DJ LIFE MAG, Vol.4 No.6 Purple Disco Machine

Year-End DJ Poll

Top Tracks, Big Moments

Amsterdam Dance Event Scenes & Sounds

AES Report

Studio-Centric Debuts

Plus: WhoMadeWho

DJ Anarchy

Ableton’s Move

NI’s Traktor Pro 4

Worlds Away Fest

FINDING PARADISE

ADE ’24: GEAR, GLOBAL DJS & PACKED PARTIES

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Aptly dubbed “the world’s largest and most-infuential club-based festival and conference for electronic music,” the Amsterdam Dance Event didn’t disappoint with its 29th edition. Delivering a jam-packed slate of club/festival parties, music-industry panels/keynotes, sponsored activations, and pro-gear exhibitions, ADE brought thousands of DJ/artists, industry pros, and fans alike to The Netherlands.

Held this past Oct. 16-20 at a variety of venues all over Holland’s largest city, ADE ’24 hosted more than 3,000 DJ/artists at over 1,000 events and welcomed over 500,000 global visitors, according to organizers.

Additionally, ADE Pro Conference at the Felix Meritis Centre presented sessions that discussed issues like the future of indie labels and A.I. in performance and keynotes that featured notables like Martin Garrix, Laurent Garnier, Kölsch, Amelie Lens and Charlotte de Witte. At the ADE Lab Program, a variety of brands – including Allen & Heath, Ableton, and Bjooks – exhibited their wares and presented sponsored seminars. As usual, DJ LIFE was there to take it all in – here are some highlights from Amsterdam Dance Event 2024:

Club Nights: At The Other Side nightclub, the venue presented Full Cycle, a music series which included thoroughly immersive techno sets on Oct. 17 from Stimming and Christian Löffer through a scintillating spatialized L-Acoustics sound system.

At Melkweg Upstairs on Oct. 16, the Coldharbour Records night included intimate trance sets from the label’s artists, including Daxson, Johan Gielen, Matt Fax and Tim Clark.

Back at Melkweg’s main room on Oct. 17, Dave Clarke Presents featured the “Baron of Techno Himself” for the 19th consecutive year. Clarke delivered a smashing 90-minute performance and the evening also saw impressive sets from Miss Kittin, Len Faki and Paula Temple. Meanwhile, on Melkweg’s other side, Markus Schulz’s 7th annual Open To Close event saw him spinning a six-hour-plus trance set that lit up a room full of late-night actionseekers.

Activations & Pop-Ups: On Oct. 17 at art’otel, Alpha Theta’s networking mixer featured “30 Years of Pioneer DJ’s CDJ,” an exclusive exhibition that included every model ever released. At Cruise Control Studios, ADAM Audio demonstrated its range of studio products, including new D3V compact nearfeld monitors and H200 headphones.

At the W Hotel on Oct. 16-17, Partiful presented Mau P and HUGEL on consecutive nights for exclusive (and steamy) hotelsuite parties. On Oct. 16, the Rush Hour Records shop presented a set from Louie Vega. On Oct. 18, the Zwart Goud record shop presented a performance from Nina Kraviz.

Keynotes: At “fabric25 x Laurent Garnier” on Oct. 16, the legendary French DJ/artist discussed putting together his new four-

CD/vinyl-mix project for the London club brand, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In doing so, he dropped dollops of club-DJ wisdom in a dance-music world dominated by festivals.

“Residents are very vital for a club,” said Garnier, 58, who famously held a residency at Paris’ Rex club. “I’m a club person, a club DJ. Club is my DNA. The youngest generation may not be full of clubbers, but my generation is all clubbers. I still like to know that there are a couple of places each weekend where you can hear great music, see your friends, and hear a proper sound system. Festivals are great and they serve a purpose, but we need more intimacy.

“As a DJ, when you play a long set at smaller club with that intimacy, you can really bring people together. It’s just easier. Maybe it’s not my job to teach [the music]; my job really is to suggest. But either way, I will tell a story with my music.”

On Oct. 18, in another notable talk, DJ/artist Patrick Mason left a De Brakke Grond auditorium inspired with his story. The 34-year-old multi-talent explained, sometimes in emotional terms, how a bullied, mixed-race, gay youth in Bavaria conquered the music, art and fashion scenes in Berlin years later. As he told the tale, much of his triumphs came from the power of music, plus the lure of nightclubs like Berlin’s legendary Berghain.

“There’s this famous saying in Germany, which goes: ‘Du bist verrückt mein kind, du musst nach Berlin,’ and that basically means: ‘You are crazy, my child, so you have to go to Berlin’ and fnd yourself,” said Mason. “So, I moved to Berlin and started going to Berghain, dancing, watching and absorbing that club culture, learning the history of this music – and remember… cool, queer kids who were marginalized built this from the ground up. That was empowering. Berlin gave me the wings I always had, but didn’t dare to open.

“As I moved into DJing, I found that the DJ’s role is to be a selector. The vibe you create is most important – if you can connect to a crowd on a deep emotional level. And I dance and pose when I play. My poses are me imitating Prince, Michael Jackson or Grace Jones as a little kid. I dance behind the decks because I’m a raver and I’m voguing. I see that energy transfers, so I’ll play to someone who’s not dancing until they start to move and begin to dance like no one is watching.”

The Cube: ADE’s ubiquitous logo.

Parties Aplenty: A scene from The Loft.

Keynoter:

Patrick Mason inspired attendees. Gear: Allen & Heath DJs at ADE Lab.

IN THIS ISSUE

The 157th Audio Engineering Society Show Brought Studio-Centric Debuts to NYC’s Javits Center

By Jim Tremayne

Dance Event Brought Beats, Networking & Education to The Netherlands

By Jim Tremayne

WELCOME TO THE MACHINE

As mentioned in our cover story, we met Tino Piontek – aka Purple Disco Machine – about seven years ago during Amsterdam Dance Event. At the time of the interview, I was worried about being late to the pre-arranged 30-minute convo, but once I arrived, I was met with a fairly serene Piontek, who seemed eager to catch me up with the details of his suddenly burgeoning career and the workings of his just-released debut album.

Fast-forward seven years, and he’s become one of dance-music’s biggest DJ/artists with a recently released third album, Paradise, plus a Grammy award in tow. Life is good for Piontek, and we think you’ll enjoy our talk with the maker of exquisite retro favors, Purple Disco Machine.

Speaking of Amsterdam Dance Event, we return from The Netherlands with our report and images from the show, which ran this past Oct. 16-20. With loads of showcases, pop-ups, seminars and networking opportunities, ADE was dazzling as ever. Our News report runs on Pg. 3, while our ADE photo spread begins on Pg. 20. In another feature, we also report from the Javits Center, right here in New York City, with gear-debut details on the Audio Engineering Society’s 157th show. Plenty of studio-related products made their debuts for music-making DJs and more.

This being the last issue of 2024, we bring you our year-end poll of music and moments from 100 DJs of all stripes – club, mobile, radio, studio, etc. The annual feature isn’t always the easiest thing to put together, so we’d like to thank those DJs (and publicists) who responded and helped us along the way. Click through the list and, if you fnd a tune you missed, check it out – you’ll be surprised what you might fnd.

In our Sound Bites, our Mark Mancino connected with the eclectic Danish trio WhoMadeWho. As they fnished their eighth album, Kiss & Forget, WMW’s Tomas Høffding expounded on the recording process and the group’s upcoming tour, which promises to be quite an experience. Also, we connected with the versatile DJ Anarchy (aka Alinton Brereton), who seems to have the Houston market on lockdown. Not only is he playing in a variety of clubs and high-end events, he also spins at NRG Stadium for the Texans’ NFL games. If that’s not enough, he also has his “Tropical Takeover” show on SiriusXM, where he fexes his Caribbean musical roots.

In Festival Spotlight, we bring you images from the inaugural Worlds Away festival in Monterey, Calif. Held on the Monterey County Fairgrounds – home of 1967’s iconic Monterey Pop Festival – the event included top EDM talents like Tiësto, The Chainsmokers, R3HAB, and Sam Feldt, plus immersive experiences for attendees.

On the review front, Denver-based scribe Wesley King was busy this month. In Playback, he puts Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4 software through its paces. Additionally, in Studio Session, he takes on Move, Ableton’s latest unique piece of hardware.

In the Mobile world, our Jordan St. Jacques offers some useful info in Business Line: For DJs’ websites, he details two major changes in the WordPress web content management system and offers a 2025 reboot for WordPress themes for DJs. In Mobile Profle, we feature Philly’s Chuck Zerambo, an award-winning Army vet who runs Sir Charles Distinctive Entertainment & DJ Services, while also working for the Department of the Defense. He’s all about service and community – and assisting veterans is at the top of his list.

This month, we also announce the dates for DJX ’25. Set for Aug. 11-14 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., DJX ’25 will mark a big anniversary for the show – 35 years. The theme for next year’s show will be “Come Together,” and we hope to see you all on The Boardwalk next summer. For the latest on DJX ’25, please visit www.djxshow.com

Cheers,

Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ LIFE

editor-in-chief

Jim Tremayne jtremayne@hazanmediagroup.com

editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@@hazanmediagroup.com

web editor and social media manager Mark Mancino mmancino@@hazanmediagroup.com

contributors

Wesley King, Chris Caruso, Amanda Chavez, Shawn Christopher, Paul Dailey, Reed Dailey, Chris Davis, DJ Deets, Tony Fernandez, Tommy D Funk, Lexi Ferguson. Greg Hollmann, Danielle Johnson, Erik Miller, Lily Moayeri, Jordan St Jacques, Jeff Stiles, Ashley Teffer, Danny Turner, Phil Turnipseed, Joshua Volpe, Travis Wackerly, Curtis Zack

chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@hazanmediagroup.com

director of sales Josh Kerman jkerman@hazanmediagroup.com

creative director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@hazanmediagroup.com

director of technologies and project management Steve Thorakos sthorakos@hazanmediagroup.com

Chairperson & COO/Co-Publisher Robin Hazan rhazan@hazanmediagroup.com

President & CEO/Co-Publisher Shawn Hazan shazan@hazanmediagroup.com

visit our website: www.djlifemag.com 516.767.2505

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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.

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| VOL.4 NO.6

DJX ’25: DATES SET, SHOW TO MARK 35 YEARS

Atlantic City, N.J. – Mark your calendars – the dates for DJX ’25 are here.

DJX – the largest, longest-running, and most-impactful gathering of DJs in the Americas, the premier event that has shaped the industry for over three decades – is set for August 11-14, 2025, returning to Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino . Presented by DJ LIFE magazine and Hazan Media Group, it promises to be the most exciting DJX experience to date.

This year, DJX celebrates a monumental milestone – its 35th Anniversary , an occasion that will refect on the groundbreaking legacy that has brought the DJ community together, while also embracing the future. Accordingly, the theme for DJX ‘25 , aptly titled “COME TOGETHER,” embodies this spirit, blending the past, present, and future into a single, visionary event. As the longest-running gathering in the market, DJX continues to be the pulse of the industry, connecting professionals, enthusiasts, and innovators from every corner of the globe.

At DJX ’25 , attendees can expect a robust lineup on the show foor, Session Two of THE EDIT, Sunset Sessions new Master Classes , Season 3 of the nXt Summer Camp, educational sessions, gear showcases, and immersive activations that set

the stage for the future.

This year’s event will also feature special 35th Anniversary tributes , paying homage to the luminaries who helped shape DJ culture, while spotlighting the trends and technology that will defne the next era.

“ COME TOGETHER represents both a celebration of our history and a new look toward the next generation of DJs and music creators,” says Jim Tremayne , Editor of DJ LIFE and a show organizer. “From vinyl to digital, from the pioneers of the past to the gamechangers of tomorrow, DJX has always been a place where the industry meets, learns, and grows.”

“DJX has always been more than just an event – it’s a movement that helps the industry evolve,” says Shawn Hazan , President/CEO of Hazan Media Group. “The 35th anniversary marks a pivotal moment to celebrate our heritage, but also to push the boundaries for the future of DJing. This is the year of bringing the industry together as a solid, cohesive foundation that will allow us all to come together and create our future path.”

For the very latest on DJX ’25, please visit www.djxshow.

DJ ANARCHY: TROPICAL & MORE

If you’re in Houston hitting the clubs, partying at a high-end private event or attending a football game at NRG Stadium with the hometown NFL Texans, there’s a good chance you’ll be hearing jams spun by DJ Anarchy.

Born and raised in the music-rich Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, Anarchy – aka Alinton Brereton, 36 – has made himself a fxture in the Houston market, playing a variety genres – Caribbean-infuenced and otherwise. But, as his brand has become synonymous with the island favors like dancehall, soca, reggaeton, etc., he’s also become known nationwide for his show, “Tropical Takeover,” which runs on SiriusXM Channel 13 – Pitbull’s Globalization – every Sunday night at 10 p.m. Central Time. We caught up with the versatile jock, who’s also recently made headway into the artist world with the release of a new collab single, “Let Me See It.”

DJ LIFE: Where did you grow up and how did music enter your life?

Anarchy: I come from humble beginnings in the countryside of Trinidad and Tobago. Music’s just in my DNA – my dad and uncles were all musicians in local bands, so that rhythm fows naturally through my veins. Watching them rehearse in those band rooms, that’s really where it all started for me.

DJ LIFE: What was the music and DJ scene like in Trinidad when you were coming up? Did you have any inspirations?

Anarchy: I came up in the early 2000s, but was heavily infuenced by the 1990s, which were the golden era, straight up. We had this incredible mix of dancehall, reggae, and soca just fooding the streets. I was soaking up everything from our local heroes like Ishmael “The Demolition Man” and Tweez to name a few, while also getting inspired by those American mixtapes from legends like DJ Clue.

DJ LIFE: How’d you get started DJing? Do you remember your frst DJ system?

Anarchy: My frst “turntables” were actually my mother’s pot covers! I’d post up in front of the radio, using those pot covers to mimic the scratches and mixes I heard from local selectors. But the real gamechanger came around age 10 when my father was managing a sound system. That frst time touching real turntables, feeling those vinyl records – man, that was it for me. I played around with different software after that, but my frst real setup was a pair of Pioneer DJ CDJ-800s and a Gemini mixer. That’s when things got serious.

DJ LIFE: What were the gigs like when you were young? What kinds of venues and events were you

A Trio: Anarchy’s Current Faves Gunna: “Him All Along.” Fisher: “Losing It.” [“It’s still my all-time favorite.”] Lojay, Sarz & Chris Brown: “Monalisa.”

playing?

Anarchy: Pure vibes, man! I DJed at block parties, beach parties, and local bars. The Caribbean party scene back then was something else – no phones, no distractions, just pure energy on the dancefoor from start to fnish. We’d keep it going until sunrise – or until the bar ran out of drinks [laughs]. Those were special times.

DJ LIFE: What kinds of remixes and mixtapes were you putting together?

Anarchy: I was heavy into making remixes and blends tapes, mainly focusing on Caribbean sounds – dancehall, reggae, soca – but with my own twist. I loved experimenting, maybe taking a Caribbean vocalist and laying them over American beats, or fipping it the other way around. I would also occasionally get my homies who were reputable local Trini artists to host my tapes, plus featuring my own remixes from heavy hitters like Vybz Kartel, Mavado, etc.

DJ LIFE: How did they help raise your profle?

Anarchy: Those tapes really put me on the map. I’d be out there in the streets hustling, handing physical copies of CDs to taxi drivers, leaving them at barbershops, anywhere people would listen. Then the online music sites started picking them up, and my following began to grow on MySpace, Hi-5, and other social media back then. That’s when things really started taking off.

DJ LIFE: As you were growing up, your father became known as a producer. I’d imagine that was quite an infuence, right?

Anarchy: My dad, Anthony Brereton, is an incredible character. He sang and entered various calypso and soca competitions while he was a police offcer. After he retired from the force, he built this home studio that became like a hub for local talent. That’s where I really started getting my hands dirty, working with and recording all these amazing Trinidadian artists. It was like my personal music university.

DJ LIFE: Which artists did he work with? What did you learn from being around that experience?

