “Pressure.”

Accomplishment: The success of our single, “One Day.” Musical Moment: Definitely the release & of the “Bring It To Life” video series.

86 Daniel Orpi, elrow, London Tune: The Martinez Brothers feat. Fuego’s “Pendiente al Paso.”

Accomplishment: Five No. 1s on Beatport.

Musical Moment: My debut at Fabric London.

96 NATHASSIA, ArchangelUK Recordings, London Tune: Oliver Heldens’ “Zapdos.”

Accomplishment: My single, “Lair,” being a No. 1 release on Beatport.

Musical Moment: The explosion of my weekly Goddess Is A DJ radio show has been absolutely amazing!

87 Mihalis Safras, Sola, Athens, Greece Tune: Eskuche’s “Concentrate.”

Accomplishment: My 10th collab with Green Velvet.

Musical Moment: Winning at the Ibiza DJ Awards.

88 Michael Alevras, LB Entertainment, Washingtonville, N.Y. Tune: “Levitating” by Dua Lipa feat. DaBaby.

Accomplishment: Our company added a full-service rental company & photography division.

Musical Moment: Again, hosting the parties & night events at DJX this past August in Atlantic City.

89 DJ Serafin, PitchTheTempo.com, St. Petersburg, Fla. Tune: “Stay” by the Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – I like the lyrics.

Also, Avocuddle’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”

Accomplishment: Opened my DJ/production School. Launched Pitch the Tempo electronic record pool.

Musical Moment: Self-released my single, “Play.” Played with some very interesting artists – you know, the ones that wear masks.

90 DJ Val, Ibiza Live Radio/Mix93fm, Chicago Tune: Georgie Porgie’s “Life Goes On (2021 Remixes).”

Accomplishment: Keeping my long-running mix shows afloat, while in the midst of a personal crisis – my husband was diagnosed with ALS. Musical Moment: Learning about production more intensely.

91 Juheun, Octopus Recordings, Phoenix Tune: “Brainporting” by Luca Marchese.

Accomplishment: Making it through lockdown.

Musical Moment: Playing live for Insomniac TV on Twitch during the lockdown.

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Musical Moment: Just the great feeling I get when performing in a different country & fans appreciate the work I put into my music.

97 Terry Golden, Sirup Music, Herning, Denmark Tune: David Guetta feat. Sia “Titanium (David Guetta & MORTEN Future Rave Remix).”

Accomplishment: I doubled my streams compared to 2020, now almost 3 million streams.

Musical Moment: Getting my weekly radio show, Art of Rave, up and running, hitting 37 stations in 15 countries in just 15 episodes.

98 Adam Griffin, Perfect Havoc, London Tune: Tobtok & Jem Cooke’s “My Carousel.”

Accomplishment: Hitting 3.5 billion streams with all our amazing Perfect Havoc tracks, which is mind blowing.

Musical Moment: I went to Printworks in London three weeks in a row – after starvation came a huge harvest!

99 Kevin McKay, Glasgow Underground, London Tune: Diplo & Sidepiece’s “On My Mind (Purple Disco Machine Remix).”

Accomplishment: My first Beatport Top 10 & hitting 10 million streams on one of my own tracks for the first time.

Musical Moment: The smiles on the dancefloor and general mayhem when “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” was dropped post-lockdown by me & many others!

100 Varski, New State Records, Leicester, U.K. Tune: ACRAZE’s “Do It To It.” Accomplishment: Having my track, “Over You” peak at No. 7 in the iTunes dance charts & receiving incredible support from KISS FM U.K. Musical Moment: Having 1,000-plus ravers singing the words of my track, “Gravity,” back to me.

92 Flatfoot Sam, Depth Charge Records, Southampton, U.K. Tune: “Hyperlandia” by deadmau5 feat. Foster the People.

Accomplishment: Bringing out my first album, TripField.

Musical Moment: Hearing one of my songs on the radio – gave me goosebumps for ages.

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93 Jacob Colon, Nervous Records, NYC Tune: Chucky73’s “Dominicana (The Martinez Brothers & Florentina Remix).”

Accomplishment: I had five songs rank in the Top 100 dance charts on iTunes in several countries around the world.

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GET WITH THE LOYALTY PROGRAM DJS ARE RELYING MORE THAN EVER ON THE BEST WAYS TO SELL TO EXISTING CLIENTS. HERE ARE SOME OF THEM.

By Joshua Volpe Most of my articles, as you all know, have been written in a way to help DJs who might be struggling with developing or enhancing their marketing strategies. One of the topics I discussed lightly not too long ago was “Loyalty Marketing.”

That one specific topic generated a ton of questions and responses from many DJs all around the globe. I received 40 to 50 messages asking if I could explain, with a little more depth, how that type of marketing works. If you are sitting there wondering what Loyalty Marketing is or how it can help your DJ business, you have turned the page to something that will answer that in an easy way.

Loyalty Marketing 101 For many of us, we’ve already taken advantage of a Loyalty Marketing strategy by a business. Frequent-flier programs with airlines, shopper clubs at grocery stores, Amazon Prime accounts, point-based programs with different retailers that lead to discounts or free items, and so on.

Loyalty Marketing is a strategy that focuses on acquiring customers and incentivizing them to book you or purchase from you again and again. New customers are hard sells. You must overcome their skepticism and convince them that what you have to offer is better than the company down the street. But with loyal clients, the work is already done, and you have proven yourself.

They already value you over the competition, and they already have confidence in what you are offering them.

You simply need to stay on their radar and incentivize their interactions with you.

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that Loyalty Marketing is the best way to ensure the long-term survival of your company. Did you know that only a mere 5-percent increase in client retention can boost your profits by as much as 125-percent? That is because a loyal client is up to 15-times more likely to sign you as their DJ than a new client who might be shopping around.

Businesses with a loyal, committed client base can weather the storm better than anyone. If you can build a loyal client base, you will be able to weather any economic storm that comes along. It all starts with effective Loyalty Marketing strategies.

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How Do You Build a Loyalty Marketing Strategy?

While they can be effective, Loyalty Marketing strategies and tactics are nothing new. Most fall into one of three categories: points, tiers, and discount programs.

That is why some large brands and businesses are looking to shake things up and find innovative new ways to build reward programs and inspire customer loyalty. You reward your clients who repeatedly interact with your business. It is a customer-retention strategy that encourages your client to continue to book you rather than your competitors. The more a client engages with the business and hires you as their DJ, the more rewards they could earn.

You can offer a point system, discount program or special tiered pricing with a goal to motivate repeat bookings and to build ongoing trust between your client and your business. Here are some examples of ways a Loyalty Marketing Strategy can work for you: A client books you for their wedding, and they loved you. You receive a great review and they highly enjoyed everything you offered them. They reach out to you a few months later after the wedding and say their parents are having an anniversary party and want to book you for that event. You do that party and, again, they love everything you did and how well it came out.

Fast-forward to another few months and they say they are planning a birthday party for another family member. You do it, and it is a big success. At the party, the

incentive to assure that they continue to book you for a long time instead of trying out a competitor or someone new. While this all may seem a bit controversial, we all work with a profit margin and no one likes to give away money or services.

But if it assures that you will always gain repeat business on a regular basis, and it becomes a sure thing with a client, it may be worth your while to give something away that will solidify clients signing you over and over. It could be a small package discount, it could be free lighting, it could even be a brand-new product that you acquired and need an event to try it out at or be the guinea pig before offering it as an add-on to new clients.

This is where building either a point system, a discount program or special tiered pricing comes in hand. You would only offer these to certain VIP clients who you know will be booking you for regular events or even as an incentive for them to remember to inquire about your services. Putting together a Loyalty Marketing strategy or a customer loyalty program means you will need to give away something. The payoff for having this can be quite beneficial:

“IT COSTS FIVE TO SEVEN TIMES MORE TO ACQUIRE A NEW CLIENT THAN TO SELL TO A LOYAL CLIENT.” previous groom tells you he is the Best Man in an upcoming wedding and has been tasked with finding the entertainment. He wants to book you for that. This initial client now becomes a steady revenue stream for you because they know what you deliver and are capable of offering.

