DJ Times July 2017, Vol 30 No 7

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988

JULY ­­­­2017

THE

$4.95 US $6.95 CANADA

L AT E S T

21ST CENTURY DJS WHAT’S NEXT? THE MOBILE BUSINESS DO’S & DON’TS PLUS: n DETROIT’S MOVEMENT FESTIVAL n RELOOP MIXON 4 n AKAI MPC LIVE n DC BREAKS n JUS JACK BEYOND THE BOUNCE

TOUR LAUNCHES

NOTABLES…MILESTONES

Adam Meyer

Movement: Mainstage at Hart Plaza.

Honey Dijon rocked the Motor City.

By Jim Tremayne

Robert Turner

Adam Meyer

Detroit – Nearly 100,000 fans descended on Hart Plaza this past Memorial Day weekend for Detroit’s annual Movement festival. Produced by Paxahau, the threeday event ran May 27-29 and brought more than 100 top DJs/electronic acts.

Additionally, it served as the kick-off event for America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Weedmaps & DJ Times. The season-long tour will support an online vote that will answer the annual question: Who’s America’s Best DJ? (To vote and see the latest tour details, please visit AmericasBestDJ.us.)

As always, DJ Times maintained a dedicated exhibition booth at Movement, where the magazine’s reps took votes for the event’s eight ABDJ-nominated jocks. They Eli from Soul Clap visits ABDJ booth.

Profound Sounds: Josh Wink on mainstage. included Carl Craig, Green Velvet (performing as his Cajmere alias), Honey Dijon, Josh Wink, Kevin Saunderson, Matrixxman, Soul Clap moments – a nice departure from Movement’s world of beats. and Stacey Pullen. Also, the 2016 ABDJ winner Claude VonStroke—performing Both the online voting and America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Weedas Barclay Crenshaw—made a mainstage appearance. maps & DJ Times will run until Labor Day, and the ABDJ Award Show/Closing Party Among the ABDJ-nominated jocks, highlights included: Honey Dijon’s powwill take place Columbus Day Weekend in October. erful deep-house Sunday sets on the Red Bull Music Academy stage and later at Fans who vote (in person and online) and fans who keep up with America’s Best DJ the “OK Cool!” afterparty at the TV Lounge—“I’m Every Woman,” indeed; Josh on Facebook and Twitter can win a slew of prizes. Additionally, one lucky voter (chosen Wink’s exquisitely nervy Radiohead-meets-acid set Saturday on the mainstage; randomly) will win a trip for two to the ABDJ closing event. Stay with America’s Best DJ Carl Craig’s occasionally growling, often playful techno set Saturday on the all summer long and maybe you, too, can be a winner.

Stargate Stage, which featured furious buildups, manic breakdowns and plenty of happy locals; and Stacey Pullen’s strong, soulful tech-house effort just prior to Craig’s set on Stargate.

West Coast Weekender Also of note from ABDJ-related talent: Matrixxman’s Saturday set of strafSan Diego – L.A. house ing buzzbombs that careened around the Underground Stage’s concrete walls, pioneer Marques Wyatt gets leaving the daytime festival-goers a tad stunned; Cajmere’s always-consistent things moving at the World set of quirky tech-house on Sunday’s Stargate stage; and Barclay Crenshaw’s Beat Center during West hip-hop and ghetto-tech set that featured local hits like DJ Assault’s infamous Coast Weekender. Held at a “Ass-N-Titties.” variety of San Diego venues Other notable Movement performances: Kerri Chandler’s wonderful deepthis past May 4-7, WCW house set featured the massively crowd-pleasing Dimitri from Paris re-edit of presented four nights of Prince’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” which brought plenty of hands in the air and music and three days of elicited a few tears; Robert Hood’s taut, yet soulful techno lit up the Riverfront seminars, including presenPyramid Stage on Saturday; the live set from Larry Heard (aka Mr. Fingers) featations by DJ Times and ace turing vocalist Mr. White delivered Chicago’s house roots to a receptive, young non-profit GiveABeat.org. crowd; and, working with a drummer and keyboardist, Thundercat dropped some insane six-string bass runs, providing some showy, but moving free-jazz Jim Tremayne

Bryan Mitchell

AMERICA’S BEST DJ: TOUR LAUNCHES IN MOTOWN

3

VOLUME 30

NUMBER 7

12 Left Turn

Putting Bounce on the Back-Burner for the Moment, Deorro Directs His Emotions on the Very Personal “Good Evening”

BY KAT BEIN

20 21st Century Jocks We Asked Mobile DJs for Their Wish Lists.

What They Offered Might Surprise You

BY JEFF STILES

22 Motown Sounds

America’s Best DJ Kicks Off at Detroit’s Movement Fest

BY DJ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHERS

DEPARTMENTS 7 Feedback

As Always, the Answers to All Your DJ-Related Questions

26 Making Tracks

Akai MPC Live

28 Sounding Off

Reloop Mixon 4 controller

30 Mobile Profile

DJ Spans 3 Zip Codes

32 Business Line

Your Operation: Do’s & Don’ts

34 Gear

New Products from QSC Audio, Mackie & More

38 Grooves

Phat Tracks from Alesso, Joey Negro & More

41 Club Play Chart

The Hottest Records, As Reported by Our Top U.S. Record Pools

4

8 Jus Jack

Double-Life DJ

10 In the Studio With…

DC Breaks

Cover Image By Erik Voake

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

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FROM THE EDITOR

Overcoming Odds/Making Positive Change

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

Deorro’s story is one of dogged perseverance and ultimate triumph. The son of Mexican immigrants, the Los Angeles-based Deorro (aka Erick Orrosquieta) emerged from modest means and overcame a unique set of circumstances to become one of today’s more successful DJ/producers.