Anarchy: He worked with so many Trinidadian talents, like Orlando Octave and Kerry John, just to name a

few. Being in that environment from a young age, I picked up the whole art of putting songs together – from songwriting to musical arrangement. On the technical side, I learned production skills like recording and mixing vocals. That early exposure really developed my ear for talent and great music.

DJ LIFE: How many events do you personally spin each year? Which ones are your favorites and why?

Anarchy: I play over 250 events per year. It’s tough to pick favorites because every type of event is unique and teaches me something new. But if I had to choose, I’d say opening up and performing for global artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Gunna at their sold-out Houston shows. The energy from those crowds is just unmatched.

DJ LIFE: What goes into your SiriusXM radio show? How do you put it together?

Anarchy: My show is “Tropical Takeover,” and the name’s got two meanings – I’m showcasing talented Caribbean artists to the world, plus I’m this “tropical” dude taking over mainstream airwaves [laughs]. But we’re not just playing Caribbean music –it’s all about feel-good sounds from all around the globe like Afrobeats, Amapiano, etc. I’m interviewing established global artists and up-andcomers, using Zoom for the interviews, Serato for the mixes, and Logic Pro 10 for the fnal master. It can get timeconsuming with all the editing, but I love every minute.

DJ LIFE: American sporting events have become DJ-driven forms of entertainment. What are your responsibilities when you play a Houston Texans game?

Anarchy: I’m on the decks inside NRG Stadium two hours before kickoff, during halftime, plus my pre-made three-hour mixes play all around the outside of NRG stadium, while 70,000plus people are coming in. It’s about keeping that energy high – when our fans are in party mode, that translates to bigger support for the team during the game.

DJ LIFE: What makes spinning at an NFL game different or challenging for a DJ?

Anarchy: Everything has to be clean, edited and family-friendly, and

because our Texans fans are so diverse, you’ve got to stay versatile. You can’t stick to one genre too long. The toughest part? Those early-morning starts after late-night gigs – sometimes with just one hour of sleep. But once I’m set up and the fans start turning up, that fatigue just disappears, and it’s party time.

DJ LIFE: Currently, what DJ-gear setup do you usually use?

Anarchy: At home, I’m running Pioneer DJ PLX-1000 turntables with a Pioneer DJ DJM-S7 mixer. For mobile gigs, I use the Pioneer SRT-1000 controller – it’s lightweight and way easier to transport than turntables.

DJ LIFE: When you’re playing highend events for corporates or celebs, what do your clients want from you? How do you deliver?

Anarchy: Professionalism is key – being punctual, making sure the equipment and sound are perfect, dressing right for the occasion. Some events have specifc themes where I need to tailor the playlist. I usually prep a week ahead just to make sure everything’s dialed in and the event is memorable.

DJ LIFE: Tell me about your artist career and the new single, “Let Me See It.” How did that get recorded?

Anarchy: I was inspired by DJ Khaled’s path and wanted to connect deeper with fans through original productions. “Let Me See It” started with my boy, Cliassy FP, another Trinidadian in Houston. We brought in Pee Supreme and Platinum-selling recording artist DJ Chose to add their favor. We spent about three or four months in the studio perfecting it. It’s this fun, “sexy drill” track about turning up in the offce [laughs].

DJ LIFE: What kind of material do you expect to release in the future?

Anarchy: Looking ahead, I’m planning to drop music across every genre – hip hop, pop, EDM, Caribbean music, including dancehall, soca, reggae, plus reggaeton, Afrobeats, everything. That comes from growing up in such a diverse environment. I dream one day of winning a Grammy, and to also return home to Trinidad & Tobago to help talented youth break into the mainstream market worldwide.

– Jim Tremayne

WHOMADEWHO: THE MOMENT IS NOW

WhoMadeWho made its debut on the dance-music circuit in 2004, and since then, it’s been a whirlwind for the genre-defying Danish trio.

Though WhoMadeWho’s Tomas Høffding, Tomas Barfod, and Jeppe Kjellberg are all talents with diverse musical backgrounds, they have solidifed themselves as electronic-music mainstays with eight full-length albums, a slew of singles and remixes, plus a memorable set of immersive live shows.

Additionally, their songs have been remixed by some of the most prestigious and talented artists in the scene, including Tale Of Us, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Black Coffee, Hot Chip, Seth Troxler, Maceo Plex, DJ Tennis, BLOND:ISH, and DJ Koze.

As the guys prepared for the release of their latest album, Kiss & Forget, we had a chance to delve deeper into the LP and fnd out exactly what the project means to them. While they’ve been riding the wave as part of their 20-year journey, The Moment is now – that is, their record label and accompanying music festival, aptly titled “The Moment.”

DJ LIFE caught up with WhoMadeWho group member Tomas Høffding to cover past, present, and future for the trio.

DJ LIFE: How did the group come together?

Tomas Høffding : We came from three different corners of music. Jeppe was rooted in jazz, Barfod was deep into techno, and I came from a rock background. At the time, we each had our own careers going, but one Monday night in Copenhagen, we all got together for the frst time. I don’t think any of us expected much, but something just clicked. We jammed for three hours, sent out a demo to three labels, and, surprisingly, got signed almost immediately.

DJ LIFE: Where did the name come from?

Høffding : We needed one quickly after we got signed. Barfod rummaged through his shelves and pulled out an old AC/DC

thought, “Yeah,

It’s catchy, a little mysterious, and has a nice nod to rock history.” Plus, we were in such a rush, there wasn’t much time for second-guessing.

DJ LIFE: In what ways did your musical backgrounds and roots in music lead you to the creation of the group?

Høffding : The magic of WhoMadeWho is that we cover such a wide spectrum of music between the three of us. Jeppe’s jazz background brings this experimental edge, Barfod’s techno expertise provides the rhythmic foundation, and my rock infuence adds the melodic layers. What makes it special is how these infuences spark something in each of us. Instead of clashing, we complement each other. And because we’re each kind of “experts” in our own felds, we don’t argue much about the basics – there’s this mutual respect. When one of us brings an idea, it’s less about debating it and more about being surprised and saying, “Wow, that’s cool.”

DJ LIFE: Why dance music and who were some of your earliest inspirations in the genre?

Høffding : Dance music found us, rather than the other way around. We weren’t aiming to be a dance band; we were just experimenting with sounds that made people want to move. It felt instinctive. In terms of inspiration, Daft Punk was massive for us early on. They managed to bring both emotion and creativ-

WhoMadeWho: (L-R) Barfod, Kjellberg & Høffding.

album called Who Made Who. We

that works!

Polina Vinogradova

Scenography: WMW’s live shows are epic.

ity into dance music. LCD Soundsystem was also a huge infuence, with their raw, punky energy mixed with electronic beats. And, of course, as a rock guy, I’ve always loved bands like Talking Heads, who blurred the lines between genres in a way that felt free.

DJ LIFE: At what point did you discover a signature sound or style?

Høffding : When we started, the WhoMadeWho sound kind of came out fully formed. It was raw, dirty, and fun. It was that mix of punk energy with dancefoor beats, and people responded to it immediately. Over the years, though, our sound has evolved. I’m not sure we even have a single “signature sound” anymore. Of course, the core –guitar, drums, bass, and our voices – is still there. But we’ve grown softer, I think. These days, it’s more about creating deep emotional moments and a feeling of togetherness. We care less about being “cool” or “edgy” and more about making music that moves people, both physically and emotionally.

DJ LIFE: What came frst for you, DJing or producing? What did your early DJ setup consist of early on vs. today?

Høffding : Producing came frst for us. We were musicians before anything else, so DJing was something we picked up along the way. Early on, our DJ setup was hilariously basic – just a laptop and a couple of cheap controllers. Now, we’ve got a much more refned setup, with drum machines, synths, and all kinds of cool gear. But honestly, it’s not about how fancy the equipment is – it’s about the vibe you create. Whether you’re using a laptop or a full modular synth setup, the goal is the same: to connect with people.

DJ LIFE: How would you describe your sound? And what sets you apart from other similar artists?

Høffding : Our sound is trippy and full of love. It’s rooted in techno, but with strong infuences from classic rock— bands like Pink Floyd and Cream have defnitely left their mark on us. What sets us apart is the emotional depth of our music. We’re not just about beats and drops; we want to tell stories and create a sense of connection. It’s music you can dance to, but it’s also music you can feel deeply.

DJ LIFE: Tell us about your DAW…

Høffding : We all use Logic for production, but I also rely on Ableton Live for our live shows. For me, 90-percent of studio time is spent singing into my old Neumann microphone, running through a Universal Audio setup. It’s simple but effective. And then there’s my Prophet-6 synth, which I use way too much. Seriously, it’s in everything. It’s become

kind of a running joke.

DJ LIFE: What’s a typical day in the studio like for the group? Do you have any routines or rituals?

Høffding : We’re surprisingly 9-to-5 about studio time—no rockstar hours here. For me, a lot of the day is spent listening to tracks, running to the mic to record an idea I think is genius, and then realizing it’s not. I also like to take walks outside the studio. I’ll hum melodies or ideas into my phone – it’s amazing how inspiration strikes when you’re moving. We each have our own studios in the same building, so most of the time we work solo. But we also pop into each other’s rooms to bounce ideas around. It’s a mix of independence and collaboration that works really well for us.

DJ LIFE: Your ninth studio album, Kiss & Forget, was released this past September. How long did the LP take to create from start to fnish?

Høffding : The process for this album was chaotic, as always. It took about a year, but some of the songs had been in the works for years. We like to revisit old ideas and give them new life, so there’s always a mix of fresh inspiration and long-term tinkering.

DJ LIFE: In comparison to your previous albums, did this take the same amount of time to create, or was the process shorter or longer than usual?

Høffding : I think we’ve gotten better at not wasting time on dead-end tracks. So, in some ways, this album was easier to make. That said, every album has its own challenges. But I’m optimistic about the future – I think we’re becoming more effcient and focused with every project.

DJ LIFE: At this stage in your musical career, how did the creative process differ while creating this album, compared to your previous LPs?

Høffding : The biggest change is how much we collaborate with other artists now. After 20 years, we know each other’s tricks, so bringing in fresh perspectives is really exciting. It keeps things feeling new. We’ve also learned to avoid wasting time on ideas that aren’t going anywhere.

DJ LIFE: Kiss & Forget features collabs with the likes of Kölsch, RY X, Adriatique, Blue Hawaii, and more. How did these come together?

Høffding : Collaboration has become such a central part of how we create now. After two decades of making music together, we know our sound inside out, so bringing in fresh voices and ideas keeps things exciting. Kölsch, RY X, Adriatique – these are artists we deeply respect, and they all bring something completely unique to the table. The process is different with each collaborator. Sometimes it’s as simple as exchanging ideas online, and other times we’ll get into the studio together and let the vibe lead us. With someone like RY X, it’s about creating a delicate emotional space, while with Kölsch, it’s more about chasing that big, euphoric moment. Collaboration is a bit like dating – you learn to adapt and connect in the moment.

DJ LIFE: You’ll be taking the album on tour in ’25. What can you share with us about those shows?

Høffding : We are very excited about bringing the live show out in ’25. The aim is to hit the bigger cities at spectacular venues. With all the efforts in creating the scenography with the awesome sphere created by [architecture group] BIG, the unique visuals deserve to be presented to the world in spectacular surroundings. So that is exactly what we aim for around the world now.

– Mark Mancino

PARADISE

With a Plethora of Retro-Flavored Club & Radio Hits, Plus a Grammy In Tow, Purple Disco Machine Scales New Heights

By Jim Tremayne

We frst interviewed Tino Piontek during Amsterdam Dance Event in late 2017. For the German DJ/producer known as Purple Disco Machine, it was a newfound ascension point in a hard-won musical career that began in 2009. Little did we know at the time just how much higher his profle would rise.

During our ADE convo, you could tell that Piontek was quietly simmering with ex -

Live Photos by @zweikommanull

“I still believe that the album is still the best way for artists to really express themselves – a body of work, not just a compilation of records.”

citement. After a succession of well-received, retro-vibed club hits, like 2013’s “ My House ” (with James Silk) and 2015’s “ L.O.V.E. ” (with Boris Dlugosch), plus his transcendent 2014 remix of Hercules & Love Affair’s “ Do You Feel the Same ,” he was on a roll with his well-studied, impeccably executed nu-disco sound. And he’d just released Soulmatic , his debut album, which saw its stellar singles, “ Devil in Me ” (feat. Joe Killington and Duane Harden) and “ Body Funk,” make waves in clubland and beyond. He was on the verge of breaking out big. Fast forward seven years, and Piontek’s career has skyrocketed, as he’s become one of the globe’s top hitmaking DJ/producers. Another hit-flled album – 2021’s Exotica – helped put him there with singles like “Fireworks” (with Moss Kena & The Knocks), “Dopamine ” (feat. Eyelar), “ Hynotized” and “In the Dark” (both with Sophie & The Giants). And club-friendly tracks like “Playbox” kept the

nu-disco purists plenty happy. His higher-profle gigs and remix work picked up as well. In addition to playing the globe’s top venues and festivals, he took on mixes for major artists that included Dua Lipa (2019’s “ Don’t Start Now”), Calvin Harris (2019’s “Giant ”), Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande (2020’s “Rain on Me ”), and Elton John & Britney Spears (2022’s “Hold Me Closer ”). That run culminated with a 2023 Grammy Award in the “Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical” category for his work on Lizzo’s sassy mega-hit “About Damn Time.”

This past year has seen Piontek’s rise continue with his third album, Paradise , an even brighter, more popleaning effort that he describes as “a throwback to the golden age of disco.” On the wings of top collab singles like “ Substitution” (with Kungs feat. Julian Perretta), “Beat of Your Heart” (with Ásdís ), “Honey Boy” (with Benjamin Ingrosso feat. Nile Rodgers & Shenseea) and “All My Life” (with The Magician), Piontek did his frst-ever live tour with a full band, vocalists, and dancers. And just recently, he released the 18-track, ultra-dancefoor-friendly Club Paradise , which includes the bumpin’ single “Get Up 24.”

It’s safe to say that the 44-year-old, Dresden-based talent is in an even better place, career-wise, than he was when we connected seven years ago in Amsterdam. For example, at press time, he’s the No. 2 Beatport artist of all-time. But back then, among other things, we discussed his rise through the ranks of European clubland. And more

revealingly, we talked about his musical infuences while growing up in East Germany behind the Iron Curtain and how his father would travel through Eastern Bloc nations and return with rock and funk records that were impossible to fnd in his hometown. From that interview, it was clear that Piontek had a hunger for success with a true vision of what his artistry would entail.

From our recent interview, it’s clear that, success aside, Piontek’s mostly the same guy. Down-to-earth as ever, but, quite obviously, he’s still completely dedicated to his retro-fueled sound and certainly enjoying his newfound accomplishments. He’s in a great place. It all went like this:

DJ LIFE: You recently returned from a run of shows in Europe that were very different from what you usually do – can you explain what went into this recent tour?

Tino Piontek: On the “Paradise Tour,” I performed with live musicians, vocalists and dancers. The live show was a completely new production – actually, it was like nothing I’ve ever done before as a DJ. My songs are combined in mash-ups – new songs are included, old songs are included – in new variations.

DJ LIFE: Any immediate tour highlights you can report?

Piontek: The whole tour was a highlight of my career, to be honest. I’ve never experienced touring with such a big group of talented people. I believe it has changed me as a person to spend such an intense and joyful time with so many wonderful characters. I’ll never forget it or them!

DJ LIFE: So, at this point in your career, how do you balance your studio life, your touring life, and your family life?

Piontek: By saying, “No,” to things! Seriously, it is something I have to think about a lot. I love my career in music, but I also love my family life. The balance between the different aspects is so important for health and happiness.

DJ LIFE: And in your studio life, how do you balance your original tunes, collabs and remixes?

Piontek: The last two years has really been about originals and collaborations for the Paradise album. I’ve done very few remixes recently. However, now that the album is released, I will be returning to remixing a bit more I think. The artistic process is different for each.

DJ LIFE: When it comes to remixes, you’ve gotten some great big pop hits to work with – how do you decide on which songs to take on? What are you trying to accomplish with your Purple Disco Machine remixes?