More Customer Referrals: If you have a great loyalty program, your clients will also tell their friends and family about it. More referrals equal more customers.

Higher Customer Retention: If people find value in your Loyalty Marketing Program, they will likely stick around longer and continue to book you for many other events.

Brand Advocacy: A successful Loyalty Marketing strategy can turn regular clients into brand advocates. This group helps your company get in front of new clients through word-of-mouth, which is a low-cost marketing strategy versus paid advertising.

A company inquires about booking you for their annual summer party. You do it, they loved everything you did, and are very happy with the way it turned out. They then say they want to book you for their annual holiday event.

You do it, they loved it, and now want you to do the event every year going forward as their official DJ.

Loyalty Marketing takes time, but with the right multi-faceted approach, you can promote long-term customer loyalty in less time than you realize. Remember, it might sound obvious, but the single-most important thing you can do for the purpose of Loyalty Marketing is to put your clients first.

Your clients become repeat business because they feel valued and because their needs are being met. If you truly put your client first, you will see retention as a result.

In conclusion, always remember that it costs five to seven times more to acquire a new client than to sell to a loyal client. When your business has a dependable client base, you enjoy an automatic competitive edge over other businesses in your area, you can consistently achieve a greater ROI since you generate more revenue while spending less on marketing and advertising, and you can continuously grow your client base on autopilot since your loyal clients will spread the word to people they know.

Perhaps most importantly of all, a well-planned out Loyalty Marketing strategy is essential if you want to be recession-proof. The economy goes up and down, but trusted brands and businesses can stand strong regardless of the economic climate. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this fact abundantly clear. Make sure your business and services are something that clients can always rely on.

Stay safe and well out there!

As these continuous revenue streams start happening and you get repeat customers, you may want to give an

Joshua Volpe is the owner of Rochester, N.Y.-based Kalifornia Entertainment.

A school reaches out to you and books you for a school dance. You do outstanding work and make them very happy. The students all had a great time and said you were the best DJ they ever had. The school reaches out to you a few months later and says they would like to book you for an upcoming sporting event and pep rally. You do it with the same results and happiness. Move forward a few months and the school wants to book you for their prom.

They have come to know the way you do things, and you deliver the promise of making everyone happy. This has become another steady revenue stream and easy sell for you because every single time there is a new school function, they will reach back out to you to do it.

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WITH NYC’S LONGEST-RUNNING CLUB PARTY, HERBERT HOLLER KEEPS THE CLASSIC BEATS PUMPIN’

STILL STANDING

Big Hustle: Herbert Holler’s Freedom Party has gone nearly 19 years.

BY JIM TREMAYNE New York City – As a late-teen, Kenneth Hyman entered NYU with the hopes of becoming a psychiatrist because, he says, he wanted to make people happy. But after getting exposed to NYC’s rich, mid-’90s club scene, he reconsidered his path and took to the DJ decks.

As Herbert Holler – his new DJ handle – he found a better method to infuse happiness to the masses. He worked smaller parties, handed out flyers for promoters and learned nearly every angle of putting on events that left customers satisfied. His hustle and perseverance set him up for good things to come.

In 2003, The Freedom Party – an egalitarian club event that plays all forms of classic party music – was born. Nearly 19 years and 800 events later, Herbert Holler’s hoedown remains the longest-running club party in New York City.

Currently set up on the regular at downtown Manhattan’s Le Poisson Rouge, The Freedom Party also stretches out to other cities and includes special one-off events like its annual anniversary gig at Central Park’s Summer Stage.

It’s an event that Holler describes as “a downtown dance party that doesn’t have anything to do with your socioeconomic status, your following, your bank account, your outfit, who you know – none of that. Just some dope classic shit with dope classic music for dope classic people.”

From his success with The Freedom Party, of course, Holler’s DJ bookings increased to include a variety of events – from weddings and high-profile corporates to celeb-driven soirees. DJ LIFE recently caught up with Herbert Holler, 45, to find out how he’s still standing in NYC’s ultra-competitive DJ and club landscape.

DJ LIFE: You grew up in Atlantic City where your dad was an entertainment director at Resorts casino – how did that 32

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experience impact you?

Herbert Holler: I can still see Liberace’s big, sparkling jacket from across the room – and Robert Goulet’s weirdly shaped face. And I can hear Tony Orlando’s voice and see women fawning over Tom Jones and, my mom getting frustrated with me for crying and ruining her Engelbert Humperdinck moment. Frankie, Sammy, Julio... I saw them all. And I loved just being in that place.

DJ LIFE: Those were the days…

Holler: This was the early ’80s, a good time for Atlantic City – it comes and goes in cycles – with fur coats, pearl necklaces, big Cadillacs, lots of cigarette smoke, lights, glitz and glamour. It was always so exciting! And for a kid like me, hyperactive, a bit ADD, emotional, outgoing, energetic... it was perfect. There was never a dull moment in Resorts in the ’80s.

DJ LIFE: What music did you love when you were growing up?

Holler: When I was a kid, I loved anything my parents fed me: The Beatles, Beach Boys, Diana Ross, Queen, Styx, Kansas, ELO – loved loved loved ELO – Fleetwood Mac, Meatloaf, Motown and more. Then I started falling for pop radio – Phil Collins, Kenny Loggins, Sugarhill Gang and Michael Jackson.

DJ LIFE: What was the first record you ever bought?

Holler: It wasn’t a record, but a tape – Run-DMC’s Raising Hell. I think others included Eazy E and Digital Underground’s Sex Packets. The very first CD I bought was Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream. Eventually, the first record I bought for my new turntable – the one turntable I had – was The Crusaders’ Street Life.

DJ LIFE: So, what made you want to DJ?

Holler: I knew that I wanted to spend my life making people happy, making them laugh, making them smile. I went to NYU, early-decision pre-med to be a psychiatrist to make this a reality. But after coming to NYC and going out, I knew that I couldn’t spend the next 10 years of my life in a library, stuck in the books, studying, not talking to people, not engaging, not entertaining. I dropped outta pre-med and went for a pretty standard liberal-arts degree.

DJ LIFE: What put you on the DJ path?

Holler: On the side, I worked for Giant Step and other music and party promoters and record labels, handing out flyers – I also did other entry-level marketing things.

All the while, I also started playing the music for my frat’s parties. I guess I was DJing, but it was real rudimentary.

DJ LIFE: What were you playing? What was your set-up?

Holler: We had two CD players, a piece-of-shit mixer and big Cerwin-Vega speakers, and I had the best CD collection – lotsa hip hop and R&B. So, I got the job, just going back and forth between songs for these parties full of ridiculously drunk, horny, and high college kids. Keggers every weekend. It was pretty insane. And then when I graduated, it was either, “move back in with mom to afford graduate school” or “get a job” and stay in the city.

DJ LIFE: Seems like an easy decision…

Holler: Going back to AC and the sleepy seaside town I was from was not an option. AC was like “level one” when I was already on “level 10” of this music shit from spending every night on the underground music scene in NYC. So, I got writing jobs and editing jobs for City Guides, focusing on music and parties.

DJ LIFE: And that kept you attached to a vibrant DJ culture...

Holler: DJs would send me mix CDs, and… I just kept thinking, “I could do that.” And, “Why not try that?” And then, “Why not try and go whole hog with this DJing thing and see what happens?” I had been performing improv comedy at the time, at the UCB Theater, following that path and seeing if that was tenable, but it just wasn’t. Zero money. I’d have to move home. My boys at Turntablelab.com sold me a turntable at cost, and then I secured a second one soon after that – ma dukes lent me the money under the agreement I’d make it back in less than a year and pay her back. I paid her back in a month. My first gig was opening for Evil Dee at Bar XVI for DJ Erika Hamilton’s Tuesday party. Rest was history.

DJ LIFE: Which DJs and clubs influenced you then?