In addition to remixing for top talents like Chuckie, Laidback Luke, and Diplo, Deorro found his own audience with original productions like “Five Hours.” And now he’s given us Good Evening, a very personal artist album and one that works on dancefloor sound systems or via earbuds. In her first cover story for DJ Times, Miami-based writer Kat Bein caught up with Deorro to discuss his artistic approach and more.

In Samplings, our local Long-Island-based scribe Michelle Fetky visits with Jack Trantides (aka Jus Jack), who explains how he maintains dual careers – one as a successful club owner, another as a hitmaking DJ/producer. Also, our longtime L.A. correspondent Lily Moayeri goes into the studio with Chris Page and Dan Havers of DC Breaks, as the U.K. drum-n-bass duo discusses the lengthy task of completing its latest full-length, Different Breed.

From the tech world, our gear-review columns examine two very versatile pieces. For Making Tracks, our St. Louis-based studio maven Josh Harris puts Akai’s new MPC Live production/performance tool through its paces. Also, in Sounding off, our Denver-based reviewer Wesley Bryant-King examines Reloop’s Mixon 4 professional DJ controller, which can handle playback from laptops or tablets with ease.

In the realm of the mobile entertainer, our Iowa-based Jeff Stiles asks a panel of jocks to make a wish list of new developments they’d like to see – things that’ll help their businesses, whether it’s in the gear/technology area or beyond. In Business Line, we offer a series of “do’s and don’ts” for running a successful mobile-entertainment operation. And in Mobile Profile, we bring you B-Boy Productions’ Brian Buonassissi, who runs successful operations in three very different markets – Orange County, Calif., the Florida Panhandle and New York City.

This month’s issue took us to Detroit for the Movement festival, which also served as the launch point for the America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Weedmaps & DJ Times. With a lineup sporting eight ABDJ nominees—plus last year’s winner (Barclay Crenshaw aka Claude VonStroke)— Movement maintained its standing as one of America’s very-best festivals, not to mention one of its best-run events. Cheers to event producer Paxahau on another successful endeavor. Stay tuned for more from the tour, including a recent stop in Chicago for the Spring Awakening Music Festival – and don’t forget to vote for your favorite U.S.-based jock at AmericasBestDJ.us.

Of course, DJ Expo is quickly approaching and, on the opposite page, you’ll see some of its most recent developments. Set for Aug. 14-17 at the Atlantic City Convention Center—with evening events at venues within The Tropicana Casino & Resort—DJ Expo will present three days of exhibits and seminars, plus three evenings of sponsored parties. Whether you’re a veteran seeking new business opportunities or an upstart looking to learn, DJ Expo has something for you—the latest technologies, the most-pressing seminar topics and the best networking in the DJ business. Hopefully, we’ll see you in AC in mid-August.

In closing, I’m compelled to give a shout out to Oscar and Jessica Poche, a pair of industry friends who took their DJ and organizational skills from New York to San Diego three years ago. For the past two years, they’ve co-produced West Coast Weekender, a four-day DJ-culture conference/club festival in San Diego, and DJ Times has been very happy to participate, as we did this past May 4-7.

In addition to moderating DJ- and production-related WCW seminars, DJ Times has been thrilled to participate in sessions from Give a Beat, a very special non-profit organization we’ve supported since its inception two years ago. In addition to raising consciousness on a variety of pressing social issues, Give a Beat seeks to offer music-related mentorship programs to those recently released from prison. If you’re interested in working with Give a Beat, please visit giveabeat.org and let’s all work toward some positive change. Thanks again to all at West Coast Weekender for making such a memorable event.

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Cheers,

Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ Times

editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@testa.com

art director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com

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

production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com

assistant editor Brian Bonavoglia bbonavoglia@testa.com chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Kat Bein Joe Bermudez Wesley Bryant-King Shawn Christopher Matt Clark Paul Dailey Reed Dailey Chris Davis Tony Fernandez Tommy D Funk Michelle Fetky Jennifer Harmon Josh Harris Greg Hollmann Mike Klasco Michelle Loeb Duanny Medrano Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Deanna Rilling Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Bruce Tantum Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com

DJ Times Sound & Communications The Music & Sound Retailer Sound & Communications ClubWorld Blue Book America’s Best DJ The DJ Expo IT/AV Report Convention TV News VTTV Studios

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marketplace advertising sales manager Ricky Pimentel rpimentel@testa.com art/production assistant Ricky Pimentel rpimentel@testa.com Circulation circulation@testa.com Classifieds classifiedsales@testa.com operations manager Robin Hazan rhazan@testa.com

Editorial and Sales Office: DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York, USA 11050-3779. (516) 767-2500 • FAX (Editorial): (516) 944-8372 • FAX (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-9335 • DJTIMES@TESTA. COM Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, NY, USA, 110503779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care an d should be accompanied by return postage.