Piontek: It is always a privilege and an honor to remix great records, and I’m fortunate to do so with so many iconic artists. I think that for some reason I’m connected to keeping the original song intact, while adding that dancefoor favor, which is why I keep getting asked by these legends. However, I do not take on remixes if I don’t believe that I can bring a Purple Disco Machine twist to the song in such a way that I can play the remix in my DJ sets.

DJ LIFE: What was the whole experience of winning the Grammy like for you? What did it feel like to win and what does it mean to you?

Piontek: It was a massive moment, for sure. I was really just so grateful to be nominated and with no expectations to win the Grammy. So when it happened, it was

quite surreal. I’ve joined a very exclusive club, especially regarding German producers, and it will always remain a big highlight of my career. I feel honored and proud to have won a Grammy.

DJ LIFE: Has winning a Grammy affected your career?

Piontek: I don’t think that it has, particularly. Maybe it has encouraged artists and record companies that had never heard of me to check me out and request a remix… like The Rolling Stones [on 2023’s “Mess It Up”], for example.

DJ LIFE: Your sound has evolved a bit since we last interviewed you – at ADE in October, 2017, around the time of your frst album. To my ears, the funk and the heavy groove is still there, but many of the productions have become brighter and a bit more pop-leaning. How do you see your artistic growth since that time?

Piontek: The obvious answer is that I started to have radio hits in Europe and got signed to Sony Columbia Records. Naturally, they wanted to keep up the momentum and not only focus on club records. However, I was happy to oblige, as I believe that all my radio hits still have the integrity of the original Purple Disco Machine sound. But I have defnitely evolved as an artist, in that I’ve now worked extensively with many vocalists, producers, and musicians. But I never left the dancefoor! For every “Hypnotized” or “Substitution,” there is a “Playbox” or “Bad Company ” or “Paradisco.” These are records that represent the clubbing core of my musical style.

DJ LIFE: What went into putting together the Paradise album? You had three years since your second album – any differences in its approach?

Piontek: The creation of Paradise was a meticulous and evolving process spanning over two and a half years, with each song carefully crafted and selected. It is defnitely a companion piece with my previous album, Exotica , in that I mostly continued with the ’80s disco template. Collaboration with vocalists played a more crucial role in this

album, though, allowing me to blend my sound with the infuences and talents of my collaborators.

DJ LIFE: Tell me about the collaborations…

Piontek: It was, of course, an important step to bring in

“I’ve joined a very exclusive club, especially regarding German producers, and it will always remain a big highlight of my career. I feel honored and proud to have won a Grammy.”

artists who have followed me musically over the last 10 or 15 years, people like Metronomy, Chromeo, Jack Shears, Roosevelt. It was so much fun to suddenly be in the studio together, from this fanboy moment, and to have the opportunity was just so nice. That’s why I enjoyed the album process so much, and I also explored more producer collaborations this time with talents such as Kungs, Duke Dumont, The Magician, and Yung Bae. These often came about through meet-ups at shows and we sent each other demo production tracks, as we fnished the process.

DJ LIFE: I know that you have tons of old-school vinyl albums in your collection. Why does the album format still intrigue you?

Piontek: I still believe that the album is still the best way for artists to really express themselves – a body of work, not just a compilation of records. In this era of streaming platforms with the playlists, algorithms, focus singles, etc., the album is even more important, as they push listeners to listen to music in other ways and not as the artist envisioned.

DJ LIFE: What’s your DJ-gear set-up now?

Piontek: My set-up is the classic Pioneer DJ set-up. I create a playlist for almost every show and use a Pioneer DJ DJM-V10 and three Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000s, which I absolutely love. The V10, especially, is a must-have in my set, as it comes with a compressor knob. I play a lot of ’70s and ’80s disco classics and, with the compressor, you can beef up the mostly quite-fat original sound.

DJ LIFE: How much of your DJ set is your music/remixes, as opposed to other artists’ music or classic cuts?

Piontek: The majority of my DJ set is my own records –be it originals or remixes. And if I play a classic, it tends to be my own edit of it, or a mash-up with one of my records. However, if I play an extended set in a club, then I’m more likely to play new tracks from other artists.

DJ LIFE: After all these years behind the decks, what are you trying to say as a DJ now in 2024-25?

Piontek: For me, it’s still the same as 25 years ago –telling a story and taking the crowd on a journey. Every night is different and my sets are now a journey through

my music live, music which infuenced me, mixed with my remixes and releases.

DJ LIFE: What’s a perfect night for you as a DJ?

Piontek: I think that with my sound, it would have to be in an outside venue on a warm summer night, taking the audience on a journey as the sunset turns into night.

DJ LIFE: The nu-disco scene just seems to grow and grow in popularity – why do you think that is? It seems like new generations are always discovering this great groovebased music.

Piontek: Disco has been around for maybe 45 years, so it is a really established genre. People’s musical tastes change over time and very often within dance music sounds from the past re-appear. Right now, disco is defnitely back and I’m very happy to be part of it. In fact, I think I might have helped with this return. But, of course, it is likely that the trend will move on to something else, but as I said, disco is such a classic style of melodic dance music I’m trusting that there will always be a place for it. Because disco is a genre, which is mostly positive, uplifting and fun, it incorporates songs, as well as grooves and everyone can relate to it. Therefore, it is relevant in many parts of people’s lives – listening at home, exercising, and, of course, dancing at clubs and festivals. In a way, it is the ultimate melodic dance music. There is always a place for that, I think.

DJ LIFE: Which music producers and DJs are impressing you nowadays?

Piontek: There are a bunch of young and talented producers with a completely different approach making music. Joplyn is a super-talented artist from Germany I really like. David Bay is a great DJ and producer with a unique sound. He supported me on tour, and I was pretty surprised about his smart selection of songs for each show.

DJ LIFE: What are three top tracks that you’re playing now?

Piontek: My current tune, “All My Life.” It’s such an anthem and brings the summer back every time I play it. Also, O’Flynn’s “Swiss Sensation ” is such a funk monster with a super-clever arrangement. And then C+C Music Factory’s “ Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” is one of my all-time favorite classics. I made an edit only for my sets and people go nuts every time I play it.

DJ LIFE: What are your feelings about playing festivals vs. nightclubs? Is there a preference?

Piontek: I like both. Like most DJs, I grew up playing sweaty clubs in the early hours for four or fve hours at a time. But, as my career has progressed, I defnitely now play more festival sets and I’ve grown to enjoy them more and more. I have to be more disciplined with what I play, as I generally only have 90 minutes play time, whereas the longer sets in clubs can be a bit more freeform.

DJ LIFE: What are your favorite festivals to play and why?

Piontek: Coachella [in Indio, Calif.] – I was so honored to play it this year. Also, the Kappa FuturFestival [in Turin, Italy] was on my list for many years, and it was one of my highlights in 2024.

And there’s Defected Croatia [in Tisno, Croatia] – it’s different from all the other festivals, but with the most lovely and peaceful crowd.

DJ LIFE: What’s next for Purple Disco Machine?

Piontek: A rest! Seriously, though, after three years of releasing music and intensive touring, it is time to take the foot of the gas for a while.

Highlights ADE ’24

By ADE Photographers

By Jim Tremayne

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Held this past Oct. 16-20 at a variety of venues in Holland’s largest city, Amsterdam Dance Event hosted more than 3,000 DJ/artists at over 1,000 events and welcomed over 500,000 visitors. Additionally, it delivered a slate of music-industry panels/keynotes, sponsored activations, and pro-gear exhibitions. (For more on ADE ’24, please see Pg. 3.) It all looked like this:

Amsterdam Dance Event Brought Beats, Networking & Education to The Netherlands

Logo: ADE’s “Cube” was everywhere. Enrique Meesters

Masterclass: Armin van Buuren & DJ.Studio. Geschoten door Stephen-vb

NDSM Warehouse: Peggy Gou on the decks. Enrique

Awakenings: Four Tet at Gashouder. Geschoten door Stephen-vb

Gear Play: A scene at De Brakke Grond. Jasper ten Tusscher

The Loft: Elias Mazian B2B Julian Anthony.

Busy Stairs: A scene at the Felix Meritis. Jasper ten Tusscher

Meesters

Linde Dorenbos

At Paradiso: Beats from Barry Can’t Swim.

In Conversation: Kölsch & Dave Clarke. BramvBerg

Pioneer DJ Exhibit: Three decades of CDJs.

Augmented Reality: Laidback Luke on the mic. Geschoten door Stephen-vb

Linde Dorenbos

DJ LIFE

DJ Duo: Amelie Lens & Charlotte de Witte. BramvBerg1

Superstar DJs: Outside Chicago Social Club.

LIFE

Armin van Buuren: Armada party at Crane Hotel.

Enrique Meesters

Demolition XXVII: Demo judges share a laugh. Geschoten door Stephen-vb

Free Your Mind: Reinier Zonneveld @ AFAS Live.

Meesters

At Bitterzoet: Yellow Claw & Euro Trash. Marty Marn

Mesto & Friends: The party’s on at Jimmy Woo.

Marty Marn

DJ

Enrique

21

And so we’ve fnally arrived at the end of 2024, a year full of ubiquitous hits in several genres that served the club, festival and mobile-party scenes.

So, as we wrapped up ’24, we conducted a quickie poll to DJs of all stripes and from all over the world, inquiring about the past year. We asked three simple questions: What’s your top tune of the year? What was your best accomplishment? What was the best DJ/musical moment you experienced?

Here are the frst 100 responses we got. Off we go…

1 David Morales, DIRIDIM Records, Bologna, Italy

Tune: LF System’s “All I’ve Got.”

Accomplishment: Songwriting & producing new music.

Musical Moment: My best experience this year was my summer residency at Freddies at Pikes in Ibiza.

2 Dave Audé, Audacious Records, Nashville

Tune: Mau P’s “Merther.”

Accomplishment: Wrote & produced an album for my favorite singer of all time, Andy Bell of Erasure.

Musical Moment: Traveling to San Juan was a frst, what an amazing place & vibe!

3 Dimitri Vegas, Smash the House, Willebroek, Belgium

Tune: Adam Port, Stryv & Malachiii’s “Move” feat. Camila Cabello.

Accomplishment: Non-music related, but seeing my frst lead role in the feature flm, “H4Z4RD,” get its offcial release in theatres & also on Tubi in North America – this year was a surreal moment for me.

Musical Moment: In addition to working on a track together, bringing the legendary Vin Diesel out during our mainstage set at Tomorrowland was a moment I’ll never forget, along with the release of my vinyl-only album.

4 Jauz, Bite This!, Newport Beach, Calif.

Tune: Chase & Status’ “Backbone.” D-n-B has had such an amazing moment this year, it’s great to see it continue with hit records like this.

Accomplishment: Relaunching Bite This! defnitely feels like a milestone for me. I’ve always loved providing an outlet for up-&-coming producers that I admire to release their music through.

Musical Moment: The record I did for the Golden State Warriors – “Don’t Lose Your Head” – that I did with P-Lo is still so surreal. Being able to say that my music is playing in that arena every game is truly so special to me.

5 DJs From Mars, Mashup DJ/Producers, Turin, Italy

Tunes: All the new singles by David Guetta – “I Don’t Wanna Wait,” “Forever Young” & “Never Going Home Tonight.” They’re bringing back the melodic EDM vibes –& that’s probably going to be a trend in 2025, after a year of no-melody, hard techno.

Accomplishment: Being able to release more original music after years of mashups & bootlegs – that’s our main goal for 2025, too.

Musical Moment: Our set at Tomorrowland this year was unreal. We played in a Boiler Room stage, surrounded by people at 360-degree. The energy was unbeatable & we will remember this moment forever!

6 LIKE MIKE, Smash the House, Ibiza Tune: Notre Dame’s “Citizen 99.”

Accomplishment: Releasing my second artist album was a major highlight, marking my eponymous debut under my HEREON alias.

Musical Moments: The best musical moments of 2024 was performing solo at intimate & private parties across various locations, from Monaco F1 to Ibiza, exploring new sounds away from the big festival stages.

7 Myd, Ed Banger/Because Music, Paris Tune: Antoine Bourachot’s “Traveling.”

Accomplishment: Slow down the touring machine & digest all my gigs, so that I get back in studio inspired.

Musical Moment: Playing my favorite French music for the Paris 2024 Paralympics’ opening ceremony.

8 Two Friends, Helix Records, LA Tune: Chase & Status & Bou’s “Baddadan” feat. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga & Takura – especially all the remixes. Big year for drum-n-bass.

Accomplishment: Headlining Madison Square Garden in August was an absolute dream come true. It still feels like it wasn’t real.

100 DJS OF ALL STRIPES OFFER UP THE YEAR’S TOP TRACKS & BEST MUSICAL MOMENTS

IN REVIEW 2024

BY JIM TREMAYNE

David Morales

DJs From Mars

Myd

DJ Anarchy

Musical Moment: Releasing our song “Wrong Way” with Alexander Stewart & getting to perform it for the frst time together at Red Rocks was a big highlight for us.

9 Hardwell, Revealed Recordings, Breda, Netherlands

Tune: Ryos’ “Disguise,” a track that has had an amazing reaction in sets this year.

Accomplishment: My collaboration with Apple on my frst offcial Producer Pack was a real special one for me.

Musical Moment: Reuniting with Armin van Buuren after nearly a decade on our track, “Follow The Light,” was a special one from this year. We frst teased it in February during a B2B at his A State of Trance Rotterdam festival, and it was a huge feature in both mine & his sets all summer.

10 DJ Razor, New York Mets/Islanders DJ, NYC

Tune: Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” was probably one of the biggest crowd-response/participation song for the stadiums in 2024. It’s like the new type of “Ch-Cha Slide” song that you can do in your seat.

Accomplishment: Creating all the custom music & sound effects at Citi Field for the pitching changes that were synced with the lights to keep the fans entertained.

Musical Moment: The entire 2024 Mets playoff run was an amazin’ experience to have the 45,000-plus fans clapping & stomping to my beats.

11 Mike Walter, Elite Entertainment, Tinton, N.J.

Tune: Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” a danceable country song with a sing-alongable chorus! Was a huge song for me this year.

Accomplishment: I’ve DJed 70 weddings so far this year & 61 of my couples have given me a 5-star review.

Musical Moment: Michael Franti at Red RoQck Ampitheatre on my wife Kelly’s birthday – incredible concert & experience!

12 Sacha Robotti, Sloth Acid/Dirtybird, San Francisco

Tune: Maceo Plex & Tyler Hill’s “Nasty.” The sound design & groove are so sick. I loved dropping this track in my sets.

Accomplishments: Taking my music business 360, relaunching my label, releasing “Roll With Me” feat. Pershard Owens on Dirtybird, and remembering who TF I am.

Musical Moment: I played a daytime set in San Francisco for Dirtybird at The Embarcadero – about 10,000 people showed up. Beautiful!

13 Wax Motif, Divided Souls, LA

Tune: Adam Port, Stryv & Malachiii’s “Move” feat. Camila Cabello. Accomplishment: Traveling to several countries like Brazil, Spain, Australia & also selling out Brooklyn Mirage as WAXTRODA.

Musical Moment: Having my name in credits alongside Ty Dolla $ign, Freddie Gibbs, YG & Kanye West.

14 1788-L, HypnoVizion, Denver

Tune: Chase & Status & Bou’s “Baddadan” feat. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga & Takura. It was easily the most infuential tune for me.

Accomplishment: The release of my EP, “NU-TYPE, vol. 1” on Rezz’s imprint, HypnoVizion.

Musical Moment: This year, Chet Porter’s “Eyes Tour” really hit home for me, feeling like a truly honest & cohesive achievement.

15 DJ Anarchy, SiriusXM/Pitbull’s Globalization, Houston

Tune: Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Accomplishment: Finally realizing my dream of releasing an original catalogue of music with artists I work with.

Musical Moment: Opening for Gunna at his sold-out concert in Houston.

16 DJ Cova, Tweak Music Tips, Orlando, Fla.

Tune: Dom Dolla’s “Saving Up.”

Accomplishment: Focusing on organic growth by serving the DJ community.