Holler: My biggest DJ influences are Evil Dee, Goldfinger, Cosi and Mark Ronson. The most influential clubs/ parties were Nuyorican Poets Café, Giant Step parties,

FREEDOM PARTY: THE ANTHEMS Says DJ/event promoter Herbert Holler: “These are the tunes where… every time, it’s madness. People go crazy.”

Bell Biv DeVoe: “Poison.” [1990] Soho: “Hot Music.” [1995] Michael Jackson: “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough.” [1979] Puff Daddy feat. Lil’ Kim, The Lox & The Notorious B.I.G.: “All About the Benjamins.” [1997] Pete Rock & CL Smooth: “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.).” [1992] The Tunnel, Vinyl, Bar XVI, Nell’s, New Music Café, Black Diamonds parties, Body & Soul, Chill Factor, and Konkrete Jungle.

DJ LIFE: How did your previous work in the music/event business inform what you do now?

Holler: Those early jobs taught me how to hustle. How to work hard, standing outside in the winter, handing out flyers and talking to folks. They taught me how to engage folks, how to sell shit. They showed me how to corral people into a space, how to entertain them, how they reacted to music and got tickled by whatever DJ was ruling the roost that night.

DJ LIFE: When and where did the first “Freedom Party” take place?

Holler: It was originally called “Summer Boat Boogie.”

That was the first time I did a throwback party with other folks. It happened on a boat docked midtown called the Half Moon – a four-hour classics and old-school dance party in the harbor, going south around the Statue of Liberty. It was sold-out, with people running down the dock after the boat when it pulled off. Huge success. Amazing time.

DJ LIFE: Explain the basic elements of what the “Freedom Party” became and why do you think it’s remained afloat and successful?

Holler: A dope DJ, that’s me, a dancefloor and great sound system – now at Le Poisson Rouge – and really dope people loving it all. It remained afloat and successful mostly because of my work ethic, dedication, commitment and perseverance because I treated it like a full-time job and not some hustle on the side, like most other promoters.

One of my prerequisites for working with people became whether or not they did it full-time, because I always put the people first.

DJ LIFE: Give me an example…

Holler: With door prices – people always tried to charge more, but I always said, “No way!” Also, with song selection, with venue/customer attention... It was always about making people happy, just like I wanted it to be. You have to remove yourself from the equation a lot of the time to really and truly be a great DJ and event producer. Still, there were other people contributing on a much smaller level, and all of those small contributions, from sub promoters and cashiers and email gatherers to bartenders and hosts and the like, definitely helped and definitely had an impact and should be mentioned, whether or not they ran VOL.1 NO.2

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the party.

DJ LIFE: What goes into each party’s preparation, promotion, etc.

Holler: Oy... I don’t even know where to begin – there’s so much. The days/weeks/month leading up to the party is where a vast majority of time is spent working. This time includes production and coordination, advertising, promotion and publicity, social-media marketing, content creation, workflow management, data analysis, new business acquisition, administration, uploading and downloading and engaging and building and sharing and signing and buying and calling and emailing and hiring and firing and always, always doing – even on weekends.

DJ LIFE: It never stops, it seems…

headphones, and the sound quality is strong. For me, it’s all about being mentally free and clear to focus on the dancefloor and my people. I want to get lost in music, so they can, too.

DJ LIFE: How would you describe your DJing style?

Holler: Technically, I’m open-format, playing whatever genre of music I need to in order to keep my dancefloor packed and people smiling. That means playing Top 40 and pop from yesterday through today, be it disco, rock, hip-hop, R&B, EDM, soul, funk, soca, reggae, reggaeton, moombahton, house... whatever.

DJ LIFE: What kind of DJ impresses you?

Holler: DJs that remove themselves from the equation.

If I’m on your dancefloor, I want you to drive me crazy.

Give me what I need. Give me my medicine. If you can do

Holler: All of these things, cumulatively, take countless hours, easily as much as a 9-to-5, if you want your party to be successful, and consistent, with some days lasting 12 hours, even. But if all of these hours are spent, if all of these things are executed, and the work is completed, doors can open and the Freedom Party as you know it —that fun, happy four hours or so, the tip of this big iceberg we call parties – can exist.

DJ LIFE: What advantages do you get from Le Poisson Rouge, your current location?

Holler: LPR is truly extraordinary. They are honest, straight-forward and understanding. The owners are classically trained musicians, and the bookies and managers are true music fans that’ve been in the business forever. The sound system is proper. The drink prices are always at the lower end of the spectrum. It’s like one big family when you’re there, and that is a huge indication of a venue being the right place for a regularly scheduled dance party. They also want you to succeed; it never feels like promoter vs. venue.

DJ LIFE: It’s also in downtown Manhattan.

Holler: Right, these kinds of places don’t exist anymore in downtown Manhattan…. places where you can do different shit that doesn’t cater to trends, that doesn’t serve just wealthier, more privileged white folks or funded 20-somethings, places where you can go against the grain... these places just do not exist.

DJ LIFE: What is your typical DJ gear setup?

Holler: Pioneer CDJs, Pioneer DJM mixer, Mac laptop, V-Moda headphones. Pioneer DJ is top-notch and I’m most comfortable with it. Mac is the gold standard for digital DJ programs – I use Serato DJ Pro. V-Moda headphones will last you three times as long as any other DJ

that, I am in your debt. And from a business standpoint, if, in addition to this, you have your shit together, are professional, punctual and a pleasure to work with, that’s quite impressive. A lot of DJs are some of the shittiest, most stuck people in the world. Manchildren.

DJ LIFE: You’ve done all kinds of parties, including “yacht-rock”-themed gigs. Why do you think that genre continues to thrive?

Holler: Because the music is so dope. It’s some of the smoothest pop music ever produced, with tons of jazz and R&B influence, and it was all crafted by some of the greatest studio musicians, producers and writers in the history of music. And the vibe is so... “I’m in control, this is my life, and my life is good, lemme get a drink and smoke and put my feet up and toast to my life.” And because the envisioned lifestyle that goes along with it is quite seductive.

But truth be told, you don’t have to own or even be on a yacht to be yacht rock.

DJ LIFE: What keeps you DJing?

Holler: The absolute joy and pleasure I get from making people happy. The music itself – when presented in just the right way at just the right time to an incredibly appreciative crowd, you love the music even more. You enunciate its soul and make it a better song, somehow – even songs you don’t necessarily like. Play them for a crowd that loves them, and you’re like, “Oh, OK… this is it!” And I’d be lying if I didn’t say the money keeps me DJing as well. I need that shit. Gotta feed the seeds!

DJ LIFE: What advice would you give to a young DJ? Holler: Meditate... because things often take time. And it’s those downtimes, the in-between times, the “my-calendar’s-not-so-poppin’” times that you’ll really be tested. Be still. Be comfortable with that stillness.

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I'LL SEE

YOU

LIAN AMBER, BASSBOSS CEO

@

djxshow.com

CHRIS COX GRAMMY NOMINATED DJ

CIRCUIT GROUNDS: THE MESMERIZED THRONGS.

AMAZING: PYRO LIGHTS UP THE SKY.

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Spectacular !

Orlando, Fla. – As summer season became fall, the festivals just kept coming, especially in spots where the sun kept shining – like Central Florida.

So, for Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC Orlando) this past Nov. 12-14, the fans poured into Tinker Field to take in more than 150 DJs playing over six stages.

Featuring a slew of main-stage acts, the Insomniac-produced event included crowd pleasers like Tiësto, Kaskade and Zedd, plus an impressive list of genre giants, like Nicole Moudaber, Patrick Topping, NGHTMRE, Excision, Markus Schulz, Jauz, Armin van Buuren and Tchami. The festival also included several pleasing B2B sets, plus a surprise John Summit B3B Green Velvet B3B Dom Dolla performance.

As this was an Insomniac event, the spotlight was also on the attendees (“The headliner is YOU!”), so there were plenty of fan-friendly rides, pyro shows, and art installations to enjoy, as the half-dozen stages banged the beats.