DJ Times (ISSN 1045-9693) (USPS 0004-153) is published monthly for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 110503779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright © 2017 by DJ Publishing, Inc., and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher. Websites: www.

JULY 2017

visit our website: www.djtimes.com

FEEDBACK U P D AT E S

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJ DJs ESTABLISHED 1988

JUNE 2017

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$6.95 CANADA

MIXING & SET-BUILDING 12 TIPS & TRICKS

WHY MOBILE DJS LOVE OUTDOOR GIGS

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are there areas where you’re legally vulnerable? In this unique session, at‑ torney Marcelle Henry of NYC-based firm of Cohen, Weiss & Simon will help DJs looking to protect themselves by offering a variety of best business prac‑ tices. The session will include: how to establish a business entity; trademarks; insurance; packaging and pricing; con‑ tracts; social media; website creation; advertising, and much more.

“The Digital Sales Funnel.” Looking

to book more DJ business via digital outreach? Your clients have all gone digital – have you? Open the “Digital Sales Funnel” and begin to book more DJ business. Join Jordan St. Jacques of Canada’s Digitera Interactive for this advanced digital-marketing session and learn how to bring more traffic to your online platforms. Begin to use advanced tools in your digital campaigns to gen‑ erate leads – and close more clients.

Other DJ Expo Seminars: Adam Dutch’s

“Mashups: Playing & Producing”; Claudia Godi’s “DJ Wellness: Posture & Prevention”; Tony Fernandez’s “Next Phase: Advanced Mixing Seminar”; Brian Buonassissi’s “Do Like Disney: Next-Level Customer Service”; Jerry Bazata’s “Successful Small-Business Owners Do These 5 Things”; Fox Felt‑ man’s “Get ’Em to the Dancefloor”; and Mick Uranko’s “Increase Your Current Rates – And Get Paid More for Your Services.”

5/16/2017 4:48:50 PM

This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to in‑ dustry professionals. If you have any questions about DJing – marketing, mixing, equipment or insurance, any at all – drop us a letter at DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Ave, Port Washington, NY 11050, fax us at (516) 944‑8372 or e‑mail us at djtimes@testa.com.

If we do use your question, you’ll receive a free DJ Times T‑shirt. And remember, the only dumb question is the question that is not asked.

DJ Expo Update DJ Expo is set to run Aug. 14-17 at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, N.J. Produced since 1990

by DJ Times and its publisher Testa Communications, DJ Expo will present an exhibit hall full of the latest DJ-re‑ lated technologies, nearly 30 seminars covering the most pressing industry topics, and three evenings of sponsored parties and events featuring top talents.

While the Atlantic City Convention Cen‑ ter will house DJ Expo seminars and ex‑ hibits, The Tropicana on Atlantic City’s famed Boardwalk will serve as the host hotel for attendees – free shuttles will run back and forth all day. Additionally, The Trop’s nightclub venues will host sponsored Expo evening events, like “The Entertainer of the Year” competition, which will take place Aug. 16 at Boogie Nights – “The Ultimate ’70s and ’80s Dance Club.”

Also at DJ Expo: Superstar DJ/pro‑ ducer Laidback Luke will present a spe‑ cial “Keynote Q&A” on Monday, Aug. 14. The Dutch artist/Denon DJ brand ambassador will discuss his notable ca‑ reer—which includes hits and remixes for the likes of Mariah Carey, Robin Thicke, Madonna and Nicki Minaj, and three full artist albums. Additionally, he’ll discuss his approach to music, talent-scouting, DJing and life.

Just Announced – New Expo Seminars: “Lawyer Up: Best Business Practices for DJs from a Legal Perspective.” As a DJ, have you minded your legal P’s & Q’s? As a mobile-business operator,

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SAMPLINGS

JUS JACK: DOUBLE-LIFE

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

As a New York-based DJ/producer and club owner, Jack Trantides lives a double life that only a few readers of this magazine will ever experience.

Known professionally as Jus Jack, Trantides owns the Queens hotspot Central Lounge and, since 2009, has cranked out productions and remixes for labels like Dim Mak, Armada and more. As a touring jock, he’s headlined major venues like Marquee in New York, Studio Paris in Chicago and New City Gas in Montreal.

With a pair of catchy, vocal-driven releases on Armada’s sublabel The Bearded Man—“Love Somebody” and “I Can’t Win”—he’s been on a production roll in 2017, with more tracks to come. We recently caught up with New York DJ/impresario Jus Jack to discuss how he holds it all together.

DJ Times: How did you get involved with DJing?

Jus Jack: I was 13. My brother and one of his DJ friends purchased equipment together because my brother thought he wanted to get into it. A few days later, he decided he didn’t want to—and the equipment was just lying around—so I put everything together and bought some records. From that day forward it just became a passion.

DJ Times: When was your big break?

Jus Jack: I had two. One was the first record that came out [in 2010] called “Smoke.” That was on mainstream radio and Top 3 on airplay. My second was developing a relationship with Tiësto and him remixing one of my songs [“Love Is the Answer” in 2013].

DJ Times: Any musical background?

Jus Jack: No musical background. Everything was self-taught.

DJ Times: DJ influences?