30

Musical Moment: The DJX Sunset Sessions’ meet-and-greet was amazing. I met DJs from Texas, New Jersey, Maryland & New York that I never met before. It was a lot of fun.

17 Joe Bunn, Bunn DJ Company, Raleigh, N.C.

Tune: Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” could not be denied this year. Also, I think her “Pink Pony Club” did the best for me at my private events – a huge sing-a-long song.

Accomplishment: Having DJs still support my businesses – Bunn Gear, The

Mike Walter Wax Motif

Sacha Robotti

Dimitri Vegas

Two Friends

Jauz

DJ Razor

Dave Audé

2024 IN REVIEW

DJ’s Vault and Crate Hackers.

Musical Moment: Being on stage with Thirty Seconds to Mars, one of my favorite bands, during their concert this summer – unforgettable.

18 Michael Gray, Sultra/Glitterbox/Full Intention, London Tune: Melvo Baptiste’s “Did You Pray Today?”

Accomplishment: Releasing my album, Optimism

Musical Moment: Celebrating my birthday at Glitterbox & DJing in The Wild Corner at Hï Ibiza.

19 MANTi, Zamna, LA Tune: Trikk’s “Rigor.”

Accomplishment: Âme supporting & playing my tracks.

Musical Moment: Seeing Charlotte de Witt’s “Overdrive” show at Coachella

20 Serafn, Pitch The Tempo/Blended Records, St. Petersburg, Fla. Tune: John Summit & Hayla’s “Shiver.”

Accomplishment: I got to release seven offcial tracks in 2024 & three went viral.

Musical Moment: In opening up for the legend Tiësto at Hard Rock Pool, I actually had my frst Tiësto experience – that was my best moment in 2024.

21 The Stickmen Project, Nitron Music, Parts Unknown Tune: Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike & Tiësto & Dido & W&W – “Thank You (Not So Bad).”

Accomplishment: Two of our original songs (“Rain In Ibiza” and “No Fun”) hitting 100 million streams on Spotify.

Musical Moment: Playing World Club Dome main stage in Deutsche Bank Park Stadium Frankfurt.

22 WHIPPED CREAM, Monstercat, Vancouver

Tune: FKA Twigs’ “Perfect Stranger.”

Accomplishment: Finding peace within myself.

Musical Moment: Selling out my L.A. headline show to close out my tour.

23 Mark Brenneisen, AllWeDoIsEpic.Com, Lake George, N.Y.

Tune: Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” We live/work in a very heavy rural area, where county hits work well. Even in the nightclubs around here, we’re dropping country & rock. Have to go with this one!

Accomplishment: Producing the second year of the Lake George DJ Takeover Music & Arts Festival.

Musical Moment: DJ Slim McGraw at Barefoot Country Music Festival in Wildwood, N.J.

24 DJ Tony F, Soundwave Productions, Richmond, Va.

Tune: Dua Lipa’s “Levitating (Country Club Martini Crew Remix).”

Accomplishment: My investment in Martin Audio for my sound rig.

Musical Moment: Seeing Chromeo live.

25 Zakes Bantwini, Mayonie Productions, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa

Tune: Keinemusik feat. Chuala’s “Say What.”

Achievement: My album being nominated for the Best Dance Album at the South African Music Awards.

Musical Moment: Seeing Shimza’s Cercle show

26 Random Soul, Random Soul, Sydney, Australia

Tune: Hard to pin one down to be honest, as there’s been so many. Disclosure’s track, “She’s Gone, Dance On,” certainly had a great run.

Accomplishment: Finishing our second artist album – it’s dropping in 2025!

Musical Moment: Hearing the masters of our new album!

27 JAEL, Mena Muria Records, Amsterdam

Tune: Joy Orbison’s “Flex FM (Freddit).” This one is literally a cheat code in my DJ sets. Every time I play this the crowd reaction is crazy!

Accomplishment: Being invited over to DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “Playlist Retreat” writing camp & make music with my musical heroes.

Musical Moment: Seeing DJ EZ crushing his set at ADE in Amsterdam made me feel so motivated to be a great DJ – hands down, the best set I’ve experienced in 2024.

28 Chris Washburn, Washburn Entertainment, Ithaca N.Y.

Tune: Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go!” The crowd reactions were as if it was an all-time generational banger.

Accomplishment: DJing for Tom Hiddleston, Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor & the “Back to the Future” cast in front of 3,000 fans at Megacon.

Musical Moment: Experiencing the 2024 movie version of “Defying Gravity” in “Wicked,” and seeing the guest reactions of playing it at gigs.

29 Chuck Zerambo, Sir Charles Distinctive Entertainment & DJ Services, Philadelphia Tune: Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Accomplishment: Being awarded the Department of Defense “Legacy of Hope Award” at The Pentagon, a recognition inspired by Bob Hope’s unwavering support for the military, was my greatest honor & a testament to my dedication to service members, veterans, & their families through resilience, mentorship & community service.

Musical Moment: We had a wedding client request all metal-band music during dinner; we set it up appropriately with an announcement at the start of the dinner hour & played the songs at low level. It worked & it was one of the best weddings of ’24!

Michael Gray Serafn

MANTi WHIPPED CREAM

DJ Tony F

Zakes Bantwini

bronze award at the IMRO Radio Awards.

Musical Moment: Seeing Becky Hill in Dublin perform “Gecko (Overdrive)” live for the frst time – it sounded incredible.

34 Maxim Lany, Armada Music, Ghent, Belgium

Tune: Dyzen’s “Try.”

Accomplishment: Releasing my four-track EP, “Hoogeloon” & showing that timeless instrumental electronic music can transcend in time. Musical Moment: I got to fnally see Kruder & Dorfmeister in concert this year – brought back so many memories & inspired me so much.

35 Topic, Astralwerks, Dubai, UAE

Tune: Adam Port, Stryv & Malachiii’s “Move” feat. Camila Cabello.

Accomplishment: The milestones we reached with “I Adore You.”

Musical Moment: Playing Pacha. I love playing shows in Ibiza, in general –always such a special vibe!

36 Tromino, Tromino Records, Coventry, U.K.

Tune: Radio Slave’s “The Lunatics (Club Mix)”

Accomplishment: Releasing music on my own label that has been fve years in the making

Musical Moment: Getting global support from the best DJs & producers in the business.

30 H.B. Monte, JAMZ 96.3 FM, Albany, N.Y.

Tune: Kendrick Lamar’s “

I’m sure will play through ’25 with his Super Bowl halftime per Accomplishment: Performing on Got Talent Spain live on the Telecinco TV network.

Musical Moment: Seeing at his concert in Albany’s Palace Theatre.

31 Chris D’Amico, D’Amico Entertainment, Roxbury, N.J.

Tune: Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Accomplishment: Making my new band, Suit & Mai Tai, one of the top bands in all of New Jersey this year.

Musical Moment: My band playing the Lobby Bar at Hard Rock during DJX for all of my DJ colleagues.

32 Sara Simms, Simmetry Sounds, Toronto

Tune: Loofy’s “Last Night (Anyma x Layton Giordani Remix)”

Accomplishment: Performing at Electric Island in Toronto.

Musical Moment: Performing in a castle for DJ Workshop Germany at Schloss Romrod.

33 Marty Guilfoyle, 95 Records, Dublin, Ireland

Tune: Sonny Fodera, Jazzy & DOD’s “Somedays.” Biggest dance record of the year, in my opinion.

Accomplishment: Having my dance-music radio show syndicated across multiple stations on the Bauer Media network, & then going on to win a

Barbara Nicole, Good Crazy, Berlin

Illangelo’s “Petals in the Breeze.” I listen to this track almost every day. I am really inspired by Illangelo, the way he carves these incredible soundscapes & pushes the boundaries of what makes a song. This track is so ethereal & dreamy with the harp and vocal, but also dark & melancholy with the driving kick & bass. It’s a beautiful contradiction, like me.

Accomplishment: Opening for Anderson .Paak & Kings of Leon at Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, host of Super Bowl LVIII.

Musical Moment: A young girl came to meet me after my set in Times Square with her mom and younger sister. She shared that I inspired her to DJ & I gave her a big hug & asked her name. She said, “Luz,” in Spanish, which means light, & I said, “Continue to spread your light & joy in this world because we need it.” There’s no greater feeling in the world than connecting with real fans & kind souls.

Mike Garrett, DJ Mike Production/2 DJs 1 Mic, Dallas Jack Harlow’s “Lovin’ on Me” & Nicki Minaj’s “Everybody” feat. Lil Uzi Vert. These songs embody the essence of timeless party anthems, effortlessly energizing & endlessly enjoyable.

Accomplishment: Attending DJX 2024 was not just an opportunity, but a deeply inspiring experience, as it allowed me to connect with incredible talents like DJ Mell Starr & Disco Fries. Engaging with their stories, passion, & unique journeys in the music industry reminded me of the power of creativity & collaboration.

Musical Moment: Standing on the DJX showroom foor, surrounded by the incredible energy of 20 to 30 DJs, each in their element, pouring their passion into the music. Unforgettable.

Demayä, Calamar Records, Dubai, UAE

MoBlack’s “Yamore.” MoBlack has elegantly reimagined an iconic song originally performed by Salif Keita & Cesária Évora. He masterfully blends tradition & modernity, creating a universal connection on the dancefoor. This track has had a huge impact this year.

Accomplishment: Playing three times in Ibiza this summer.

Musical Moment: Colyn’s performance in Beirut was flled with magic until sunset & I got hit really hard when he ended his set with Deadmau5’s “Strobe,” then Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.”

40 Boogie Lights, Boogie Bunch Records, Denver

Tune: Barry Can’t Swim’s “Deadbeat Gospel” ft. somedeadbeat. Accomplishment: Releasing my album, DISCO DANCE THERAPY & getting it pressed to vinyl is truly a dream come true. Biggest accomplishment of my life, so far.

Musical Moment: Seeing Fred again.. at Ball Arena in Denver. The energy & inspiration he created that night was something I’ll never forget.

41 CADZOW, NowNow Records, Glasgow, Scotland

Tune: Ikkhi’s “Push the Ignition.”

Accomplishment: Getting to play Terminal V, a festival that’s close to home.

Chris Washburn

H.B. Monte

Barbara Nicole

Chris D’Amico

Topic

Boogie Lights

2024 IN REVIEW

Musical Moment: Selling out my All Night Long show in my hometown.

42 Don Woezik, Innergated, Malmö, Sweden Tune: Sunbeam’s “Outside World (SPDY Hard Edit).” I played this track many times & I’ve listened to the original track a lot it in my childhood, so it has a special place for me.

Accomplishment: I worked hard on my own clothing brand that will release in the beginning of 2025.

Musical Moment: The closing of By The Creek Festival this year was by far the highlight.

43 Wehbba, HIFN/Drumcode, Lisbon, Portugal Tune: Ignacio Arfeli’s “Prana.”

Accomplishment: Starting HIFN, my record label & multi-art platform – its releases & events.

Musical Moment: I’ve walked into a concert by Tivon Pennicott in Paris by chance and didn’t know who he was, and actually cried of joy. It hasn’t happened to me in years.

44 Kitty Amor, Mahaba/Defected, London Tune: Keinemusik & Alan Dixon’s “Thandaza” feat. Arabic Piano.

Accomplishment: Tour across fve continents bridging African electronic music in mainstream spaces with recognition from artists/producers I respect.

Musical Moment: Remixing for London Grammar, the feeling of seeing it come to life is indescribable.

45 Alex Mills, Defected/D4 D4NCE, London Tune: Duck Sauce’s “Falling In Love.”

Accomplishment: Playing at Glastonbury.

Musical Moment: Having Todd Terry pull me aside while I was on the decks to tell me how impressed he was.

46 Martin Jensen, Seven Music, Copenhagen Tune: Alok, The Chainsmokers & Mae Stephens’ “Jungle.”

Accomplishment: Spending more time with my daughter & my family.

Musical Moment: My songwriting camps over the year – can’t wait to reveal what we’ve been working on.

47 Gabry Ponte, GEKAI Music, Turin, Italy Tune: Artemas’ “I Like the Way You Kiss Me.”

Accomplishment: My arenas tour completely selling out in less than two months.

Musical Moment: Sharing the news that I’ll be the frst DJ to headline San Siro Stadium in Milan next summer at San Siro Dance.

48 Macon, Spinnin’, Berlin

Tune: Marlon Hoffstadt aka DJ Daddy Trance’s “It’s That Time.”

Accomplishment: Putting music & its expression frst.

Musical Moment: Performing at Parookaville 2024 – had been a longtime dream to play there.

49 AVAION, RCA, Berlin

Tune: Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know (Sante Sansone Remix).” This is the song that I played on my tour where I went into the crowd mosh pit & the video blew up online.

Accomplishment: Releasing my debut album, Selfrefection, & selling out my frst headline tour across Europe.

Musical Moment: The Boiler-style DJ set I did at the Open Beatz festival with 5,000 people, full energy & me in the middle.

50 The Criminal Sounds, Future Feelings, Mexico City Tune: BUNT.’s “Clouds.”

Accomplishment: Ticked Italy off our bucket list.

Musical Moment: Seeing Fred again.. at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

51 Kenn Colt, Feels Like Home, Valencia, Spain

Tune: Adam Port, Stryv & Malachiii’s “Move” feat. Camila Cabello. Accomplishment: Been playing all over the world this year. I’m so blessed I can do the thing I love the most, making music & making waves across the globe & seeing all those happy faces.

Musical Moment: Playing Tomorrowland for the ninth time – full house at the Freedom Stage.

52 liquidfve, 5L-Records, Düsseldorf, Germany

Tune: Calvin Harris & Sam Smith’s “Desire.” It really captured the dance scene with its strong presence on the charts.

Accomplishment: Releasing “Lean On My Love,” which not only showcased my musical evolution, but also resonated deeply with fans worldwide.

53 KELTEK, SCANTRAXX, Enschede, Netherlands

Tune: Ran-D, D-Block & S-te-Fan’s “Behind Enemy Lines.” True hardstyle, some raw infuences & a trance- gate kind of melody that really hits the spot.

Accomplishment: Creating my frst album ever – with a pro career of 16 years – while also building a studio & having so much stuff going on in my private life (newborn twins) all at the same time.

Musical Moment: The fnal goodbye moment I had for myself at the last Qlimax, the party I have most memories with, while standing in the middle of the crowd instead of the DJ booth.

Don Woezik Wehbba

Alex Mills Martin Jensen

AVAION

Kenn Colt

54 LUMI, SKADI, Seattle

Tune: Justice’s “The Party.” Not a new tune by any means, but I’ve had it on repeat – I love it.

Accomplishment: I started releasing music this year & I spanned releases on fve different labels, including my own label, SKADI, which I also started this year. I played my frst music festival & stadium & hit 150k streams on one of my frst tracks I ever put out.

Musical Moment: I saw Charlie XCX at Climate Pledge Arena & it changed my life.

55 Jack Kelly, Perfect Havoc, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Tune: Sammy Virji “If U Need It.” Although it was released in late ’23, it took over the dance world earlier this year. You couldn’t go to a club in the country without hearing this track.

Accomplishment: Having a list DJs, including David Guetta, Martin Garrix & Armin Van Burren, play my single, “Minus Degrees.”

Musical Moment: I did a chill deep-house sunrise DJ set on a remote island on an Irish lough. Four friends & I sailed out to capture the footage & it was magical.

56 DJ Trayze, Remixer/Touring DJ, Washington, D.C.

Tune: Tyla, Gunna & Skillibeng’s “Jump.”

Accomplishment: I got to play a few DJ sets that featured all my own original music, remixes, and edits – a long-time goal of mine.

Musical Moment: Playing for three hours on DJ Jazzy Jeff’s live-stream from SXSW 2024.

57 Mha Iri, Drumcode/Filth on Acid, Edinburgh, Scotland

Tune: T78 & Roberto Molinaro’s “Bombacid.” It’s an absolute banger! I love the fact that the acid line is super-unique-sounding & it always goes absolutely off when I play it.

Accomplishment: Playing at Tomorrowland.

Musical Moment: Releasing my latest EP, “Leader of the Pack,” which is an extremely special representation of my creative versatility.