It all looked like this:

OVER SIX STAGES, MORE THAN 150 DJS ROCKED EDC ORLANDO

Images by Insomniac

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B2B: NOSTALGIX & WENZDAY POSING.

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RAVING: A DANCER LIGHTS UP.

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HANDS UP: DAYTIME MAYHEM AT EDC.

CLOUD NINE: KYGO BEFORE A SEA OF FANS.

STAY THE NIGHT: A BEAMING ZEDD.

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SUN CAPTURED: AC SLATER IN THE OPEN.

TRIPLE PLAY: FANS ENJOYING THE RIDE.

BLUNTS & BLONDES: ROCKING THE CIRCUIT GROUNDS.

SHAQ ATTACK: THE BIG MAN BODY SURFS.

STUDIO SESSION

By Erik V. Miller

KRK KNS-8402

SOLID STUDIO CANS When DJ/producers are seeking studio headphones, they have many options in the market today, many different features and tunings that innovate on the traditional studio headphone.

And now, KRK Systems, perhaps best known for its range of studio-monitor speakers, has delivered a pair of new headphone products for your studio applications – the KNS-8402 and the KNS-6402.

The KNS-8402 (reviewed here) is an around-the-ear and closed-back headphone that begs to replace your current studio headphones with KRK’s clean and direct take on the product. So, let’s take a dive into this and see what it can do.

First Impressions: Upon receiving the box, I would say that the packaging lines up across the board with other products from KRK, a Gibson Pro Audio brand. KRK’s iconic yellow color scheme is evident, to go with its distinctive logo – those stand out to make you know from afar that this is a familiar brand dedicated to great studio sound. Brand recognition,

KNS-8402: Quality sound, great isolation & accurate replication.

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always a good thing for any company to have.

The headphone set itself is allblack, and initially didn’t feel to be so sturdy – they’re very plastic and somewhat clunky to move/adjust.

The headband separates on the top when adjusting to fit your head and leaves an opening, so be careful not to get your hair pulled a bit. When I look at similarly built headphones, they extend from the inside out to avoid that issue, so I think that would have been a better way to go about this for KRK here.

The ear cups swivel and, though they have screws holding the cups in at the base of the headphones here, I was careful not to push their stability.

One thing I really enjoy are the breakaway cables that are included with the product. Why? Because they are easily replaceable if something happens, like a short or some other kind of issue.

The ¼-inch inch jack is a fitted one, and those are my favorite kind because they are a lot easier to maintain when you must unscrew them for removal – so kudos to KRK for including that useful feature.

The acoustic memory foam on the ear cups are extremely comfortable and I could see someone tracking/mixing with these for hours without issue because of that comfort coming from the ear cups here. Thumbs up here, again.

Lastly, I have to say that, for many reasons, I am not a fan of the volume-control slider and the process of connecting it to the headphones. The volume slider on the headphones is great for someone to control how loud their monitoring is in the studio and not need to ask the engineer to up the volume. They work, but the way it is built here reminds me of oldfashioned Skullcandy headphones, a consumer product.

The process of connecting the cable to the headphones is a doozy, but I got through it. It includes a bright yellow tag on the

cable to tell you how to connect it because it is a difficult job to do. For a bit when I received the product, I thought I may have had something malfunctioning, but after playing with the cable, I was able to get it working correctly. So, after some nitpicks and kudos, let’s dig into the features and the core of what these headphones can do.

Features: Swinging in at 124 dB SPL maximum, these headphones do give you the sound you would need to put down some vocals or do some sparse mixing when needed.

Starting with the acoustic memory foam ear cups, KRK did a fantastic job, as I said earlier. The ear cups really create a seal when on your ears and keep as much sound in, without bleeding out and causing issues when recording. I pushed the two cups together and that also created a seal that left no sound to be heard. I will say that is quite impressive, and I wish more studio or regular headphones had that kind of attention to detail.

When considering sound quality, there is a lot to look at. Most KRK products are known to have a big bass response, but I will say that these cans are a lot more balanced than the KRK studio monitors that I am used to hearing. I can’t say the highs are very crisp – they kind of sit in there a bit and could use a little boost. But, as a whole, everything is a good mix all around. I think these headphones are made to be good for tracking and for vocalists to hear everything they need.

It’s a pleasant listening experience as well, so they could be useful for casual listening, but with the 8.2-foot-long cable, these are meant to be used in a studio and probably not so much for the athome experience. I spoke earlier about the volume-control slider and I will say that it is a great idea and has been implemented by many companies who make headphones for years, but I’ve never found the way it’s been done to be useful for everyday listening. In this scenario, I do see its worth and how that could be useful in the studio.

“AS A WHOLE, EVERYTHING IS A GOOD MIX ALL AROUND.”

One feature that is different would be that, not only the cables, but the ear cups and the head cushions are replaceable. If you cause wear and tear to the leather there, you can order replacements from KRK. That is great and I wish my older headphones I use would do that.

These headphones are full of features, new and old, and bring some great things to the studio headphone market, while being consistent in overall quality with KRK’s array of great products.

Conclusion: Overall, the KRK KNS-8402 Studio Headphones ($179 MSRP) deliver what they say they do, and that is to bring quality sound with great isolation and accurate replication. These would be a great addition to any studio that needs a pair of cans for an artist to use for recording and other tasks during studio sessions.

In the home studio, these would be great for artists that do not have the opportunity to use monitors and need something to mix their music. They may not be 100-percent balanced, but they are a good start for something in that practice. These KRK headphones work well and, if you’re in the market for something like this, then you should really give these a shot.

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PLAYBACK Imaginando VS: Adds visual component to DAW-based tracks.

Visual Synthesizer:

IMAGINANDO

VS

By Wesley Bryant-King

While music might be an audible medium, for decades, performers and venues alike have sought to turn music into an audio-visual experience.

Traditionally, of course, that’s achieved primarily through lighting and lighting effects. From simple solutions like lighting heads that respond to audio through an on-board mic to DMX to automated systems for DJs like SoundSwitch, no doubt lighting is key. But over the years, video has played a central role, as well, in creating a more immersive, more engaging experience for the public.

Since 2014, Portugal’s Imaginando has been creating some forward-thinking music software for both the studio and DJ markets, including the acclaimed DRC Polyphonic Synthesizer plug-in, to apps that turn a tablet into either a DJ or DAW controller. The company’s most recent introduction is VS – Visual Synthesizer. Calling it a “visual synth” is probably apt, in a way, but it belies what I think it really is: a music visualization system that outputs its results to video, providing creative and visually interesting, musicsynced video content in real-time.

So, who’s it for? Well, VS would be equally at home whether adding a dynamic video component to a conventional DJ set or forming a visual video centerpiece for a performing DJ, playing their own music from a DAW.

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How It’s Built Imaginando’s description of VS as a synthesizer is in fact accurate in one sense; you feed it either MIDI data or audio, and it uses those inputs as modulators to drive up to eight layers of visual presentation. There’s also a background layer which accepts a static background image, a video, or simply a solid color (which defaults to black).

The visuals themselves are synthesized in real-time from what Imaginando calls materials, and 50 of them are included with the product. Some of the materials consume large portions of the screen, while others are smaller and more focused. The materials range from large patterns to laser-like, amorphous shapes. Because they’re layered together, hundreds of combinations are possible – and, as you’d expect, you can control the stacking order.

Beyond these choices, you can also adjust the color of the materials, and set blending modes in the same way you do in applications like Photoshop, providing a wide array of options in how the layers visually interact with one another.

Once the layers are configured as desired, VS provides several controls that affect how the layers behave, and what they’re reacting to from the MIDI or audio source material. It’s here, too, where VS does indeed seem like a synth in and of itself, as there are four low-frequency oscillators, simplified envelopes, and audio modulators.

The LFOs can shape the visuals based on the oscillation patterns built into the software, while the envelopes do so

based on triggers. With the audio modulators, the visuals are controlled by the audio source itself, with either a gate (level) mode which can control based on amplitude, or a spectrum mode that controls based on frequency, using simple four-band segmentation.