Jus Jack: Roger Sanchez, originally. But now it’s a lot of people that I work with—Tiësto as well. He is a huge influence as a person in the business who helps cultivate new talent and always brings a lot of people up to the surface. I find it honorable that he can be in that position and do that. Obviously, there is a mutual benefit in it for me, but at least he is not someone who hogs the spotlight and he helps people become known.

DJ Times: Tell us about “Love Somebody” on Armada’s new imprint The Bearded Man. Jus Jack: The singer, Rico [Greene], sounds like Stevie Wonder meets The Weeknd. I found that combination so fascinating and I wanted to work with him, so I made a track specifically to for him to see what he could do with it. He came back with something really great and we worked back and forth on it to finalize it.

DJ Times: What’s your approach to collaborations?

Jus Jack: One of my biggest things to tell people when we are making a track together is I’m not afraid to re(continued on page 40)

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Jus Jack: The artist & entrepreneur.

IN THE STUDIO

DC Breaks: (from left) Dan Havers & Chris Page.

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

DC BREAKS: A DIFFERENT BREED

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Chris Page and Dan Havers of DC Breaks operate on a solid teamwork template.

The U.K. drum-n-bass duo saw the release of its first artist album, Different Breed, this past April on the genre’s leading label, Ram Records. The recording process took a few years, during which more than two albums’ worth of other DC Breaks material was released, but Havers and Page stuck with it – and the resulting full-length showcases the balance between their distinct talents.

Page is the production-leaning member, while Havers handles the songwriting side. Different Breed reflects both these angles with bangers such as the immaculate “Organism” and funky tear-out “Underground,” as well as radio-ready songs such as the super-sticky “No One Like You” and the gentle “Time to Kill.” The flow on Different Breed doesn’t seem like it would work, but it does, extremely well.

“I’m the type of person that always starts stuff and never finishes it,” says Page. “I spend ages writing 16 loops and riffs, coming up with loads of ideas. I’ll send [Havers] 30-second chunks and he’ll pick which ones we finish. He had a publishing deal, so he has a lot of singer/songwriter contacts that he likes to work with. He’ll get them in the studio, write piano, chords, a vocal in a day, send me that and I’ll put the beats and bassline to it. I start the bangers and he starts the songs.”

Both fellows operate Logic on Macs and maintain the same plug-in set-up to keep the swapping of files simple – Page maintains his studio in Bristol, while Havers does so in London. The tendency for DC Breaks is to make all its sounds from scratch and, as a result, create more unique ones over which they have more control—something they both feel is required in drum-n-bass and its famously difficult pro-

duction. Havers has more outboard gear and traditional instruments like piano and guitars, as well as tube EQs and a tube compressor, which he uses mainly for vocals and synths.

Page keeps his studio in the box.

“I use FabFilter for every channel—the EQ is really good,” says Page. “Trackspacer from Wavesfactory is really good as a sidechain compressor. You can specify the frequency range. It’s really useful for ducking frequencies out of vocals with snare drums. Or if you need a bassline to kick, get it to subkick a kickdrum out whenever the kick drum is hitting. It’s a good way of cramming more stuff into your tunes, which we always like to do.

“There’s a really good plug-in by Waves called Element,” he continues. “They’re not known for their synths, but it’s basic synthesis which makes deep effect-y type sounds that are really raw and grounded and supereasy to use, quick to get a good result. The thing I’ve been using the most for making the bangers is Serum because the bass design is just really, really good.”

Even with all his expertise in Serum, Page, on occasion, comes across challenges, such as on the aforementioned “Organism,” where it took a lot to get the bass sound correct.

“The crux of that sound is using a partially mixed in bandpass filter quite resonant and then using the envelopes to oscillate how much of the growl part of the sound is coming through,” he explains. “The envelopes and the oscillators in Serum are super-flexible, so you can draw ridiculously complicated envelopes and in a later edition keep add(continued on page 40)

TO SPEAK l aidback l uk e

Atlantic City Convention Center

AUGUST 14-17, 2017 Leading DJ/Producer Laidback Luke to Speak at DJ Expo ’17 Atlantic City, N.J. – International superstar DJ/producer Laidback Luke will present a special “Keynote Q&A” at DJ Expo.

Set for Aug. 14 at the Atlantic City Convention Center, Laidback Luke’s keynote session will highlight the opening day of DJ Expo, which will run until Aug. 17. DJ Expo is produced by DJ Times magazine and its publisher Testa Communications.

Presented by Denon DJ, Laidback Luke’s session will include discussion on his hit-making career, plus his approach to music, DJing and life.

Laidback Luke has crashed the charts with crossover hits and remixes for the likes of Mariah Carey, Robin Thicke, Madonna and Nicki Minaj.

Also, with 3 artist albums under his belt, Luke is a hugely accomplished producer.

As the founder of Mixmash Records, Luke’s abilities as a talent scout are legendary. Over the years, those skills have served up an impressive array of big hitters on their way up – they include Avicii, Bingo Players, Knife Party, Afrojack and Steve Angelo, among others.

Luke’s also a devout kung fu artist and a huge proponent of a mentally and physically healthy lifestyle. This past March in Hong Kong, Luke competed professionally in the Kung Fu World Championships and won 6 medals (3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze).

No matter the endeavor, Laidback Luke’s all about success.