58 Howard “HK” Kessler, In the Mix With HK, Minneapolis Tune: Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Accomplishment: Doing more live performances & growing our event business.

Musical Moment: Sitting down & interviewing some of the best new artists & producers of the year on my syndicated radio show.

59 Tim Clark, Coldharbour Recordings, Las Vegas Tune: RÜFÜS DU SOL’s “Innerbloom (TAZI Edit).”

Accomplishment: Winning two awards at the EDMAs in Miami during Miami Music Week: Breakthrough Artist of the Year (Trance) & Best New Artist on Tour (for Markus Schulz’s Rabbit Hole Circus Tour).

Musical Moment: Recently fnishing a songwriting camp & realizing we have a hit collab on our hands. Very exciting. Stay tuned.

60 JADED, 4000Hz Records, London

Tune: Tripolism, Nandu & Radeckt’s “Dope Dance.”

Accomplishment: Starting our own label, 4000Hz Records.

Musical Moment: We played at Brooklyn Mirage with Diplo & Adam Ten – Adam Ten’s set was unbelievable & his production on his releases this year has been a highlight for sure.

61 Surf Mesa, Astralwerks, LA

Tune: Fred again.., Duskus, Four Tet, Skrillex & Joy Anonymous’ “Glow.” I’ve been following Duskus since 2017 & this track is a masterpiece – an incredible, long, progressive journey brought to life by fve insanely talented artists. It’s the kind of song that stays with you.

Accomplishment: Finding complete creative freedom this year, capped off by “Without You,” an incredible collaboration with Petit Biscuit and JP Saxe, an artist I’ve admired for years.

Musical Moment: Selling out Superior Ingredients in NYC was unforgettable. Not only was it an amazing crowd, but it was also the frst time I had a singer join me live on stage & sharing that experience with my highschool friends who now live in NYC made it even more special.

62 Mojave Grey, Breakaway, Joshua Tree, Calif.

Tune: WhoMadeWho & Adriatique’s “Miracle” was our favorite – really cool balance of dance & rock.

Accomplishment: Releasing our debut album, MONUMENT, bringing our subgenre “desert dance” to life.

Musical Moment: Performing in front of 40,000 Romanians in Bucharest for our frst headlining festival performance.

63 Night Tales, Breakaway, LA

Tune: Chris Lake, Sammy Virji & Nathan Nicholson’s “Summertime Blues” – an amazing blend of beautiful, jazzy chords with beautiful vocals and seamless production.

Accomplishment: Our debut European winter tour & the Breakthrough Artist of the Year nomination from the EDM Awards was a special way to start the year!

Musical Moment: At Coachella, coming out to perform our collaboration track with BLOND:ISH called “Shout It Out” on the new Quasar stage.

64 Dark Heart, AETERNA, LA

Tune: Kaz James’ “Sun Is Shining.” This song is absolutely timeless & defned the year for me. I will be playing it when I’m 80.

Accomplishment: Getting support on my next single – “Analog” feat. Amarha – from Solomun.

Musical Moment: Headlining Sound in Los Angeles with Anakim & putting the whole thing on YouTube

65 Holly, Ilex Records, Caldas da Rainha, Portugal

Tune: Sébastien Tellier’s “La Ritournelle.”

Accomplishment: Understanding & realizing how to be happier.

LUMI

Jack Kelly

DJ Trayze

Surf Mesa

Mojave Grey Holly

2024 IN REVIEW

Musical Moment: Burning Man.

66 Sinego, Higher Ground, Colombia/Mexico Tune: Wakyn’s “Beso (Fruta Fresca)” feat. Carlos Vives

Accomplishment: Playing Historia De Un Amor at Voodoo Village, Belgium.

Musical Moment: Nina Kraviz at Tomorrowland Winter playing Guaracha, a traditional genre from Colombia.

67 RayRay, DIM MAK, LA Tune: Fred again.. & Baby Keem’s “leavemealone.”

Accomplishment: I played Wasteland, Escape & EDC Orlando – & started releasing music on DIM MAK.

Musical Moment: EDC Orlando, for sure. I got to play at main stage with the amazing crowd & experienced the whole festival.

68 Lolo Mayhew, Summer Club NYC, Miami Tune: SOFI TUKKER’s “Summer in New York.”

Accomplishment: Playing multiple shows this year during Amsterdam Dance Event.

Musical Moment: Closing for Tiësto twice – at Hard Rock Casino & Marquee New York.

69 HAPA, The DJ Coach, LA Tune: Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”

Accomplishment: Bringing DJ education into K-12 Schools in over 20 states.

Musical Moment: DJs at the Summer Olympics playing breakbeats for the breakdancing competition.

70 Fejká, Coexist, Stuttgart, Germany

Tune: Jamie xx’s “Treat Each Other Right.” The last time I felt such an appreciation for a bassline was “Bad Kingdom” by Moderat in 2013. Accomplishment: I established my new Label, Coexist, and fnally became independent. This was a lot of work, but it feels great to be back on track with cool partners & a lot of music upcoming.

Musical Moment: I felt very honored to play live on the second-biggest stage of the Fusion Festival during sunrise – there was a thunderstorm right after my set & the vibe was magic!

71 FOVOS, Revealed Records, Auckland/Melbourne Tune: Sikoti’s “Fallin’ In Love.”

Accomplishment: North American tour, baby!

Musical Moment: Seeing Carl Cox for the frst time was a monumental moment for us.

72 Alfred Heinrichs, IAM Melodic Techno, Berlin Tune: I’ve thought about it for a long time, but I can’t name a specifc track for 2024.

Accomplishment: I found my love & you can hear that story in my IAM YOU album.

Musical Moment: Being with 5,000 in a techno tent at the Airbeat One Festival.

73 Alexa Perl, Rhythm Avenue, LA Tune: Revival House Project & Phebe Edwards’ “Ain’t No Mountain.”

Accomplishment: Finally releasing my own songs publicly on all music platforms!

Musical Moment: Playing at Carpe Diem in Hvar, Croatia, where most people dream to play. Everyone has to get there by boat, so the people who come are ready to dance & connect to the music – & it’s a completely magical place.

74 Nutritious, Liquid Culture, NYC

Tune: This year, I found a refreshing diversity of sounds, with no single tune dominating the scene.

Accomplishment: I have several new tracks forthcoming on the iconic Paper Recordings UK, providing a fantastic opportunity to work with Phil Moffa on the mixdown.

Musical Moment: I experienced many magical moments performing at Eighteenth Street Lounge in D.C. this year, a legendary global dance and electronic institution that has shaped the scene since 1995.

75 Kito, Mad Decent, LA Tune: Chloé Robinson & DJ ADHD’s “Last Night” feat. Dumbblonde. Accomplishment: Releasing my EP, “BIMYOU.” I am super-proud of this project.

Musical Moment: I’ve loved building out my party Club Kito in LA & this year we’ve had so many amazing guests come play – A-Trak, Uffe, Tei Shi, Chrome Sparks, etc. The most recent one with Parris Goebel was particularly special – crazy energy in the room.

76 Jay Brannan, Brannan Entertainment, Temecula, Calif.

Tune: Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.”

Accomplishment: Flying 55,000 miles to go to 16 states, all for different DJ events!

Musical Moment: Deadmau5 performing at Escape Halloween.

77 XIE, Lady Of The House UK, LA

Tune: Mochakk & Tommy Genesis’ “No Boys Allowed (OG House Mix).”

Accomplishments: Played & attended my frst Miami Music Week & now I’ll be going back every year.

Musical Moment: Opening for the legend Bob Sinclair at club E11EVEN this summer. He’s such an amazing DJ and great person. That night was

Lolo Mayhew Fejká

Alexa Perl Nutritious

Jay Brannan Tactics

pure magic, a one-of-a-kind experience!

78 Tactics, Aftaparty Records, Bradford, U.K.

Tune: BL3SS x CamrinWatsin’s “Kisses” feat. bbyclose.

Accomplishment: Finalizing & releasing my debut album, Swift & Bold

Musical Moment: Watching Sammy Virji’s Boiler Room set in Denver on YouTube was unreal. It left me very inspired

79 Edison Cole, Bite This!, LA Tune: Space Laces’ “In The Place.”

Accomplishment: The big highlight for me this year has been this Jauz cosign & being able to release on his label “Bite This!”

Musical Moment: The insane energy at my set at Time nightclub as direct support for Jauz, where I dropped my newly released EP, and was brought up during his set to drop it again later on.

80 Illexxandra, Independent Artist, NYC

Tune: Chase & Status & Bou’s “Baddadan” feat. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga & Takura. In my world, it made the most impact. Rarely do I see a song get so ubiquitously celebrated that it gets thoroughly played out nearly as fast as it came on the scene. The parody festival totems were choice.

Accomplishment: I love that I branched out to several festivals I hadn’t played before, including Electric Forest, Dub Stuy’s Soundscape Festival, Future Forest in Canada, & the brand-new Applecross Festival.

Musical Moment: Easily, it was the Missy Elliott tour – Top 5 shows I’ve ever seen.

81 VALENTINØ, ARTCORE, Genoa, Italy

Tune: The song that characterized my 2024 & also the music scene is Mar-

lon Hoffstadt aka Daddy Trance’s “It’s That Time.” At a time when music was very similar, this track brought a different vision on what the music industry was until now.

Accomplishment: The Halloween I just spent in Lima. My frst time in South America was certainly a big surprise, as I didn’t think the public had such a vast knowledge of me.

Musical Moment: Defnitely meeting with Armin van Buuren, that came from a personal invitation from Indira Paganotto, Before he played with Indira, he showed me his studio, talked about his label & introduced us to his team, his whole world! An experience that still gives me the shivers – it was really amazing.

82 Aaron Hibell, London, All Time High Records

Tune: Billie Eilish’s “CHIHIRO.”

Accomplishment: The release of my sophomore EP “Astral Projection” & playing Tomorrowland for the frst time.

Musical Moment: When it started raining during my London show in May of this year at The Cause. I decided it was the perfect time to play some harder tracks & it was incredible energy seeing everyone embrace the weather & go with it.

83 DJ Mystro, Colts/Pacers/Fever DJ, Indianapolis

Tune: Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Accomplishment: Performing at the Indy 500 Snake Pit inside front of over 35,000 people, sharing the stage with artists like Dom Dolla, Timmy Trumpet, Excision, Gryffn & Sullivan King.

Musical Moment: DJing an R&B cruise in the Bahamas on Valentine’s weekend – creating the perfect vibe of love & positive energy was something special.

84 Mark Reeve, Drumcode/Afterlife/SubVision, Frankfurt, Germany

Tune: Raxon’s edit of Run-DMC’s “It’s Like That” – I love it.

Accomplishment: Just too many to mention.

Musical Moment: R2 Festival Amsterdam.

85 Nadine Vinzens, You Are Loved, Zurich

Tune: James Hype’s “Wild.” The name alone says it all.

Accomplishment: Surpirise B2B with Mark Reeve at the R2 Festival from Reinier Zonnefeld.

Musical Moment: Performing at Bass Mountain Festival where crowds unexpectedly grew from hundreds to thousands!

86 Olive F, Defected/Elrow, Manchester, U.K.

Tune: Audiowhores & Groove Assassin’s “Music.” I played this track in almost all of my sets. I get this overwhelming feeling of happiness I get when I hear or play this track.

Accomplishment: Bagging my frst Paradise gig in Amnesia, the party which I used to work for during my Ibiza seasons – a very special, fullcircle moment.

Musical Moment: My frst Australasia tour with Defected with one of my idols, Harry Romero. Having the opportunity to connect with a house pioneer was absolutely priceless. I fnished the tour feeling more inspired than I ever had

87 DJ Shakey, Independent Artist, NYC

Tune: Heatwave’s “Eyeballin’.” From 1979, it’s an older one, written by Rod Temperton, who also wrote “Thriller.”

Accomplishment: I fnally got to play Electric Forest Festival. I didn’t realize how massive & creative that fest was. I was very impressed & they treated us like gold.

Musical Moment: Playing bass music poolside in a casino on a monster Danley Sound System to a bunch of mermaids & clowns.

88 Alexis Knox, Perfect Havoc, London

Tune: Baauer’s “All My Ladies.”

Accomplishment: Consistency. Showing up day & night, juggling DJing with an artist project is a lot, but I feel I’ve found my rhythm & my people.

Musical Moment: Enjoying Fisher live at Gunnersbury Park & seeing such a crowd of fun-loving, happy people!

89 Joe Bermudez, Mass Movement Radio, Boston

Tune: The Blessed Madonna feat. Clementine Douglas’ “Happier.”

Accomplishment: I somehow convinced someone to marry me.

Musical Moment: Hearing the Mass Digital Remix of my song “Stop” in

VALENTINØ DJ Mystro

Mark Reeve

Edison Cole

Joe Bermudez

DJ Shakey

2024 IN REVIEW

regular rotation on one of my favorite radio stations, SXM Chill.

90 FRANCO BA, Diynamic, Buenos Aires Tune: Notre Dame’s “Yumi.”

Accomplishment: Releasing my music in Solomun’s Diynamic label. Musical Moment: Have performed the warm-up & closing sets for John Summit in Argentina.

91 WELKER, Groove Society Records, LA Tune: Camelphat & Max Milner’s “Hope (Spiritual Milk Edit).”

Accomplishment: I found myself artistically in a way I never had before. Musical Moment: Solomun’s long set in Los Angeles.

92 Silver Panda, Panda Lab Records, San Francisco Tune: Landau & Ben Beckman’s “Ta Ka Tum.”

Accomplishment: Playing for Afterlife main room at the No. 1 club in the world, Hï Ibiza.

Musical Moment: The collaboration of the “Sweet Disposition” remix with John Summit has brought our project to another level.

93 Camden Cox, RCA, London Tune: Nora En Pure’s “Pretoria.”

Accomplishment: Being nominated for a Grammy for co-writing “Escape” by Kx5 – such a pinch-me moment!

Musical Moment: Watching John Summit headline EDC Vegas while the sun was coming up – hearing all the tunes I’ve written with him in a moment like that!

94 Azzecca, DGTL, Chicago

Tune: Really been obsessed with Chloe Caillet’s remix of Demi Riquisimo’s “Windows 95 Anthem.” I played that in nearly every set over the frst half of the year.

Accomplishment: Touring heavily for a full year, for the frst time, without totally falling apart. Taking my mental health seriously and staying sound while on the road has been a massive challenge & accomplishment for me.

Musical Moment: Playing in Poland at Audioriver Festival. It was one of the frst shows I got to play outside of the U.S. & I felt like I could really lean into a lot of the European sounds that I love.

95 Scott Forshaw, Perfect Havoc, Dubai, U.A.E.

Tune: Adam Port, Stryv & Malachiii’s “Move” feat. Camila Cabello.

Accomplishment: Signing my Universal Music Publishing Group deal. Musical Moment: Playing my version of “Castles In The Sky” on the MainStage at Untold Festival as my last song with freworks going off behind me.

96 Lawrence Hart, Domino/Double Six, London

Tune: Leon Vynehall’s “SHELLAC.”

Accomplishment: Mixing my debut album, Come In Out Of The Rain, which will be out Spring 2025 on Double Six.

Musical Moment: Seeing Floating Points live at End Of The Road Festival.

97 Jen Payne, 95 Records, Kildare, Ireland

Tune: Chloé Calliet & SG Lewis’ “B Somebody.”

Accomplishment: Making my debut in Ibiza Rocks.

Musical Moment: Playing on the same line up as Dom Dolla.

98 Michael Alevras, Hudson Valley Event Group, Monroe, N.Y.

Tune: Easily, Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” Got tons of requests for it –crowds & guests do the dance. You might call it the “Y.M.C.A.” of 2024.

Accomplishment: Our company saw an increase in our average wedding and mitzvah contract price point over 2023. And personally, adding additional industry speaking opportunities & being named the offcial “in-arena” DJs for Marist College men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Music Moment: Getting to see Unforgettable Fire, one of the best U2

bands around.

99 STUCA, Bite This!, Salt Lake City

Tune: Hydraulix & Oski’s “HAWT.”