The behavior of the LFO, envelope and amplitude shaping is controlled by what Imaginando calls the modulation matrix. It maps these parameters individually to the hue, saturation, brightness, and alpha (transparency) of the materials you have a loaded in a layer; the speed, X position, Y position and zoom level of the visual; and the depth, spacing, glow, and rotation of the visual. You dial in just how much impact (if any) from each combination, using the spreadsheet-like matrix. The matrix also provides keyboard and velocity to be mapped from a MIDI source, which adds in some interesting possibilities for live control using a MIDI keyboard (or other controller).

How It Works As I mentioned in the intro, it seems to me that VS could be used in a couple of different use cases.

The first is the one for which the product has arguably been designed: Integrating it with a digital audio workstation (DAW) application such as Ableton Live, Pro Tools, or Logic Pro. Doing so adds a visual component to musical compositions and allows another whole layer of customization and creativity to the music-production process.

Once in place and wired into the various tracks of the composition as desired, it’s the perfect companion to a live show for the performing DJ, or any musician that uses DAW-based production. Because VS can be very finely controlled and tied to specific MIDI and/or audio tracks in the DAW, the possibilities become quite compelling, primarily because the behavior of VS has very fine-grained alignment with specific musical elements within the composition, based on how you set it up.

The second is perhaps more of a stretch for VS: Creating a video adjunct to a conventional DJ set. In this scenario, VS can still create some interesting visuals, but absent the ability to tie those visuals to MIDI data and/ or specific tracks within a composition, the possibilities are much more limited, and arguably less creative since the product is responding and reacting to a single stereo audio track. Using the product’s spectral controls is about the only method available in this case to connect the visuals directly to what’s happening in the music, so while the result is very clearly reacting to the song, it can also become a bit monotonous.

It also requires source material that is varied in its spectral content, since the visuals will respond to that. The use of pass filters in your performance can help make that happen, and you can always cycle through saved presets to mix things up visually. So, while the end result for this use case might be limited, used alongside other video effects in a DJ’s or VJ’s bag of tricks, it can indeed add some variety to the mix.

Putting It Together For producers, DAW integration is quite simple; VS is provided in VST format for Windows and Mac, as well as AU for Mac users. Simply drop the plug-in into a track, set up the MIDI and/or audio routings as needed and start playing. Imaginando doesn’t provide many tutorials, but even just looking at the approach they took in (for example) the Ableton Live tutorial, most users should be able to adapt the methodology to their DAW of choice.

For DJ/VJ use, you’ll need to go to some extra effort to insert a working VS solution into your mix. One method: Use the iOS app with an iPhone or iPad. Ideally, you’ll need to set up a simple audio interface that’s compatible with your device to pipe audio into the app in a highfidelity manner (i.e., rather than use your device’s microphone).

You could also conceivably have a laptop running a DAW next to your DJ set-up to accomplish the same result.

And with the available ways to beat-syncing DAWs like Ableton Live to a DJ set performed with other software, you could, in theory, even add some MIDI-based, beatsynced content to the DAW to enliven the output of VS. In Closing Best suited to adding a visual component to DAWbased musical compositions, Imaginando’s VS Visual Synthesizer is a unique, capable, flexible, and appealing solution. While I found grasping the general principles and configuring the effects to be a bit tough to wrap my head around at first, once I played with VS a bit, I found it’s straight-forward to operate.

Making the most of the visual results, of course, requires a fair amount of thought and time to do, and do well — not unlikely making music itself does. And while setting up a DJ/VJ solution with the product may involve some extra effort and compromises with the visual result, it could well make an interesting addition to your video bag of tracks.

The desktop version of VS is free to demo, and costs €99 (the company is based in Portugal, hence the pricing in euros), or €9.90 per month for 12 months through a “rentto-own” model. The iOS app is priced at $19.99 in the Apple US App Store. Both versions come with a range of presets that enable to quickly dive in with some beautiful configurations.

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MOBILE DJ PROFILE

and two of them were in the bridal party.

DJ LIFE: What hurt you the most during the lockdown?

Bartosik: What really hurt during COVID were schools. We were focusing so much on school dances that, when COVID hit, we lost a big chunk of our revenue, as it was right before prom season. This continued through the fall when some school boards even canceled homecoming dances. Most of our schools are hopeful for next year and we always try to work with them the best we can. Some even had other events for us to be a part of, which were a lot of fun and really help to bring more normalcy back.

Priorities: Post-tragedy, ' Another major change is just staying in touch with other DJs in Chris D’Amico balances work & family. and around the area. They have always been our biggest supporters and we try to help each other out as much as possible.

We all know we can run the one-man show, but having others DJ Raptor: Chris Bartosik. to bounce ideas off and brainstorm can do so much more. It was good to hear how many others adapted and took to online events and some even took to social media.

DJ LIFE: For Raptor Productions, what’s the elevator pitch?

Bartosik: For homecomings, we turn their school into a nightclub for one night, making it the place they all want to be. We have DJs that mix and have a continuous flow of music while reading the crowd. We also aren’t limited to just social celebrations, as we can provide AV solutions and do rentals of much gear around our area.

DJ LIFE: Sounds good…

By Stu Kearns Bartosik: I really don’t have much of an elevator pitch these Westminster, Md. – Chris Bartosik, owner of Rapdays, as I really want to understand what each prospective tor Productions, is one of those DJs on the mobile client is looking for – we try to make each event unique to the circuit who has seen it all.

He began as a college-radio DJ at the University client and there have been a few that we just couldn’t do or I expressed that we weren’t a good fit. At the end of the day, of Alabama in the 1980s and transitioned to mowe want to be a part of events where those in attendance will bile/event work in the early 1990s. In recent years, enjoy music and appreciate our talents. I also like to qualify “DJ Raptor” has been heavily involved in industry each client before we move forward, as there are only so association work and, like many mobiles, had to many dates available in each year. I’ve learned that we don’t survive the effects of the pandemic.

We caught up with the northern Maryland-based need to book every event.

DJ LIFE: Let’s talk about TikTok – how do you use it and how Bartosik to hear his story and explain how he persehas it changed the way you program music at gigs? vered through tough times.

Bartosik: We touched on this back in March of 2020 and DJ LIFE: You’ve been in the business for a while I even stated how the platform’s videos were only about a – what are the biggest changes you’ve seen and minute long or less. This has really helped in the aspect that the how have they impacted your business? attention span for a song has become shorter. This really allows Chris Bartosik: Where to even begin? Over the for us to quick mix, and play more songs per hour. I remember past year, many of us have found ways to do our years ago when you would mix out of a song after a chobusiness online or do more outdoor events. We’ve rus that some guests would get upset. But not these days. Of moved most homecomings outside, even took course, we all would let a banger ride a little longer, but there part in many graduations and other events that is just so much music out there and we love playing as much as would normally be inside. We went from covering possible. a small ballroom to having to fill a football field or DJ LIFE: What else? many other large outdoor areas. Also, last-minute Bartosik: Another good thing that has happened, so many changes and bookings have become expected. older songs getting new life and becoming popular once We even had a lineup change this past weekend, as 10 guests were not able to attend the wedding, again. We really noticed this over the past homecoming season. It used to be that everyone would want mostly newer songs, or those that were popular on YouTube. Now with TikTok, many DJs are doing mash-ups… who did it first? And even where did that sample come from? On top of all the influencers doing short dances to many older songs. Know it’s just a matter of understanding which songs are more “family” songs and

Maryland DJ

REBOUNDS from Lockdown

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which ones will make the younger ones go wild, but that’s always been the job of the DJ. DJ LIFE: You’re a founding member of the United States Disc Jockey Association – what was the original hope for the organization, and has it lived up to those hopes?

Bartosik: Originally, the concept was to expand nationally on what we were doing at the local level with BADJA [Baltimore Area Disc Jockey Association’s educational seminars and business development content].