So bring your questions and meet Laidback Luke at DJ Expo on Aug. 14!

th edj expo.c om

Other seminars include sponsored sessions from DJ Expo exhibitors. Stay tuned for more DJ Expo announcements. For the latest on DJ Expo ’17, please visit www.thedjexpo.com.

Erik Voake

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In the midst of our interview with Deorro, we asked him: What DJ gear do you use when you play out and why? Also, how do you work in the studio?

“I use two pairs of Pioneer DJ CDJ-2000 NXS2 players and a Pioneer DJ DJM900NXS2 mixer,” says Deorro of his DJ-booth approach. “It’s the standard at all venues I play. I started on Pioneer and I’m still using Pioneer, so I’m comfortable with it.

“In the studio, I don’t use any hardware – just a laptop. To produce, I use Ableton Live. I use the regular stock plug-ins, but I tend to use iPhone-recorded sounds and I just tweak them to my preferred sound. I would have to say the live instruments and my iPhone to record sounds… those are essential.”

– Jim Tremayne

Erik Voake

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

Deorro’s Gear: In the Booth & the Studio

JULY 2017

DJ TIMES

Erik Voake

For Deorro, in life and in art, struggle seems to be par for the course.

In fact, it was not so long ago that Erick Orrosquieta was a homeless teenager in his native Los Angeles, soon to become a father for the first time. Certainly, his prospects seemed less than ideal.

But today, the 25-year-old professionally known as Deorro is a platinum-selling DJ/producer, signed to Ultra Records, with releases and remixes for some of the biggest names in dance and pop music.

It’s a genuine success story, sure, but also one that’s evolving, one that continues to overcome obstacles, extending all the way to the release of his latest album – the very personal Good Evening. But more on that in a minute.

Though his musical artistry began on guitar, Orrosquieta started DJing at 14, heading out to hired gigs with his Mexican-immigrant father, as a means to make the family some extra cash. When he was 15, he sired his first son, and by 17, he’d dropped his guitar and picked up a laptop, trying his hand at bedroom production of electronic music (then using the handle, TON!C).

Life was a struggle, but through it all, his positive outlook and energetic bounce records kept the fans and the regional Los Angeles festival bookings coming. He caught his break in 2012 when superstar DJ/ producer Chuckie asked him to remix “Make Some Noise.” Its jumpy, funky breaks landed on Beatport’s Top 50, and it brought more remix requests from top names like Steve Aoki, Laidback Luke, and Gareth Emery.

Deorro collaborated with Diplo and Aoki on the hard, bounce banger “Freak” in 2014, and immediately followed up with R3hab on “Flashlight.” He even got the pop nod of approval when Chris Brown hopped on his original hit “Five Hours.” His reputation was built on bright, ballsy beats that slap the listener in the face while forcing the feet to dance.

But in now 2017, he’s out to prove that his depth as an artist knows no bounds.

Bounce music is fun at a party, but it doesn’t necessarily represent the complete musical soul of the man. Deorro’s about much more than that, and his latest full-length Good Evening is proof. The album offers 24 tracks—12, if you don’t count the atmospheric interludes—that thematically wrestle with life’s meaning and physically grapple with the confines of sound.

Rooted in an existential crisis Deorro felt he was having, it’s a solid story from start to finish, one that blends and weaves the varied scenes of life into one, beautiful, hour-long journey. It shifts from cartoonish glee to gospel to dubstep-influenced vibes with ease – one moment, it’s thoughtful and introspective, the next it’s got your girl twerking.

Of the dancefloor movers, “Butt Naked” is a hardstyle beast, while “Goin’ Up” (featuring DyCy) is pure festival joy. From its moody, acoustic numbers like “Honest Man” to the funkier cuts like “Turn Back Time” (featuring Teemu), Good Evening is unlike anything you’ll hear from the EDM landscape this year.

We caught up with Deorro, just before the album dropped this past Spring.

DJ Times: How does it feel having Good Evening out? You can’t take it back now.

Deorro: I feel relieved. I’ve been working on it for three years. It’s time to open up the next chapter in my life.

DJ Times: There’s no way this was a quick project. There’s a lot going on there…

Deorro: Technically, I’d say it’s 13 tracks, but I took advantage of the interludes. I wanted to create little scenarios. I’m adding to the story, so each piece

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DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

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FreedomFilmLLC.com

is also a huge part of the album.

DJ Times: I particularly love the transition from “Going Up” into the “Miss You” interlude. You go from this bright, bubbly exuberance seamlessly into an almostsolemn direction.

Deorro: I’m so glad to hear you say that. For me, it’s like reading a book. When we read a book, we create our own scenarios. It’s so cool to hear people talk about the album like that, because that’s a similar image to what I had, and it teaches me a lot about the listeners to hear them say that.

DJ Times: You’re setting a cinematic stage from the start – it opens with this orchestra warming up. It’s like something exciting’s gonna happen.

Deorro: An orchestra tuning is my favorite sound, because it’s like something epic is about to happen, something huge. It’s exactly the feeling I wanted to project.