Accomplishment: Working with a bunch of new artists who pushed me to make new styles of music.

Musical Moment: Getting to see Fred again.. play! He’s one of the most talented live performers in EDM right now.

100 Mr. Tout Le Monde, Inside Records, Lyon, France

Tune: Carlie Hanson’s “Living Feeling Dead.”

Accomplishment: Defnitely my album, You, which is the conclusion of my trilogy of albums. The album was inspired by stories I collected from fans around the world.

Musical Moment: Clearly my frst live concert in Paris, which was sold out! And my frst tour in North America – can’t wait to be back.

tribute

WELKER Silver Panda

Camden Cox

Scott Forshaw

Jen Payne STUCA

The 157 th Audio Engineering Society Show Brought Studio-Centric Debuts to

NYC’s Javits Center

By Jim Tremayne

New York City – This past Oct. 8-10, the 157 th Audio Engineering Society Convention drew nearly 6,000 professionals and exhibitors to Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Center. The show featured workshops, panels and presentations, plus a showfoor full of the latest technologies for the pro-audio world that includes studios, installations, and more. As usual, DJ LIFE was there and saw the latest products for studio-centric DJs. Here are some of the show debuts we saw:

Berlin-based ADAM Audio debuted its H200 closed-back studio headphones, which comes with a Utility DAW plug-in. Built in collaboration with Sonnox, the included software delivers a range of optimization tools for the headphones, as well as the Externalization feature that uses advanced crossfeed techniques to better translate loudspeaker mixes to headphones.

A distinct advantage of the H200 is the purpose-built ADAM Audio Headphone Utility DAW plug-in, which was built in collaboration with industry partners Sonnox. The included software offers a range of optimization tools for the H200, as well as the Externalization feature that uses advanced crossfeed techniques to better translate loudspeaker mixes to headphones.

Apogee Electronics and IK Multimedia announced a collaboration – a new bundle that pair’s IK’s iLoud MTM MKII studio monitors with Apogee’s new

Symphony Studio Series interfaces. The bundle is designed for audio engineers, producers and creatives looking to achieve exceptional clarity and immersion in their mixes.

Audeze announced its partnership with Applied Psychoacoustics Lab (APL) to expand spatial audio content creation apps for its Maxwell headset and demonstrated the new integration at the AES show. Professionals can now render binaural mixes with real-time

als and audiophiles. All models feature a 44mm driver and an advanced ring magnet system, delivering superior airfow and the strongest magnetic feld in its class, according to the company.

Avid showed the expansion of ARA workfows, new partner integrations in Pro Tools, AIpowered speech-to-text, and previews of the latest console technologies with Avid VENUE 8.0 software for S6L live sound systems and EUCON for control surfaces.

head tracking in APL’s new Virtuoso V2 audio plug-in and standalone application utilizing hardware already inside every Audeze Maxwell.

Audio-Technica displayed its range of studio headphones, including the ATH-M20x, ATHM30x, ATH-M40x, ATH-M50x, and ATH-M70x professional monitor headphones, plus the ATH-R70x open-back reference headphones. Among many other products, Audio-Technica also exhibited its 4th generation 3000 Series wireless systems and the 3000 Series IEM in-ear monitor system (ATW-3255).

Austrian Audio debuted its Hi-X20 headphones. Geared for studio recordings, live performances, content creation or home listening, the Hi-X20 is designed for both profession-

As part of its continued commitment to supporting workfows for music producers, Avid will also pilot a new partnership with Native Instruments and show continued improvements to its MIDI workfows.

Eventide displayed new v2.2 frmware and features for its fagship H9000 Harmonizer effects processor, which offers new algorithms for vocal processing, 96kHz support across all 1,600-plus algorithms, RNBO support and new effects.

Focusrite , distributed stateside by American Music & Sound , showcased three new Scarlett interfaces, completed its 4th generation range. They included the Scarlett 16i16, 18i18 and the 18i20 models. All Scarlett units come with Ableton Live Lite, three months of Pro

AES ’24: Mics, interfaces & more.

Tools Artist recording software, and six months of FL Studio Producer Edition. Also included is a curated selection of essential production software from Focusrite, Softube, Native Instruments, Antares, and more.

Genelec , maker of active monitoring solutions, debuted its UNIO Personal Reference Monitoring Solution. The system comprises the 9320A SAM Reference Controller, Reference Measurement Microphone, and the new 8550A Professional Reference Headphones. With the additional headphone calibration features available within Genelec GLM Software –and the optional Aural ID V2.0 binaural headphone monitoring technology –users can enjoy a highly personal and truthful headphone monitoring experience.

The Pro Audio Design Group’s Augspurger Monitors debuted the MinimaX MX65P monitors, a new addition to its professional studiomonitor lineup. Building on the performance of its MX-65 near-feld monitors, the new MX-65P variant incorporates a meticulously engineered passive crossover, designed to optimize the monitor’s effciency while maintaining its superior sound quality

RCF displayed components from its premier TT+ AUDIO line of high-performance sound reinforcement loudspeakers, including the TT 515-A active loudspeaker with the TT 808-AS active subwoofer, a combo for installed or portable applications.

Shure showed the SM4 home recording micro-

phone, which allows users to capture professional recordings of vocals and instruments with mix-ready audio and interference protection. Shure also showed its new Nexadyne vocal microphones, which are based on the company’s Revonic Technology.

Universal Audio showed its new Apollo X Gen 2, a redesign of its range of desktop and rackmount Thunderbolt audio interfaces.

Featuring the next-generation of 24-bit/192kHz

A/D and D/A conversion with the highest resolution of any Apollo to date, the new Apollo X interfaces let users work faster with a host of new features such as Monitor Correction (powered by Sonarworks), assistive Audio-Gain Fast one-click level setting, and Subwoofer Bass Management.

Genelec: UNIO Monitoring Solution.

3000 Series: Audio-Technica’s wireless system.

ADAM Audio: H200 studio headphones.

Eventide: Firmware for H9000 Harmonizer.

Focusrite: New 4th Gen Scarlett interfaces.

Austrian Audio: Hi-X20 headphones.

Universal Audio: Apollo X Gen 2 interfaces.

RCF: Active speaker/sub combo.

Augspurger: MinimaX MX-65P monitors.

Shure: Nexadyne vocal microphone.

SCENES FROM WORLDS AWAY FESTIVAL

Worlds Away Brought Top EDM Talent to

Monterey

Monterey, Calif. – This past Oct. 12, Pendulum presented the inaugural Worlds A way festival. Held at the historic Monterey County Fairgrounds – home of 1967’s iconic Monterey Pop Festival – the NEFT Vodka-sponsored event featured top EDM acts The Chainsmokers, Tiësto, Lauv, R3HAB, Sam Feldt, Lost Kings, Ayokay, plus DJ Informal an d Piero Spada. In addition to the music, Worlds Away also included immersive experiences for attendees (aka travelers). It all looked like this:

Day Party: R3HAB connects with crowd. Daniel Macadangdang

Ka-Boom: Tiësto’s set overwhelms. @CapturesBy.Liz

Follow Me: Sam Feldt onstage. Daniel Macadangdang

Headliner: Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart. Daniel Macadangdang

This Feeling: Chainsmokers’ Alex Pall Daniel Macadangdang

Maximal Crazy: Tiësto leads the party. @CapturesBy.Liz Look At

Now: Lost Kings mid-set. Daniel Macadangdang

Whirling: Worlds Away’s Carnival setting. @CapturesBy.Liz

Fuzzy: Worlds Away traveler mid-day. Atticus Radley

Stagecraft: R3HAB makes his move. @CapturesBy.Liz

Elements of Life: Tiësto gets going. Daniel Macadangdang

Peace Out: Travelers enjoy the scene. Atticus Radley

Steal the Show: Lauv fnishes his set. Daniel Macadangdang

Worlds Away: Late-night action. @CapturesBy.Liz

Solid Upgrade:

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS TRAKTOR PRO 4

By Wesley King

It’s hard for me to contemplate, honestly, but I frst started DJing nearly 20 years ago. In the spur of the moment (and for reasons I can’t recall), I somehow landed at that time on an entry-level version of a DJ software application that all these years later is still pretty much my default.

That software? Traktor from Germany’s Native Instruments (NI). What’s changed since then is that I’ve had a chance to use a lot of alternatives, and those alternatives have gotten better and better over time. In fact, these days, it feels like Serato DJ is inescapable, especially given its ubiquity (largely through prolifc hardware-bundling deals).

As a result, I confess that I’ve gotten a bit melancholy about Traktor in recent years, primarily because there hasn’t been anything new from the brand in a while. Some — me included — even began to speculate that NI might either sell off, or simply discontinue, the Traktor line-up.

The last major update to Traktor was in 2019, on the heels of some private-equity investment in Native Instruments, initiated in 2017, that also triggered a lot of other product activity within the company. But further changes in ownership, which started in 2021, seemed to have the near-term effect of diminishing operational focus at the company. Today, owned by a different private-equity frm, and following other acquisitions and consolidations and structural changes, the company seemed to catch its stride again in 2023. I kept hoping that Traktor and its hardware siblings would get some much-needed attention, and they fnally did, starting with the release of the Traktor X1 MK3 Controller, which I reviewed several months ago.

But now, we fnally get a new version of Traktor itself in the form of the Traktor Pro 4 upgrade.

What’s New?

One of the main reasons I’ve continued to prefer Traktor is that I’ve accumulated two decade’s worth of metadata about my DJ-music collection that I depend on to choose material in a set. Those notes, ratings, categories, play history, and other details have enormous value as I work. Traktor’s user interface and user experience have also been a notch above the competition in my view. Thankfully, NI hasn’t tinkered with anything in the new release that diminishes these things — or indeed anything else that long-time

Traktor uses have appreciated about the platform. In fact, the company’s work appears to have been focused in bringing Traktor back to a posture where it’s competitive with today’s DJ software landscape.

While NI has given the software a slight visual refresh that refects the company’s recently updated branding, the banner feature among the new functionality is stem separation. But the featured additions also include fexible beatgrids, a pattern player, and the addition of Ozone Maximizer, technology borrowed from the acquisition of plug-in maker iZotope several years ago. Let’s dig-in…

Stem Separation

It’s a great concept: Take an off-the-shelf commercial music track and allow machine-learning to disassemble it into four basic pieces, usually vocals, percussion/drums, bass line, and everything else (i.e., melodic content), then enable you to reuse those components at will. The promise for performing DJs is clear: Take, for example, the driving bassline from one track, and maybe mix in the vocals from a completely different track, while layering-in some beats from someplace else entirely, and voila! A unique, neverbefore-heard version of a song that’s perfectly engineered (By you! On the fy! Live!) to get the entire club to take a beeline to the dancefoor.

I suspect that at this point I’m very much “on the record” as being ambivalent about stem separation, primarily because while I love the value proposition that I just described above, I have been repeatedly disappointed at how much the reality in practice simply doesn’t live up to the hype. So,

Traktor Pro 4: Features include stem separation & more.

while I understand why NI rolled out stem separation in Traktor Pro 4 — to remain competitive in the market — once again, I fnd myself doing a bit of a shoulder shrug in reaction to it.

NI says that the capability is powered by AI, plus RX technology borrowed from iZotope. To be clear, the stem separation works well enough, and is on par with how this sort of stem separation works with other software in terms of audio quality. That is to say that it does the job, but nearly always leaves a little bit to be desired. As I’ve written on many occasions, stem separation tends to leave audible “holes” in each stem corresponding to where other parts of the track were scooped out. How well it works is entirely dependent on the source material, how that material was mixed, and how effects were applied during production. Sometimes the results are amazing; other times they border on unusable. But this is no knock against NI, or Traktor Pro 4; it’s simply the nature of the technology, and the current state of the art.

Regardless, when you pair separated stems with the use of the new pattern player, I think the overall value proposition in Traktor is strong. On the downside, the speed at which stem separation takes place doesn’t really stand up to what its competitors have recently done. Nevertheless, it does the job, and it’s an area where I fully expect NI to continue to improve over time.

Pattern Player

Let’s face it: It can often be a challenge to make the transition from one track to another in a set, even when the tracks are harmonically compatible. Maybe you just don’t have enough material to work with (even if you loop a section), or maybe the producer just plain did something weird or “artistic” to makes things diffcult. The ability to bring up some beats from another source can be just the ticket to bridge those gaps, and the new pattern player is the perfect way to do that — while providing myriad options for enhancing your performance in other ways, too.

The pattern player is a mini-sequencer which can replace an effects unit in-situ, enabling you to control the pattern player itself, then, with many existing Traktorspecifc DJ controllers simply by using the controls that otherwise tweaks effects; it’s a pretty clever approach. The software comes with a generous library of percussion kits and patterns that you can customize and control in a variety of different ways. Depending on your DJ style and preferred material, you might agree with my bottom-line assessment: The pattern player is the most useful, most valuable new feature in Traktor Pro 4, and the one that, without question, I’ll be using more than any of the other new additions.

Flexible Beatgrids

According to NI’s Sylwia Kopyś, fexible beatgrids constitute the “most requested feature by the Traktor community.” I have no reason to doubt Ms. Kopyś, but refective of the wide range of DJ styles and material that DJs play, I’m not quite certain that this feature rates high on my personal list.

As the name suggests, fexible beatgrids allow Traktor to deftly handle material where the BPM varies within a single track, such as a tempo slowdown in a break or drop section. I’m pretty sure that I can count the examples of such material in my own collection on one hand and have fngers left over, but for those whose material includes large numbers of (or in fact any ) such tracks, it’s a godsend. When applied to such a track, everything in Traktor that’s dependent on tempo alignment just works, and not to sound too over the top here, it’s pretty magical. If a track with varying tempo is the master, the tempo changes occur and bring everything along for the ride; if not, then the tempo changes are essentially removed, with everything automatically kept at the master’s BPM.

In my experience, Traktor has already done an outstanding job of both detecting and maintaining a consistent tempo; fexible beatgrids just extend its intelligence and utility.

Ozone Maximizer

Ozone, for those unfamiliar, is the renowned mastering plug-in from iZotope, which became part of the Native Instruments family several years ago by way of acquisition. Maximizer is a specifc component of Ozone, which NI has now extracted from Ozone and brought to Traktor.

The idea here is to maximize loudness, while still preserving the integrity and essence of the material. One mistake that many DJs make is just slamming output levels around without regard to clipping and distortion. Maintaining adequate headroom in your levels is critical for clean sound when crossfading tracks, adding effects, or playing clips or patterns. But then overall loudness can suffer (and your overall set can become a rollercoaster of levels) when only a single source is playing, since that headroom isn’t really being utilized.

Maximizer aims to address this. If you begin with the practice of leaving ample headroom in your individual track levels, when applied, Maximizer will help your set achieve and maintain a consistent loudness as effects, mixing, clips and the like come and go as you perform. The result will be a set that steers clear of distortion, while still delivering the consistent, club-centric sound you desire.

Working with Traktor Pro 4, I found the Ozone Maximizer to fully deliver on its promise. All I can say is to follow the directions for its proper use, and the audio quality of your sets will be better off for it.

Conclusions

To be sure, the Traktor Pro 4 upgrade makes clear that Native Instruments is still committed to the DJ market and can still turn out a great product. While there are still areas in the new features that could be improved, and no doubt other features the Traktor community wants but remain unaddressed, make no mistake that NI has added a solid amount of value to a DJ software application that is arguably the best the class. And with upgrades priced at just $74.50 (new purchases are $149, although the software is bundled with certain NI DJ hardware), there’s little reason not come along for the ride. I’m excited to see what NI has cooking for the future of the Traktor product line — and no doubt there are things to look forward to in the months and years ahead.

Compact Creative Tool ABLETON MOVE:

By Wesley King

One of the biggest challenges I’ve had — and continue to have — as a musician and producer is translating the concepts, ideas, rhythms, and melodies in my head into something that I can develop into an actual fnished musical product. For me, at least, that process is excruciating, and prone to failure; to describe it as frustrating is an understatement.