Having a minimum standard for DJs, peer-reviewed applicants, and local networking were all part of the concept. As more DJs starting working together across the country – rather than working against each other – we saw the quality of DJs increase, which helped meet our goal of seeing average contracts prices grow. In our sixth year, there is still much to do, and hope our best is yet to come. Jason Walsh, President of the USDJA, has always believed DJs should work together improving their craft, as we have so much to share. I first met him when I first joined BADJA many years ago and he helped with much of my early marketing.

DJ LIFE: Are you a solo operator or multisystem DJ? Bartosik: I would have to say a little of both.

Years ago, I met one of my really good friends, Justin Icenroad of Crossing the Line Entertainment, and at that time he was just getting into doing mobile events. He asked a lot of really good questions and has really been knowledgeable on gear, and we just hit it off.

At that time, we started working together on events and it worked out well. This was when I really found the benefit of working with another DJ and having a team. With so much going on behind the scenes of a wedding, before the dancing, it just made it work. We were also able to mix before and during dinner, which just added to the celebratory atmosphere.

He’s also introduced me to many great people, not just other DJs that have worked for both our companies. Jumping to a complete multi-op is a really big fear of mine, as it’s the brand and name that you have to trust to someone. I do book other DJs from time to time, but I’m very selective when I’m doing it.

I’ve seen too many in my area have to push the panic button because they double- or triple-booked a date and didn’t secure a DJ or a DJ has canceled on them for something else.

DJ LIFE: What audio gear do you carry?

Bartosik: I have RCF HDL 6-A speakers, QSC’s entire K Series, QSC KW181 subwoofers, QSC KW153 3-way speakers, and Electro-Voice

Evolve50 speakers. I have Pioneer DJ DDJ“I really 1000SRT and a Denon MC7000 controllers for want to Serato. I have Shure mics, a Behringer X32 Rack digital mixer, and a QSC TouchMix-8 undercompact digital mixer.

DJ LIFE: Lighting and accessories? stand Bartosik: Lots of Chauvet lights and effects – Intimidator Beam 140, Intimidator 375Z, Wash what each FX 2, Freedom Par Hex-4, Gig Bar IRC, EZpin, plus the Hurricane Haze 4D hazer and the prospecNimbus dry-ice machine. I have Dragon Frontboards, VBM TE-074 Lifters, a ADJ Entour Ice tive client fog machine, multiple TVs and projectors and 200-inch screens. is looking Chris & Crew: The “DJ Alive” combo.

DJ LIFE: How has the recovery been for the for – we try business post-lockdown?

Bartosik: It’s definitely been interesting. With to make so much rescheduling, the biggest fear was losing an event due to the date change – each luckily, they all worked out. As I mentioned about our school dances, that’s been the event hardest part to recover. Many schools were not able to have a homecoming at all, even unique.”

outside… so we had to put many on hold.

Some are hoping to do something in February or March, which was are hoping for. We did notice that many other DJs just haven’t recovered or have closed-up shop. We have gotten a lot more last-minute inquiries, and on the positive many are booking way in advance. Trying to buy new gear is almost impossible these days due to so much being backordered. We did finish strong for the end of 2021 and really want to see how things pan out after the holidays. The one exception are holiday parties – there just aren’t as many this year as there were in the past, which is to be expected.

DJ LIFE: Do you think about how long you’d like to continue DJing? Is there an exit strategy?

Bartosik: I would love to continue as long as I enjoy it. Since I’ve already started bringing in other DJs, I would hope to continue on that path and be connected as long as possible. Years ago, I started putting money away for retirement and I continue to do monthly.

I would love to do this forever, but I know at some point I’m just not going to be able to.

Many older DJs I’ve met along the way are still doing their thing, but among their peers. I have a couple of friends that are still doing events in many senior-living facilities. Of course, their gear is much smaller and potable and they really don’t need all the “fancy DJ toys,” just some good music. Until then I’m going to surround myself with great, supportive DJs, as we all continue to travel down our paths.

DJ BUSINESS

Customer Feedback — The Key to

SUCCESS

By Joshua Volpe

The mobile-DJ industry is a service-based industry.

We offer all types of entertainment services to give our clients the best day of their lives. There are measurements and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that tell you how well you’re doing in the industry and whether or not your business is truly successful.

Customer satisfaction is an essential ingredient for business success. If your clients are unhappy with what you offer, then that will equate to negative reviews, smaller bookings, and low revenue. For any business, small or large, every customer is an asset, without which companies would have no business at all.

Data has shown that in a service-based industry, for every complaint you receive, there are approximately 26 other people who are unhappy with your company… but choose to say nothing. Those are the clients you will most likely lose if you don’t take proper action to change things for the better.

Besides just losing clients and revenue, low customer satisfaction levels can also harm your brand’s image – especially if certain customer complaints go viral online. But how do you know how happy your clients are? Luckily, there are strategies you can employ and implement that help you make the changes and improvements your customer base is actually asking for – all to offer them a better experience and a more pleasant customer journey.

Google Reviews, popular wedding planning websites with review features, Facebook reviews, booking websites, and even sending out a one-to-one post-event survey to see how you well you did are all examples of essential customer feedback to help you maintain a good level of customer service and experience.

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“YOU SHOULD POLL AND SURVEY YOUR CUSTOMERS, OR SEND THEM LINKS TO LEAVE YOU REVIEWS, AFTER EVERY SINGLE EVENT YOU DO.” your business interacts and treats them. That perception has the potential to influence the way future clients feel about your business and how likely they are to do business with you and talk positively about your business. And most importantly, data so far has shown that clients who enjoy a great customer experience are seven to nine times more likely to recommend your brand to others.

Consistent good customer experience assures greater return on investment. Consistency is the key here.

You cannot assume that being nice to your customers on the first few days of them hiring you means they will stay loyal to your brand forever. If you want more, you have to give more.

You should poll and survey your customers, or send them links to leave you reviews, after every single event you do. Knowing how your customers feel about you and what you offered them is the difference between being a bad, mediocre or great company.

Feedback like this can help you measure performance and guide you to offer better services to future clients.

Enhanced customer experience means a competitive advantage. Customer experience is the marketing tool that can offer a sustainable competitive edge to place you above anyone else in your geographic area, and without a doubt, be a very strong differentiator.

So, remember friends: offer an excellent customer experience, survey your clients, review the experience measurements, in order to provide better services to maintain a strong brand and offer a competitive edge. Until next time, stay safe and have a great 2022!

Joshua Volpe is the owner of Kalifornia Entertainment in Rochester, N.Y.

djxshow.com

GEAR

ALL-IN-ONE Pioneer DJ, an AlphaTheta Corporation brand, has released the XDJ-RX3 all-in-one DJ system. The 2-channel unit features an advanced 10.1-inch touch screen and inherits the flexibility and practicality of its predecessor, while including new features from the CDJ-3000 multi-player and the DJM-900NXS2 mixer. Other key features include: touchscreen with new interface; Release FX mode, which can instantly change the energy of the DJ’s mix; color on jog display gives DJ’s a visual grasp of track info; more Beat FX and Color FX; and USB Hardware Unlock, which allows DJs to use rekordbox Performance mode for free. Support for Serato DJ Pro is included and will be available in early 2022.

Pioneer DJ Americas 2050 W 190th St #109 Torrance, CA 90504 (424) 488-0480 www.pioneerdj.com

TO THE AIR ColorKey, distributed by Mixware, has introduced the Air Series, a vibrant ecosystem of easy-touse, battery-powered, wireless DMX lighting fixtures and wireless DMX hub for the ultimate wire-free lighting experience. All Air Series fixtures include a 2.4GHz transceiver, which allows your light to communicate and your events to be seen without wires and cables. They also feature long-lasting

Lithium-Ion batteries that can run for up to 20 hours on a single color, or up to six hours running all colors.

Air Series fixtures include AirPar Hex 4 uplight, AirBar Hex 6 uplight, AirPar COB QUAD uplight, and AirPad QUAD centerpiece.