DJ Times: When did the project start to germinate in your brain, and how did it evolve? What was the concept in your mind going into it? Clearly storytelling, but…

Deorro: It’s a few elements. My favorite album of all time is Dark Side of the Moon. The way that album was put together was so seamless. Every track is layered. It doesn’t melodically go from one to the other, but it’s still one piece. I listen to a lot of classical music, and a lot of the pieces are an hour long. A lot of people recognize just the beginning, and then it goes into other parts, but it’s almost the same thing. It’ll go from a happy feeling to a sad feeling, and an uplifting feeling, then it’ll change to minor chords. That’s what I wanted to bring out. Why doesn’t that exist in EDM, where people don’t create individual tracks, but one long piece that takes you through a journey?

DJ Times: I was in band growing up. I get that world.

Deorro: I always wanted to be in band, but I couldn’t because my first language was Spanish. I always had two English classes, so I never really got an elective. That’s also why I put in that drum-line part. None of those instruments are actually real. It’s just me tapping on my laptop and recording it with a built-in microphone.

DJ Times: That’s crazy. It sounds for sure like a real drum line.

Deorro: No! I wish. The entire album was 100-percent produced by me. The choir vocals are the only outsource. Everything else on there was all me, and it took a lot. A lot of the violins are not real. It’s just my voice, but I learned how to play the cello and the violin during the making of this album just to link it. It’s been a crazy experience. It changed my life.

DJ Times: I’d love to hear more about that.

Deorro: I fell out of love with music, and I fell in love with sound. Once I started experimenting a lot. I would take a recording and start to warp it, stretch it out, and add effects. I started paying less attention to virtual presets and synthesizers. I started paying attention to recordings and natural things. I was paying attention a lot more to detail. Each guitar sounds different. It’s unique.

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

Instead of just recording a guitar, I tried to create a guitar sound with my voice, or me tapping a spoon on the side of a cup, stretching that out, and then making that sound metallic, like a nylon guitar. There is no guitar that sounds like this, because it’s not actually guitar. Vocal texture has such unique texture. Everybody has their own voice. Every voice sounds so different. The drumline part, the trumpets, the brass; it’s all my voice layered.

DJ Times: And that’s not all…

Deorro: There’s a section interlude where there’s an earthquake. All those sounds where everything shakes, the deep rumble, everything falling down, crashing, and falling apart, people screaming and crying, all that is sounds I put together to tell a story. It’s painting a picture in your head. I want to end up in the movie world, create soundtracks and special effects. This really taught me how to sound-design. The sound of wind, I can work that into a drum set. I can piece part of the sounds into a high tom, another one like a low tom, then your kick, snare, high hat, and crashes. They can all come from the same sample, and that was from the practice of experimentation and warping sounds.

DJ Times: Sounds like you got an education with this project…

Deorro: I learned so much making this album. It’s quite incredible to see how much you can do. A lot of people feel limited because they don’t have instrumentation or drums, but you gotta be really creative. You can actually figure it out, actually produce, and sound-design anything you want. You don’t want your tools to limit you. Your mind is a tool in itself.

DJ Times: The best tool.

Deorro: I used to play piano and guitar, and ever since I got into EDM, I fell from that.You have everything you need in the laptop, and when I was in a band, I didn’t have producer experience. Now that I have all these years putting music together and being a producer, and I’m going back and getting in touch with my guitar abilities, singing, piano and all that, I was wishing I did it a lot earlier. I replaced some of the instruments with real instruments, but I kept a lot of the original audio that I had designed. There’s guitars in “Turn Back Time” that I ended up replacing so they sound more realistic, but the violins in the beginning, that’s still just my voice – and it’s actually me singing opera, too.

DJ Times: My mind is a bit blown. My brain immediately thinks, “This is an orchestra warming up.”

Deorro: That’s the tough part. Everyone can have ideas. The trick is to replicate those ideas into something real. The more time you invest, the closer you get to replicating what you have in your head. When other producers ask what they have to do, I say, “The more time you put into it, the more experience and under(continued on page 40)

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At the top of his DJ wish list, John “DJ Gallifrey” Horne in Huntington, Pa., says he’d forever banish audience members who continually demand that he play their song… next. But, more realistically, he’ll settle for something that’ll spice up his mobile rig.

“I’m always on the look-out for new lights, but nothing is really jumping out at me right now,” says Horne, who’s been professionally entertaining with Jam Machine Productions since 1982. “I always wait to see what’s what at the DJ Expo before I base any decision on purchases.”

Horne’s sentiments are echoed on the other side of the country by Mark Haggerty, who says he’s not against trying new things, although he’s satisfied with the equipment currently used by DJs for his San Francisco Bay Area outfit, Denon & Doyle.

“I have my system dialed in, with a new console, speakers and great mics,” says the Pacheco, Calif.-based Haggerty. “We did try to use an iPad on a pedestal for karaoke requests—that could be used by DJs, too—but guests just didn’t take to the new technology like I thought they would.

They still like to interact with the MC and request stuff in-person.”

We polled mobiles from all over the nation, asking them what’s on

21ST CENTURY JOCKS WE ASKED

MOBILE DJS FOR THEIR WISH LISTS. WHAT THEY OFFERED MIGHT SURPRISE YOU.

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

BY JEFF STILES

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their wish lists for 2017, either equipment-wise, music-wise or otherwise.