Every time I hear a pitch from a company framed as an idea to make that exact process easier, my eyebrows rise, my ears perk, and I keep hoping I’m going to hear the solution to the problem. Unfortunately, every one of these pitches to date has left me disappointed. Whether a software tool to let you hum a melody or beatbox a rhythm track into a mic and turn it into MIDI, or software that promises the world, but ends-up being a glorifed clip library, I have yet to meet a “solution” that truly makes it easier to extract things from my creative brain, or make the overall creative process any easier.

The latest pitch along these lines comes from none other than Germany’s Ableton, and it’s called Move — k eeping with the company’s penchant for four-letter product names. Move is Ableton’s second entry into the hardware market, following Push (which is now in its third generation), but also its second attempt (following their Note app) at something

that promises to let you capture musical ideas anytime, anywhere. In fact, on the surface, Move feels a lot like Note, just arranged differently, and packaged up into a dedicated hardware device.

When Ableton talks about Move, it’s hard not to read things like, “Catch the frst fashes of inspiration as quickly as they come.” Or, “Create faster than you can overthink,” and not believe I’ve heard this all before. I love Ableton Live – like many, it’s my DAW of choice – so I’m a bit biased when it comes to Ableton products. I really want to believe in the promise of Move, but it’s tough to put aside my healthy skepticism.

The Basics

Taking an initial look at Move, my skepticism is reinforced by the fact that what dominates the device are 32 backlit rubbery pads. Some quantity of these now seems to be a standard feature of every DJ- and EDM-producer-focused piece of hardware that comes to market — which immediately causes me to question the idea that Ableton is really innovating with Move. Surrounding the pads are a bunch of mostly unlabeled buttons and knobs, with a tiny LCD display in the upper-left corner. Some buttons do sport some iconography, and the 16 buttons along the

On the Move: Built-in processor, speaker, mic & battery power.

bottom seem somewhat obviously to be for sequencer steps (because they are). But not many of the controls on Move make much sense without digging into the documentation.

Having to dig into a manual would seem to suggest that the design choices made by Ableton have the net result of making Move almost completely unintuitive for a new user, but that’s only partially true. To their credit, the company rolled out Move with a series of short videos that serve to quickly get new users rolling in easily digestible chunks. Still, Move might be viewed as an instrument in its own right, meaning that there’s both a learning curve and what I might call a “practice curve” required to be effective in using it.

But it was in watching these videos and following along with them that I began to see Move in a different light; this was in large part because, as I could have guessed, looks alone can be deceiving.

In Use

First off, Ableton has apparently used the same highquality hardware for the pads that they’ve used on the Push, meaning that their sensitivity and accuracy are unusually good, and worthy of being considered part of an instrument. Secondly, there was clear UX (user experience) design effort put into the function and placement of the buttons, along with contextual features, like symbols that selectively light up under the front-most row of small (sequencer) buttons as you navigate functions. Most interesting, though, were the knobs. They’re no ordinary twisters; simply resting a fngertip on any of them changes the unit’s little display contextually. For many of the knobs, its function and a setting level are revealed, so you can immediately see what’s what, and how your turning of a knob is affecting things. For the main control knob, this behavior is built into the overall UX approach itself, adding an interesting and intuitive aspect to using the device.

At this point, more of my skepticism began to subside. And as I progressed through the tutorials, even the limitations of Move — like the availability of just four tracks per set, a fairly narrow array of on-board sounds, a maximum of 32 sets — began to make much more sense in light of Move’s actual objectives to make it easy and quick to construct some musical ideas.

The thoughtfulness of the design of Move started to come into focus as well. Even something as simple as pre-loading a new set with four randomly selected tracks from within traditional categories (one percussion, three melodic) seems tailor-made for inspiration. (Of course, any of the chosen sample sets can be changed as desired.)

The general approach of Move is clearly modeled after Live’s session view, and in fact, Ableton uses the same nomenclature throughout. As a result, building a set becomes more intuitive than I would have guessed by doing nothing more than getting the lay of the land of Move, and then adding in years of hands-on experience with Live.

Programming beats can easily be done through fngerdrumming or just tapping slots in the sequencer, while

melodic elements can easily be tapped into place; for either type of musical content, you can enable the metronome to guide you and quantize as desired. For melodic elements, as with Push, you can choose between an in-key layout for the pads, or a chromatic layout that opens more creative possibilities. And one surprise? Move makes it easy to undo changes that you tried but disliked, whether clips you’ve recorded, or even things like effects parameters you changed, but don’t want to keep.

Ableton seems to have taken advantage of the portable, rechargeable-battery-powered nature of Move. (According to the company, a single charge gives you four hours of use.) There’s a built-in mic and a built-in speaker (plus built-in jacks for headphones and audio-in), so not only do you not have to use headphones with it, but you can also sample found sounds and incorporate those into your projects.

Ableton also seems mindful of the sort of ecosystem it’s creating with its combination of software (Live, Note) and hardware (Push, Move). With Move’s on-board WiFi connectivity, you can easily use Ableton Cloud to (bad pun alert) move your projects from the device and into Live for further development. You can also use Move as a controller with Live; simply tether it with its USB cable to your desktop computer, and off you go.

Speaking of which, it probably goes without saying that the material you initiate on Move is nowhere near releaseready as-is, but that’s the point: Capture inspiration and play with ideas whenever and wherever the mood strikes, and then develop those ideas further on the desktop, adding more richness, more effects, more instruments, more sounds, more fare — and fnally see your random ideas through to the fnish line.

Conclusions

I’m not convinced that Move is necessarily going to help me with my biggest musical challenge: Truly extracting ideas from my head, and into something I can use to actually create something. But perhaps that doesn’t matter; as I used Move, my skepticism subsided, and I can clearly see its value as a creative tool — as a method of synthesizing and playing with ideas in a low-risk, low-stakes environment that (with practice, anyway) is far more intuitive than I believe at the start.

Ableton has done a much better job than some of its contemporaries in offering a piece of hardware that actually delivers on its promise of inspiring creativity, perhaps owing to its aforementioned ecosystem, but moreover owing to some extremely clever design choices. This includes some real focus on what matters, and restraint with not adding everything they might have dreamed up. It seems to have a similar mission as Ableton’s own Note, but in the case of Move, it feels like they achieved it.

With a $449 entry point for Move, it’s not going to ft every budget. But, for me, even at this early stage of my using it, Move offers something special; it’s a legitimate tool that fts the way my brain works, doesn’t push me outside my comfort zone, and that offers real, tangible value.

Sometimes, my inner skeptic is proved wrong, and Move has succeeded in that. And I have to hand it to Ableton: That’s not an easy thing to achieve.

Veteran Jock Serves

CLIENTS & MORE

By Jim Tremayne

Bristol, Pa. – Like a lot of DJs, Chuck Zerambo has spent much of his professional life in service. But for him, it’s not just about his customers – it’s also about service to his country and community.

A veteran who balances his DJ company – Sir Charles Distinctive Entertainment & DJ Services – with his work at the Department of Defense, Zerambo has managed to distinguish himself in both areas. In addition to successfully running his company since 1987, Zerambo, 65, was recently bestowed the Spirit of Hope Award from the Department of Defense. The award honors “core values of duty, honor, courage, loyalty, commitment, integrity and selfess dedication.” We recently visited with the Philly-area DJ.

DJ LIFE: What got you interested in music?

Zerambo: I grew up in the Philadelphia area, where I was immersed in music from an early age. One of my earliest musical experiences was performing as a Philadelphia Mummer, marching in the Mummers New Year’s Day Parade when I was just 3 years old. This early exposure to music sparked a lifelong passion.

DJ LIFE: Was there an artist that moved you?

Zerambo: As a child, one of my biggest musical infuences was Jim Croce. I had the incredible opportunity to meet Jim through a neighbor, and I spent time hunting with him on his farm in Chester County. I also joined him at his deer-hunting camp, where he wrote much of his iconic music. Jim’s lyrics, which were always inspired by real-life experiences, left a lasting impression on me and deepened my appreciation for the storytelling power of music. These formative experiences shaped my love for music during an infuential time in my life, helping me to understand not just the sound, but the soul of music.

DJ LIFE: How did you get the DJ bug?

Zerambo: I’ve always had an interest in music, and when I was in high school, I briefy considered becoming a radio DJ. However, I took a different path into the automotive industry, where I built a solid career. In the mid-1980s, I saw an ad looking for DJs and decided to audition. That was when I landed a job at The Pros, a large DJ company, and I found my passion for entertainment. I started part-time and quickly discovered that DJing was not just a hobby for me – it was something I loved. Over time, I became one of the top 20 DJs in the company, which gave me the confdence to take a leap and start my own business in 1987.

DJ LIFE: How did that go?

Zerambo: As my DJ business grew, I continued working full-time in the automotive industry as a regional manager at Snap-on Tools and eventually transitioned into the Department of Defense, where I balanced my full-time role with my entertainment career. The business continued to thrive, and I’m proud to say that Sir Charles is now a second full-time business, thanks to the support of my adult children. Today, I balance my work in public speaking, training, and leadership with my passion for entertainment, providing sound and DJ services for a variety of events, including large races and high-profle occasions. My journey from DJing part-time to growing a thriving business while serving and balancing my roles has been an exciting ride, and I’m grateful for the opportunities to blend both my passions and professions.

On Mic: Zerambo has become a frequent public speaker.

DJ LIFE: How many events does the company do annually? How many performers work for you now?

Zerambo: We do approximately 150 events, and I personally do 50 to 60. We have six DJs, eight musicians, and four staff members.

DJ LIFE: What’s your percentage breakdown of events?

Zerambo: It’s 45-percent weddings, 30-percent racing events, and 25-percent corporate, schools and other events.

DJ LIFE: What DJ-gear set-up do you usually use?

Zerambo: The most-common set-up includes: Bose Pro 16 Speakers; Numark NS4FX Controller; Virtual DJ software; Windows PC; Sennheiser mic system; Soundswitch DMX controller; Both Tube Lighting; Chauvet DJ 4BAR LT QuadBT ILS ; and Pro-X DJ booth.

DJ LIFE: What makes your company unique within your market?

Zerambo: At Sir Charles Entertainment, weddings, and event production are our two primary focuses. While having top-notch professional gear is essential, I believe the real secret to our success lies in the people behind the equipment. It’s the exceptional interpersonal skills and attention to detail that make our events memorable.

DJ LIFE: How does that happen?

Zerambo: We take great care in planning and executing every event, ensuring that we provide a personalized experience for each client. Our “Distinctive 3-P Recipe for Success” is what sets us apart: Distinctive People, a Distinctive Process, and a Distinctive Production. Each of these elements ensures a seamless, unforgettable event. Additionally, we’ve been honored as the People’s Choice in our market for fve consecutive years, which speaks to the lasting positive impression we leave on both our clients and their guests. That kind of recognition is a refection of our dedication to delivering an exceptional experience every time.

DJ LIFE: How does your company market itself these days?

Zerambo: Networking and collaboration have been the most effective form of marketing. I am on the Board of Directors for the Philadelphia, South Jersey, and Delaware Chapter of National Association for Catering & Events aka NACE, which has led to becoming a preferred vendor at many of the

region’s event spaces. I am also a captain of a couple of running clubs in the Greater Philadelphia area and this has led Sir Charles to be part of the racing community, allowing us to become a premier sound and announcer provider for many of the running and cycling events in the area handling races from 100 to 10,000 participants.

DJ LIFE: How has the business changed?

Zerambo: The past few years have brought both challenges and growth. After the pandemic, there was a surge in demand for events, especially weddings, although corporate events were slower to recover due to initial shifts to virtual and hybrid formats. We’ve seen events become more personalized and intimate, with technology integration, such as live-streaming, becoming standard. Clients are also prioritizing safety, leading to a rise in outdoor venues. While weddings have declined due to fewer couples meeting and socializing during the pandemic, our racing events have become a key source of recurring revenue. As a premier provider for running and cycling events in the Greater Philadelphia area, these events ensure a steady income stream year over year.

DJ LIFE: You’ve become quite the public speaker – where did that begin?

Zerambo: It began when the local Chamber of Commerce invited me to share how I launched my DJ business and tips for start-up entrepreneurs. That experience ignited my passion for presenting, leading me to take public speaking and acting classes, which sharpened my delivery and heightened my awareness of body language. I also studied professionaldevelopment workshops, observing not only the content, but how presenters delivered their material, which helped me refne my own style.

DJ LIFE: Where has this taken you?

Zerambo: During my career as a regional manager with Snap-on Tools, I traveled nationwide delivering presentations on sales, best practices in business, and interpersonal skills. I’ve also earned several certifcations, including being a Ziglar Legacy Certifed Trainer, which refects my commitment to personal development and leadership excellence. Today, as the

Training Program Manager for Troop Support with the Defense Logistics Agency, I lead programs like the Leadership Academy, Resilience Training, and Mentoring Program. Additionally, I present workshops in the entertainment and events space for NACE and DJX, sharing insights on leadership, marketing, and collaboration. These diverse experiences have been a tremendous asset to the DJ industry, allowing me to bring fresh perspectives on professionalism, client engagement, and adaptability. They’ve helped me build strong networks, become a trusted educator, and contribute to elevating the standards within the entertainment space.

DJ LIFE: You’re a veteran and you still do government work. What was your service time like and where has it taken you?

Zerambo: I served a single term primarily at Fort Dix as a Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic in the U.S. Army. Today, I also work as the Training Program Manager for Troop Support assigned to the Defense Logistics Agency. My role includes running the Leadership Academy, Resilience Training, and Mentoring Program.

DJ LIFE: How has your armed-forces experience impacted your DJ business?

Zerambo: My military background has shaped not only how I conduct business, but also how I prioritize giving back to the community. It has driven me to ensure that my company, Sir Charles Distinctive Entertainment & DJ Services, plays an active role in supporting veterans and their families, while always honoring the commitment and sacrifce of those who serve. It has had a profound impact on my business and how I approach community service. Having taken the same oath as my brothers and sisters in arms to protect and serve, I carry a deep respect and dedication to supporting those who have served.

DJ LIFE: How so?

Zerambo: Over the years, I’ve worked actively to assist veterans, including coordinating with local food banks, the VA Hospital Social Services in Philadelphia, and the Veterans Multi-Service Center of Philadelphia to obtain, pick up, and deliver prepackaged food provisions to veterans in need. This handson work demonstrates my commitment to ensuring veterans are supported in practical and meaningful ways.

WordPress Themes for DJs:

A 2025 REBOOT

By Jordan St. Jacques

Almost all the DJs I know out there – and that’s quite a lot, of course – use WordPress for their website foundation. I’d say that it’s 97-percent of you.

This is quite normal, of course, as WordPress powers approximately 40-percent of the world’s websites, and perhaps up to 60-percent, if you count only small- and medium-sized businesses. As such, it’s important for all of you to stay abreast of major developments in the WordPress world, if only so that you’re in sync with whoever handles your website.

The issue that I’m going over with you this month (along with the crew at DJX) is rather important, especially to those of you about to renew their website in the next six to 12 months. You see, WordPress has had two fundamental changes since 2018 that have changed the game with respect to website development, which has led to the eternal question of…

WordPress Themes: Classic Vs. Blocks

What are we talking about here? Simply put, you need to be aware of two major changes within WordPress.

Phase 1: In December 2018, WordPress 5.0 was released, and it contained a brand-new development framework called Gutenberg, which is a blocks-based system.

Phase 2: In July 2021, WordPress 5.8 introduced the Full Site Editor (FSE), which introduced a new IDE for WordPress developers and designers to create WP websites.

FSE has really changed the game for WordPress site creation, making things much faster for the development process as well as providing much faster site load speeds right out of the box. The important consideration here is that to use FSE and to maximize Gutenberg’s capabilities, your theme must be block-based. Over the last two years, this has led to two distinct classes of themes.

Classic Themes: The ones we’ve all been using for the last 20 years; these are the ones that cause all the problems out there, with everything from outdated design to bad code resulting in ineffcient websites… and hurting your business.

Block-Based Themes: This new class of themes are the ones that best-in-class developers are currently using to push new websites out. Block-based themes feature great code, modern design, and a block repository that speeds development time up considerably.

Some block-based themes are in the appendix below.