Mixware, LLC 11070 Fleetwood St, Unit F Sun Valley, CA 91352 (818) 578-4030 www.mixware.net

THE NUGE! NUGEN Audio has released the Focus Elements plug-in bundle, which offers a collective of audio tools ideally suited for small/home studios. Powered by NUGEN technology, these budget-friendly, streamlined versions of the brand’s popular Focus bundle plug-ins include Stereoizer, Stereoplacer and Monofilter. Stereoizer Elements provides instant stereo enhancement with the assurance of mono compatibility and no artifacts. Stereoplacer is ideal for restoration projects, as it allows users to fix poor recordings, reposition complex audio and reconstruct the stereo image from a mono source. Monofilter is a bass-management solution that enables users to sharpen, define and align the bass into a tight, transparent mix.

NUGEN Audio Airdale House Business Centre Burley, Leeds LS4 2EW UK 44 113 357 2250 www.nugenaudio.com 48

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GEAR

DATA-DRIVEN DJS Thank You DJ is a software that aims to empower DJs with datadriven event analytics. Perfect for mobile jocks, the software provides DJs the tools to give their guests a personalized experience.

The easy-to-use experience features a dashboard for DJs to manage events, analytics (most-requested songs/artists, etc.), and guest tips/ payments, as well as a guest web experience to search and request songs directly from their mobile devices at or before an event. Thank You DJ offers two membership levels – Free (capped at 10 events) and Premium (all features).

Thank You DJ www.thankyoudj.com

POWERED SERIES JBL Professional, a Harman Brand, has released its EON700 Series of active, portable loudspeaker and subwoofer systems with Bluetooth. With four models available, including the 10-inch EON710, the 12-inch EON712 and the 15-inch EON715 powered PA speakers and the 18-inch EON718S subwoofer, EON700 systems work for mobile entertainers, small venues, and sound providers.

STUDIO CANS Sennheiser has launched a new pair of professional headphones for mixing, editing and mastering – the HD 400 PRO studio reference headphones. To ease long sessions, the HD 400 PRO features a comfortable and lightweight openback design fitted with soft velour ear pads. The unit includes both coiled and straight detachable cables, allowing the headphones to adapt to different use preferences. The cans feature a wide frequency response of 6 to 38,000 Hz to give music producers the full account of their mix.

Sennheiser 1 Enterprise Dr. Old Lyme, CT 06371 (860) 434-9190 www.sennheiser.com

For the series, JBL uses the latest acoustic science, transducer designs, cabinet materials and advanced DSP and control technologies in a fully professional, highly flexible, easy-to-use, portable system.

Harman Professional 8500 Balboa Blvd Northridge, CA 91329 (818) 894-8850 www.jblpro.com

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GEAR GET FRAMED Germany’s Glorious, makers of furniture for DJs, producers and vinyl lovers, has released its stylish Vinyl Frame Set, which lets your most beautiful records take center-stage in an appropriate frame. With its sturdy plastic construction with glass covers, these sets of 12-inch-record frames will spice up your office, studio or home. Sold in threeframe sets, the frames are easy-to-mount, available with wide-frame borders in black, white and rosewood versions, and captivating due its simple, but stylish looks.

Global Distribution GmbH & Co. KG Schuckerstrasse 28 48153 Münster, Germany 49 251 609930 www.Glorious.de

FROSTED BARS The new Frost FX BARS from Eliminator Lighting feature two LED effects combined into a single linear fixture. Set to get

the party started in bars, clubs and entertainment centers, as well as road gigs for mobile DJs and event companies, the bars come in two models – the Frost FX BAR W (white) and the Frost BAR RGBW (color mixing). Each Frost FX BAR measures 1 meter in length and packs in 14 3-watt LEDs spaced equally across the front of the fixture. When illuminated, these LEDs cause the whole front fascia of the fixture to glow. The combination of these effects allows both tight beam projections and eye-candy color chases to be generated.

ADJ Products 6122 S Eastern Ave Commerce, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.adj.com

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THRASHED! Mackie has released the Thrash series of active loudspeakers. Both units in the series – the 12-inch Thrash212 and the 15-inch Thrash215 – offer 1,300 watts of power with flexible XLR/TRS combo inputs and durable construction. Other features include: high-performance woofers; titanium compression drivers; standard pole mount, four handles for easy loading; dual-angle monitor wedge; rotatable grille badge; and thermal limiter.

Mackie 16220 Wood-Red Road NE Woodinville, WA 98072 (425) 892-6500 www.mackie.com

GEAR

PRODUCTION APP Moog Music has introduced Animoog Z, a new production and performance app for iOS & macOS. This new synth invites creators to explore new concepts of multi-dimensional sound design and music production. An evolution of the award-winning iOS

MUSIC DISCOVERY ZIPDJ has launched ZIPDJ PRO, an entirely rebuilt version of the subscription-based, musicdiscovery platform that’s been around for nearly 15 years. ZIPDJ PRO offers major core updates with new features, improved application speed/stability, and a new look to enhance up the v3 update of 2020. New features include: a software overhaul, bringing a new music-discovery experience; advanced search and filtering for easier and faster discovery; Favorite & Follows, which provides valuable feedback for record labels; Playlists, which allows DJs to organize music into lists; and Advanced Mobile Optimization.

ZIPDJ www.zipdj.com

SOCIALS ANALYTICS FOR DJS Viberate, the data-specialization platform founded by world-renowned techno DJ/producer UMEK, has announced the latest addition: a comprehensive social-media analytics tool for DJ/artists and their teams. DJs and music pros of all sorts can work with up-to-date information via the Viberate platform, where all the important Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, and Facebook metrics, such as audience demographics, fanbase growth through time, and top-performing posts are rounded up and neatly visualized in a single tool.

Viberate 30 Broadwick St. London W1F 9JB UK www.viberate.com

app, Animoog, the new app expands on the original app, but makes the experience more streamlined, intuitive, and powerful by adding new innovative features to the sound engine and visuals. It features a three-dimensional space for the sound path, built-in timbre-editor and recorder, increased polyphony, modulation, and much more.

Moog Music 160 Broadway St. Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 251-0090 www.moogmusic.com

“THE REMIXES 2021” EP Angelique Kidjo Island With this trio of remixes, Afropop becomes Afrohouse. The “Uncle Disco Club Mix” carries the originally bright and snappy “Wombo Lombo” into a tasty, bumpin’, 122-BPM floor-groover. Meanwhile, the hooky favorite “Agolo” gets two treatments. The speedy “MAEZTRO Remix” showcases a big kick-drum and regulation EDM breakdowns, while the “Blanka Mazimela Remix” works the groove to more satisfaction and delivers some hypnotizing vocal loops.

– Jim Tremayne

“ALL MY FRIENDS” EP Disfreq Trick Great for tech-house sets, this whimsically looped-up EP from the Irish duo features two big faves: the title track and “EMS,” for their penetrating kicks and catchy hooks. Buzzy and bumpin’, this EP will rock your dancefloor.

– Emily Makarewicz

“PLANET SESSION REMIX” EP Patrick Topping Trick Three techno remixes here, including Reinier Zonneveld’s storming take on “Planet Session” and Deborah De Luca’s tasty rerub of “Quick to the Mothership,” but the fave here is Rebūke’s powerful interpretation of “Lift Off.” The Irish talent elevates the pump and the pace of the original track with its driving and incessant kick, perfectly complemented by precisely distorted vocals and a biting synth line.

– Nick Debban 52

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Patrick Topping

Andrew Rayel

Disfreq

“DIN DAA DAA” (REMIX) Adomni & DJ Jack T House Royalty Records With their new twist on a classic tune, the New Jersey DJ/producers deliver their “Zoom Dub Remix,” which will move you with its tasty synth work and unrelenting, percolating rhythms.

Choice.

– Tommy D Funk

Angelique Kidjo

TRACKS

“CLOSER” Andrew Rayel & Takis (feat. Zagata) Armada Music Rayel and Takis combine their considerable production skills on this delicate, seductive house track. Starting with a smooth groove, “Closer” is both sensual and sensitive with its rhythmic guitar matching up with Zagata’s soulful vocals. Sure to set the mood for any intimate setting or club.