We asked them to stretch their imaginations, to think of things that would actually make their job as a mobile entertainer much easier, to think outside the box, to envision their future. What would they dream of having, if they could snap a finger and make it so?

“I just wish I could find and attract more clients, so I could just do what I love—gig time,” says Michael Grant of Sanford Sound & Light in Sanford, N.C. “I suck at business and selling, but love meeting with and talking to potential clients, to get a feel for each other. So, I guess a middleman would be nice for the sales end.”

Blake “DJ Sticky Boots” Eckelbarger of the Music Place in Sound Bend, Ind., says he has his own wish list — just not from an equipment or business point of view.

“Of course, I always wish for an intelligent, capable and self-motivated unpaid intern that could handle the office’s busy work, or a crew of veteran roadies looking to stay in shape between tours to handle load-in/ out or to set up for me at every event.

“But that truly is ‘wishful’ thinking,” he jokes. “Otherwise, I think the thing I’d wish for most is for more potential customers to value the service we provide as mobile entertainers, and to see us as a unique asset worth investing in rather than a commodity.

“Of course, it would also be nice for some clients to be better organized and committed when it comes to the success of their events.”

Back over on the West Coast of the United States, Seattle’s Adam Tiegs of Adam’s DJ Service says his dream would be that manufacturers would tweak some of their equipment features to make them more friendly to mobile DJs. “For example, if Serato were to incorporate an auto-fade feature— not auto-mix—I would most likely use it exclusively for all of my music prep and organization,” Tiegs explains. “But since that one important feature is missing, as a mobile DJ I still utilize the old Denon Music Manager software, which works great with the DN-HD2500 controllers I use.

“I’m waiting for the manufacturers to step up and make a good standalone product for mobiles, not just club DJs.”

Tiegs is able to quickly run down a list of computer programs or mixer features that would make his job much easier.

“I can’t support [Pioneer DJ’s] rekordbox because I find its foundation and framework too limited,” he says. “[Denon DJ] Engine might be headed back in the right direction, but for some reason Denon’s C-Fade and Relay Play features were left out. [Native Instruments’] Traktor might work, too, but that’s a whole new platform I’d have to learn.

“I’d also like an all-in-one controller and/or mixer that utilizes RF remote-control capabilities to start and stop tracks, and that would adjust mic/track/master volume from the dancefloor. As an MC, I’d like to be a little more interactive, but feel like I’m stuck behind the decks and mixer because no product exists, to my knowledge, that has this technology incorporated.

“We’re incorporating wireless signals, wireless control of speakers and even wireless control of our lighting, but why not our basic DJ functions, too?”

Tiegs hopes manufacturers are reading this. “I also dream of a DJ product that has mic inputs

“I’d like an all-in-one controller and/or mixer that utilizes RF remote-control capabilities to start and stop tracks, and that would adjust mic/track/mas‑ ter volume from the dancefloor.”

— Adam Tiegs, Adam’s DJ Service, Seattle

DJ TIMES

[on mixers/controllers] to improve the quality and quantity of mic pre-amps on their units,” he says. “Imagine having the line-level mixer tech built into a DJ mixer/controller, without a need for a separate line-level mixer or mic mixer to hook up more than one or two mics—balanced, combo jacks, so no more ¼-inch jacks.

“I know I’m just dreaming, but my No.-1 wish should already be a feature. Serato spent tons of money and time on R&D for Pyro, but if they’d incorporate a simple autofade feature, I think they’d own the DJ world—both club and mobile.”

Back over in the center of the nation, K.C. KoKoruz of Chicago’s Keith Christopher Entertainment Group says the mobile DJs of today should simply be thrilled with how our industry has evolved over the past two decades.

“The reality is, compared to the ’80s and the ’90s, DJing today with modern technology is a DJ’s dream come true. Equipment has become smaller, lighter, more efficient— not to mention cheaper.

“Music was always an issue in the old days, but today is available at the click of a mouse, compared to having to drive to a store and buy it. The rock-n-roller cart and the cost reduction of flight cases have made loading in and out of a venue a one-trip situation most of the time.

“Online Customer Relationship Management companies like DJ Event Planner have made keeping our sales leads, clients and planning tools all so convenient that when I look back at the way we used to do it, I just shake my head. Today’s technologies allow us to have a back page with pricing on it, or perhaps a PDF to email so that the days of actually mailing things are long over.

“With everything that’s out there already, I think all that needs to be done is to tweak a few things.” n

JULY 2017

“I’d wish for more potential custom‑ ers to value the service we provide as mobile entertainers, and to see us as a unique asset worth investing in rather than a commodity.”

– DJ Sticky Boots, South Bend, Ind.

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Detroit – Nearly 100,000 fans made it to Detroit’s Hart Plaza for the Movement festival this past Memorial Day weekend. Produced by Paxahau, the festival served as the kick-off event for the America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Weedmaps & DJ Times.