If you’re curious as to why block-based themes are far superior to the old classic themes, here are four main reasons as to why that is:

PHP vs. HTML: Classic themes use a lot of PHP, whereas block themes encode in HTML alongside a bit of block markup. Rule of thumb… PHP slows things down, making block themes a better choice.

Editing Capabilities: Block themes use blocks for everything, including elements such as headers, footers, etc., reducing the need for plug-ins to accomplish certain tasks (i.e., mega menu). Less plug-ins, better website performance.

“WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? SIMPLY PUT, YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF TWO MAJOR CHANGES WITHIN WORDPRESS.”

Storage Location: Classic themes tend to store fles in your root website directory, whereas block-based themes can store fles anywhere in your directory tree. This keeps fles and objects closer to where they need to be, for better website performance.

Website Load Speeds: Classic themes can load quickly, but the optimization task requires you to spruce up the entire site before any of the pages will load fast. Block-based themes require less effort to obtain greasy-fast site-load speeds.

Here’s a brief summary in table format for you:

For those of you needing a new website (either for new companies or a replacement of your old, busted site), your best choice by far is a block-based theme. Make sure your web developer knows this, and follows your instructions. Appendix – 12 vetted block-style themes: Ollie

Spectra One Frost Neve FSE Bricksy Gutenify Raft UniBlock YITH Wonder Basti Björk GreenShift

Jordan St. Jacques is the President/Lead Digital Marketer at Digitera.Interactive in Ottawa, Ont., Canada. He’s also part of the Author Collective from National Disc Jockeys

GEAR

ALL-IN-ONE

AlphaTheta has released the XDJ-AZ, an all-in-one DJ system with club-standard lay out and features, built-in Wi-Fi, multi-device support and 4-deck playback. Signifcantly evolving the features and usability of its predecessor, the XDJ-XZ, the unit serves as a permanent fxture or for DJs who take their gear on the road. With its built-in Wi-Fi, the unit, which inherits the layout and feel of the CDJ-3000 multi player and DJM-A9 mixer, allows DJs to play songs from cloud-based libraries and perform with performance info such as Hot Cues. This, coupled with the unit’s multi-device support, gives DJs the choice to play with various types of media. Its 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen makes for easy track selection and menu navigation. A built-in transmit-

ter syncs the XDJ-AZ with the HDJ-F10 SonicLink-compatible DJ headphones via an ultra-low-latency wireless connection, and the system features better sound quality than its predecessors. AlphaTheta Corporation 2050 W 190th St #109 Torrance, CA 90504 (424) 488-0480 www.alphatheta.com

LIQUID FX

Building on the success of the original H20, the new H20 Two is ADJ’s brightest and most fexible water-simulation effect to date. Offering a compact form, sleek design and a variety of control options, it is ideal for a wide variety of temporary event production applications as well as permanent installation in all kinds of leisure and entertainment venues. The fxture can be used to generate a wide range of effects, ranging from extremely realistic water simulations to psychedelic projections in a selection of vibrant colors. At the heart of the H20 Two is a potent 120-watt cool white LED engine, which is signifcantly more powerful than those used in previous ADJ H20 fxtures. With a 50,000-hour average life expectancy, the unit can run continuously for long periods of time without the need for lamp replacements. The fxture is able to project a mesmerizing animated effect which gives the impression of running water due to its internal textured glass wheel, which can be set to rotate at variable speed. ADJ 6122 S. Eastern Ave Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 316-9722 www.adj.com

ANNY TIME

LD Systems has released the ANNY 8 battery-powered, Bluetooth loudspeaker. The most compact model in its ANNY series, the portable ANNY 8 is available in four colors to suit individual design preferences: Stage Black, Pure White, Adventure Green and Urban Grey. The 2-way PA system with 8-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter also combines a built-in 5-channel mixer and a wireless microphone system. Applications include small party sound systems, karaoke, singer/songwriter setups and more. In addition to the two combo inputs for microphones and line instruments and the integrated wireless microphone, there is also a stereo input (mini jack or RCA) and Bluetooth 5.0 for fexible playback of music and other content, and thanks to the True Wireless Stereo (TWS), true stereo streaming when two ANNY 8s are used.

LD Systems/Adam Hall Group 1 S. Corporate Dr. Riverdale, NJ 07457 (973) 335-7888 www.adamhall.com

HOLD IT!

On-Stage, a brand of The Music People, has released the TCM500 smartphone holder for mic stands, which securely attaches to a mic stand and holds a smartphone for ease of reading for any purpose. It’s also a great way to set up and stabilize a phone camera for live streaming and content creation. Additionally, the TCM500 can be attached to other objects, such as a music stand or desktop, making it possible to mount a phone in a convenient location to aid in practice, performance, streaming, or recording without setting up an extra stand. Phones can be mounted in portrait or landscape modes and the ball joint on the phone clamp enables users to dial in just the right angle for comfortable viewing or for shooting videos. To ensure a snug ft for a variety of phones, the phone clamp adjusts in width. Padding on the clamp protects phones from scratches and dents while providing traction to deliver secure, stable device support.

On-Stage/The Music People 154 Woodlawn Rd Berlin, CT (800) 289-8889 www.on-stage.com

UPDATED XONE

Allen & Heath, distributed Stateside by American Music & Sound, has launched an updated Xone:92 by introducing cutting-edge enhancements inspired by the Xone:92 Limited Edition. The updated model delivers the same Xone sound, but with the latest high-performance analog components in the audio path, the Xone:92 VCF has extended frequency precision thanks to the optimized control curve. Additionally, silent flter switching enables seamless transitions and enhanced resonance provides new creative dimensions for performers. The updated unit revamps the classic Storm Grey colorway with enhanced UV printing for low-light legibility, and a refocused legend for increased visibility of key controls, with recessed Filter and XFade assign switches further improving ergonomics. The crossfader has been updated to the mini innoFADER Pro, tuned to match the curve of the original 92 fader, while providing a smoother, more precise and longer-lasting mixing experience.

American Music & Sound 310 W. Newberry Road Bloomfeld, CT 06002 (800) 431-2609 www.allen-heath.com

SYNTH MANIA

Opening with a foreword from Rush’s Geddy Lee, THE MINIMOOG BOOK presents more than a decade’s worth of researchturned-storytelling by author/music historian JoE Silva. Published by Bjooks and subtitled “The Synthesizer That Changed Music Forever: Sounds, Stories and Technology,” the book offers exclusive interviews and features with legendary artists like Kraftwerk, J Dilla, Air, Bernie Worrell, Devo, Gary Numan, Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Chick Corea, Tony Visconti (David Bowie), George Duke, Anne Dudley (Art of Noise), and many others. THE MINIMOOG BOOK features exquisite and detailed photography — much of it brand new — as well as schematics, historical promotional materials, engineering interviews, illustrated sound patches, and over 70 artist features. It is the perfect coffee table book and keepsake for lovers of synthesizers, music history, illustration, photography, and timeless books of all kinds.

Bjooks Publishing Howitzvej 60, 1. 2000 Frederiksberg Denmark www.bjooks.com

light that functions as a pixel-mapping effect, uplight, or eye-candy effect light, thanks to its custom lenses. It has 40 tri-color LEDs (red, green, blue) and ILS compatibility makes creating coordinated light shows with this unit and different fxture types easy. Highlights include:

control; silent operation and no moving parts; wireless, nonDMX operation available with optional IRC-6 remote; and easy transport in the optional CHS-60 VIP Gear Bag.

Chauvet DJ 5200 NW 108th Ave. Sunrise, FL 33351 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com

PRIME MOVER

Building on the original PRIME GO unit, Denon DJ, an inMusic Brand, has launched the PRIME GO+, an enhanced portable standalone DJ controller. Users can stream over 100 million tracks with seamless Wi-Fi access from top services like Amazon Music, TIDAL, and more, or use SD cards or USB input for stored media. Users have up to four hours of playtime with the internal rechargeable battery. The unit is equipped with Bluetooth input/output, balanced XLR main outputs, ¼-inch booth outputs, RCA main out, RCA Auxiliary input, and dual mic combo jack inputs. Its advanced FX Engine includes 26 main FX, two knob-controlled Sweep FX, Echo Fader FX, and 10 interactive Touch FX. A 7-inch multi-gesture touch screen allows DJs to intuitively control their music, offering customizable views and a Day Mode for outdoor events. The unit operates on the Engine DJ standalone OS.

Denon DJ/inMusic 200 Scenic View Dr. Cumberland, R.I., 02864 (401) 658-3131 www.denondj.com

SUB STAND

Hercules Stands, distributed Stateside by KHS America, has released the SS350B Adjustable Subwoofer Pole with Hybrid M20 Adapter. Designed to meet the rigorous demands of DJs, musicians, backline, and rental companies, the Hercules SS350B provides adaptable confgurations with stability. The unit boasts versatile compatibility, ftting a wide range of subwoofers and speakers with a 35mm pole socket. It offers adjustable height settings from 35- to 56-inches to adapt to various performance environments, with reli able safety mechanisms like a locking pin and power lock lever to prevent slippage. Featuring a unique 2-in-1 hybrid adapter with a retractable M20 thread and 35mm adapter, it supports most subwoofer models. Constructed with heavy-duty steel, the SS350B ensures durability for reliable performance.

Hercules Stands/KHS America 12020 Volunteer Blvd Mt. Juliet, TN 37122 (800) 446-6010 www.herculesstands.us

PAR EXCELLENCE

ColorKey, a Mixware brand has introduced the MobilePar HEX 5, a lightweight, battery-powered, wireless LED PAR light designed for portability and fexibility. Ideal for event spaces, wedding venues, and DJ set-ups, this compact fxture offers vibrant color washes and versatile control options, setting a new standard in mobile lighting solutions. The versatile design includes a removable split yoke bracket for standard clamps and ColorKey’s EZMAG magnetic mount, making it compatible with metal surfaces like ceiling tiles and DJ facades. The unit’s lithium battery lasts up to nine hours on a single charge. Equipped with fve 12-W RGBWA-UV LEDs, the unit offers a wide spectrum of colors, from rich tones to subtle pastels, with smooth color transitions. Users can select from 48 preset colors or create custom looks using a color wheel, enabling diverse lighting effects such as fades, pulses, and strobes.

ColorKey/Mixware 9790 Glenoaks Blvd Ste 7 Sun Valley, Calif. 91352 (818) 578-4030 www.mixware.net

BIG DAW

PreSonus has introduced the Studio One Pro 7 digital audio workstation. Bridging the gap between loop-based music production, mixing, mastering, and live performance, PreSonus’ DAW offers all the essential tools within a single platform. Version 7 provides creators with new, advanced production tools, workfow improvements, and extensive sound libraries designed to drive creativity. With over 30 new features within the DAW, the highly anticipated features include AI-powered Stem Separation, frst-ofits-kind Splice Integration, a dynamic Integrated Launcher, a new virtual instrument named Deep Flight One, and improvements on the DAW’s go-to drum machine, Impact. Crafted for producers, beat makers, and musicians, Studio One Pro 7 provides the tools to create inspiring music with exceptional speed and convenience.

PreSonus 18011 Grand Bay Court Baton Rouge, LA 70809 (800) 856-9801 www.presonus.com

COMPACT CONTROL

Native Instruments has unveiled the Traktor Z1 MK2 ultra-compact DJ mixer/controller and soundcard. Building on its predecessor, the unit brings essential DJ mixing features into a modern design with improved hardware, OLED displays, and enhanced audio capabilities. Other new features: Traktor Pro 4 software included; three bright OLED displays show essential mixing info; Stem Control layer offers precise volume control on stems; Mixer FX Section offers one-knob control over nine effects, including flter, reverb, delay, and gater; Four-Deck Control; and Modern Design, as the unit introduces a transparent undershell with functional lighting, allowing DJs to customize the LED colors.

Native Instruments North America 5101 Santa Monica Blvd Ste 8 Los Angeles, CA 90029 (866) 556-6487 www.native-instruments.com

TRACKS

“Keep Trying” (Brian Tappert Remixes) Lu/Lu & LYMA Lumberjacks in Hell

Soulfuric and Traxsource head honcho, Brian Tappert supplies a couple of devastating remixes for this latest Lumberjacks in Hell release. The main version uses the vocal over a bumpy bassline, and on the dub version, he digs out the M1 for an irresistible dubbier groove. Tasty.

– Curtis Zack

David Morales

“Love Come Down” (Ezel & DJ Spen Remix)

Evelyn “Champagne” King Quantize

If I’m being honest, I was a little dubious when this landed in my inbox. How do you better an all-time classic? Well, Ezel & DJ Spen have absolutely slayed it with this new version, featuring a disco guitar and great piano chords which makes the vocal stand out even more. Splendid.

– Curtis Zack

“Just Can’t Get Enough”

David Morales feat. Randy Roberts DIRIDIM

After a string of great tracks towards the back end of 2024, Morales keeps up the pressure with his frst release for 2025. Only getting a release on Bandcamp, this one’s a feel-good disco workout, featuring a great, soulful vocal from Roberts and, as you would expect, top-rate production.

– Curtis Zack

“I Like It Like That” (Michael Gray Remix)

Inner Life feat. Jocelyn Brown Fool’s Paradise

The Traxsource artist of 2024, Michael Gray fnishes the year as he started – with another chart-topping remix of a much-loved disco classic. This time it’s Inner Life that gets the MG treatment, and he doesn’t stray too far from the original with beefed up drums and a subtle change in arrangement. Groovin’.

– Curtis Zack

“Shout It Out”

BLOND:ISH & Night Tales Insomniac

This warm, tropical groover shifts into a brisker, moredanceable pace with understated, sensuous vocals wafting throughout. A nice track for the pool, the beach or sundowns – break this one out for toastier weather.

– Jim Tremayne

DJ Spen

Michael Gray

BLOND:ISH

“Agolo” (Next Gen)

DJ AMÉMÉ & Angélique Kidjo

Parlophone

An updated Afro-house version of Kidjo’s 1994 international hit, courtesy of genre star and fellow Benin native

DJ AMÉMÉ, this one shakes the hips and locks you up with its unique vocal hooks.

– Jim Tremayne

Max Kion

“Sunrise Generation” (ReShape)

Damian Lazarus feat. Fink Crosstown Rebels

A new take on Lazarus’ vibrant ode to sunrise, the “Re-Shape” kicks a bit harder than the Novemberreleased original, but it’s no less trippy. As you might imagine, it’s easy to get lost in the hypnotic, techy groove and the tickly effects.

– Jim Tremayne

“Pony”

Lee Foss, Detlef & TheConnect

Populate Mars

A buzzy rhythm gets going, then it gives way to a deep, pumping groove and a sassy spoken-word vocal that doesn’t let up – and there’s a pretty wacky drop to boot. As cheeky as it is manic and bewildering –but that’s the idea.

– Jim Tremayne

Lee Foss

“Revival”

Max Kion

Pleased as Punch

The Shapeshifters fedgling label is going from strength to strength, and this is arguably their best release up to now. With a simple piano groove, snappy vocals, and a great house groove all round, this one’s defnitely a track worth seeking out.

– Curtis Zack

Art of Tones

“The Magic Count” Art of Tones

Disco Express

Appearing on the Disco Express Best of 2024 – although I think this is the frst time it’s been out – Art of Tones (aka Ludovic Llorca) does what he does best and provides a funky little number to shake your thing to. An irresistible groove coupled with some soulful vocal vamping make for a dancefoor winner.

– Curtis Zack

Damian Lazarus

CLUB PLAY CHART

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■ MassPool

■ Record

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■ Gary Canavo masspooldjs Saugus,MA

■ DJ Sticky Boots The HyperMiXx Syndicated

■ Dan Mathews Rhythm 105.9FM

■ Manny Esparza Nexus Radio Chicago,IL

■ Howard HK Kessler In The Mix With HK Syndicated

■ Randy Schlager KNHC

■ DJ Ilan Fong Multiple Pod Casts Columbus, OH

■ Alan Chasen OMAP Washington,

■ Steve Tsepelis Pacifc Coast Long Beach,

■ Brian Stephens Mixxmasters Lithonia,GA

■ Peter K. Productions Peter K Syndicated

■ DJ Spawn Mix 93 FM Los Angeles, CA