– Emily Makarewicz

“BE AWARE” Josh Wink & Truncate Ovum Recordings Ominous and brain-tickling, this dark, hypnotic techno track winds up, grinds down and slings you through a blizzard of bewildering imagery. A foreboding voice intones, “Be comfortable with yourself,” then asks: “Is it real? Or is it imagined?”

More than perfect for 3 a.m. or later, as you might imagine.

– Jim Tremayne

“MIDNIGHT MEMORIES” (REMIXES) Miguel Migs Soulfuric Deep On this two-track ER, Migs’ mid-tempo groovers get the remix treatment. Go right to Jimpster’s “Extended Remix,” which finds the British deep-house talent taking the tune into deeper, funkier territory with choppy vocals and broken beats – a massive track. But don’t forget Migs’ “Extended Moody Touch Rework,” which delivers plenty of pumpin’ grooves.

– Tommy D Funk

“LABYRINTH” Kolonie Coldharbour Recordings Hypnotic synths swirl to a driving kick on this uplifting trance track. A great mood creator for any club or festival, this rhythmic piece will take you on a journey.

– Emily Makarewicz

Kolonie

deadmau5

Miguel Migs

“MIDNIGHT MEMORIES” (REMIXES) Mark Picchiotti Pres. Jersey Street Big Love Five Nu-Disco remixes here of the garage-house favorite. All maintain the upbeat, soulful grooves of the original, but the choice here is the “Qwestlife Extended Remix,” with its tasty bassdriven breakdown. And don’t sleep on the stellar “Dr Packer Remix,” which takes you right back to the polyester era.

– Tommy D Funk

Josh Wink

TRACKS

“HYPERLANDIA” deadmau5 (feat. Foster The People) mau5trap Recordings Dreamy, atmospheric, and colorful, this one combines everything we love about the collaborating artists.

Giving us a dose of masterful synths, melodic snippets, and driving, percussive beats, deadmau5’s production lays the groundwork for Mark Foster’s laid-back vocal journey. A treat for the senses.

– Emily Makarewicz

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NOW! Listen the DJ Life National Dance/Crossover Chart on SPOTIFY! LISTEN NOW!

Compiled As December 30, 2021

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

C LU B P L AY C H A R T

NATIONAL CROSSOVER POOL CHART

NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL CHART

1 Acrae F/ Cherish Do It To It 2 Elton John & Dua Lipa Cold Heart 3 Adele Easy On Me 4 Shouse Love Tonight 5 Swedish House Mafia The Weeknd Moth To A Flame 6 Tiesto & Ava Max The Motto 7 Neiked X Mae Muller X Polo G Better Days 8 Enrique Iglesias F/ Farruko Me Pase 9 Pitbull F/ Anthony Watts I Feel Good 10 BBNO$ & Rich Brian Edamame 11 Becky Hill F/ Topic My Heart Goes (La Di Da) 12 Ed Sheeran Shivers 13 Whitney Houston X Clean Bandit How Will I Know 14 Allegra If You Wanna Love Me 15 Harper Starling No More What If 16 Lil’ Nas X & Jack Harlow Industry Baby 17 Jennifer Lopez F/ Rauw Alejandro Cambia El Paso 18 Mary Wilson Red Hot 19 Farruko Pepas 20 Doja Cat Need To Know 21 Chloe Have Mercy 22 Reba Mcentire The Night The Lights 23 Anabel Englund Midnight Rapture 24 Lil Nas X That’s What I Want 25 Doja Cat & The Weeknd You Right 26 Swedish House Mafia Lifetime F/ Ty Dola 27 Justin Bieber Ghost 28 Maneskin Beggin’ 29 Post Malone X The Weeknd One Right Now 30 R!D! Top Guy 31 Bradley Gentx X E. Kupper Words Are War 32 Coldplay X Bts My Universe 33 Kim Petras Future Starts Now 34 Joel Corry & Mabel I Wish 35 Charlie XCX Good Ones 36 Jam & Lewis X Mariah Carey Somewhat Loved 37 Meduza F/ Hozier Tell It To My Heart 38 Anthony Sprunk Life Goes On 39 Regard X Kwabs Signals 40 J. Corry / Jax Jones / Charlie XCX Out Out

1 Daddy Yankee El Pony El Cartel/Universal 2 Valentina LYNFO Reversed Tornado 3 La Fuga Te Digo Adios (Bye Bye Ciao) Slammin’ 4 Karol G Bichota UMLE 5 Alex Bueno En Esta Navidad JN 6 Eix x Chimbala x Kiko El Crazy Desacatao Duars Ent. 7 Domenic Marte Toma Mi Mano Direct Balance 8 Natti & Becky G Ram Pam Pam Pina Music 9 Sergio Vargas Es Merengue Algun Problema JN 10 Elvis Martinez Y Prince Royce Veterana Joch Ent 11 Rauw Alejandro Dile a El Sony 12 Maluma Rumba Sony 13 El Jefferey A Mi Manera Volanta 14 Mambo Flow Millonario JN 15 Alsikiatra Hablador Alsikiatra 16 Tito Puente Jr 20 Años Doral Music 17 Anuel AA Dictadura Real Hasta La Muerte 18 Marc Anthony Pa’lla Voy Sony 19 Chrissy I-eece Se Acabo (Remix) Chu-bano Ent. 20 Jessi Campo Lagrimas Negras Javi Prod.

Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Jonas Brothers Telykast F/ Sam Gray Joel Corry & Mabel Hrvy Bibi Vassy & Vinny Vibe Allegra Acraze Ft Cherish Walker Hayes Georgie Porgie

n

Thrive Interscope Columbia One Love Republic Atlantic Capitol Sony Mr. 305 furthur Interscope Atlantic RCA Radikal Stargroomer Columbia Sony Universal Orchard RCA Columbia Universal Ultra Columbia RCA Republic Def Jam Arista Republic Pro Tunes Ltd Dubtrap Parlophone Amigo / Republic Atlantic Mad decent BMG Universal Sprunk Music Ministry Of Sound Asylum

Who’s In Your Head Unbreakable I Wish 1 Day 2 Nights The Weekend Don’t Wanna Be Right If You Wanna Love Me Do It To It Fancy Like Life Goes On

Republic Casablanca Atlantic Virgin 88 Rising Overdrive Radikal Thrive Monument Records Iamhouse-Mpg

Gary Canavo

Masspool

Saugus,MA

n

Blake Eckelbarger

Dj Stickyboots

Syndicated

n

The Dance Environment

Powered By Spectrio

Los Angeles, CA

n

Manny Esparza

Nexus Radio

Chicago,IL

n

Howard HK Kessler

In The Mix With HK

Minneapolis,MN

n

Peter K. Productions

Peter K

Syndicated

n

Randy Schlager

KNHC 89.5FM/Powermix

Seattle, WA

n

Alan Chasen

OMAP

Washington, DC

n

Miss Joy

TAO Group

Las Vegas, NV

REPORTERS

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Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5

Jennifer L. feat Raw Alejandro Farruko Sebastian Yatra Luisito Ayala y Puertorican Power Choco Orta

Cambia El Paso (Remix) Pepas (Remixes) Tacones Rojos La Pata Suelta La Voz Del Pueblo

Sony Sony Universal JN CO Prod.

REPORTING LATIN POOLS n n n n n n

Latinos Unidos Record Pool Salsamania Latin Record Pool Lobo/Bass Record Pool North East Record Pool Mixx Hitts Record Pool Ritmo Camacho Record Pool

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Ritmo Internacional Record pool DJ Latinos Record Pool MassPool Record Pool Latino Latin Beat Chicago Record Pool All In Music Pool

ATTENTION DJ LIFE READERS: DJ Life is currently looking for DJs that are interested in reporting to the DJ National Dance/Crossover chart and the DJ Times National Urban Dance chart. Reporterships are open to Record Pools and individual DJs. For more information contact: Dan Miller, dmiller@hazanmediagroup.com