As always, DJ Times was there with an exhibition booth, taking votes for the eight nominated jocks. They included Carl Craig, Green Velvet (performing as his Cajmere alias), Honey Dijon, Josh Wink, Kevin Saunderson, Matrixxman, Soul Clap and Stacey Pullen. Additionally, last year’s winner Claude VonStroke (performing as Barclay Crenshaw) spun a set on Movement’s mainstage. It all looked like this:

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MOTOWN SOUNDS

1 Mainstage Madness: Fans fill Hart Plaza. Anthony Rassam 2 EFunk: Soul Clap’s Eli & Charlie. Paul Lee 3 Vote! An emphatic fan at the ABDJ booth. Adam Meyer

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4 Giant Jenga: DJs duel for GiveABeat.org. Jim Tremayne 5 At Stargate Stage: Cajmere aka Green Velvet. Nick LeTellier

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AMERICA’S BEST DJ KICKS OFF AT DETROIT’S MOVEMENT FEST

6 6 In the D: Movement fans in Hart Plaza. Douglas Wojciechowski 7 Roland Booth: Fan tests out a DJ-808. Jim Tremayne 8 Hip-Hop Hooray: Barclay Crenshaw

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8 aka Claude VonStroke. Paul Lee 9 Higher States: Josh Wink in daylight. Douglas Wojciechowski 10 Testify: Stacey Pullen throws down. Adam Meyer

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11 11 Whoa: Earl Sweatshirt on the mic. Adam Meyer 12 House Heaven: Honey Dijon on RBMA stage. Katie Laskowska 13 Belleville 3:Atkins, Saunderson & May. Adam Meyer

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14 Unicorn Power: Colorful fan at the ABDJ booth. Jim Tremayne 15 Siblings:The Saunderson Brothers. Adam Meyer 16 Death in Vegas: Sasha Grey out front. Adam Meyer

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17 17 Jackathon Jams: Heidi in the mix. Adam Meyer 18 Weedmaps Fan: ABDJ booth visitor. Jim Tremayne 19 C2: Carl Craig on Stargate Stage Bryan Mitchell

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20 In the Crowd: Fans repping The D. Douglas Wojciechowski 21 In Hart Plaza: Rhythm is a dancer. Bryan Mitchell 22 PLAYdifferently: Nicole Moudaber on Model 1.

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Adam Meyer

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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

AKAI MPC LIVE: PORTABLE & POWERFUL

By Josh Harris

MPC Live: Production center, performance tool.

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

Back Panel: SD slot, MIDI I/O & more.

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At the beginning of the year when I first saw the promotional videos for the MPC X and MPC Live, both of which Akai Professional debuted at the Winter NAMM show this past January, I knew that I had to review one of them.

It certainly seemed like Akai Pro’s parent company, the Cumberland, R.I.-based inMusic, had a couple of hot new products that updated the legendary MPC line of production tools. So, after some consideration, I opted for the MPC Live because of its smaller size and portability.

We all know the MPC’s huge influence in pop, urban and electronic music over the last generation, and the legacy will most certainly continue with these two new offerings. Weighing in at 5.9 pounds, the MPC Live is a powerhouse. Don’t let its small stature fool you at all. Akai has done a fantastic job packing this little guy with all sorts of features that enhance workflow and open up a nice array of options for live performance – hence the name, MPC Live.

First, let me mention some of the specs: 16 velocity and pressure sensitive pads; eight different pad banks; four Q-Link knobs and columns; 2 GB of RAM; and a 16 GB internal drive. The unit ships with 16 GB of onboard storage – 10 GB of pre-installed content, 6 GB remaining for additional storage. So, it’s a good thing that space was left for the installation of a 2.5-inch SATA drive (HDD or SSD), for extra storage space.

I’m considering putting a 1TB SSD in my unit, but for the moment, I am using a 64 GB USB 3.0 stick with one of the two USB 3.0 ports on the back of the unit. And, so far so good!

There is also an SD card slot, along with two sets of MIDI I/O, RCA inputs (and a ground peg) for a turntable, 1/8-inch headphone out, 6-¼-inch TRS outputs and 2-¼-inch TRS inputs. The display is 6.9-inch and is full-color LED-backlit, as well as touch screen. Oh, and I almost forgot mention the lithium ion battery that offers around five hours of use without AC power. Class-compliant MIDI controllers and ASCI keyboards can connect to the USB 3.0 ports, in the event you want to add those types of peripherals.

The MPC is designed to be a stand-alone music production center, and Akai has really taken some big steps forward by integrating audio. That’s correct, you can now import and/or record up to eight tracks of audio in a sequence. Users have the ability to warp their audio, so your loop will lock to the BPM of your sequence. If you are running the 2.0 desktop software, and your computer is fast enough, you can have up to 128 tracks of audio.

When you register your MPC on the Akai website, you will be given a serial number to download the 2.0 desktop software. Since this is a review of the MPC Live and not the desktop software, I’m only going to mention a couple of important points about the software.

The newly designed 2.0 software is a huge improvement over the Version 1 software. Most importantly, support for VSTs is now available, and when you add the integration of audio, these are game-changers, in my opinion. Also, the MPC Live can be used as a control surface with the 2.0 software, much like the MPC Touch.

If you’ve ever worked on an MPC, then you understand that there is a special “feel” to building tracks on

it. From the quantization to the expressiveness of the pads, for me, there isn’t anything else like it. I have to say that the included content is fantastic. The Vault 2.0 includes top-notch content from companies like CAPSUN ProAudio, MVP Loops and CR2 Records.

It did take me a couple of days to get comfortable navigating the unit. Coming over from an MPC 1000, I wasn’t accustomed to all of the new menus, subfolders, and touch-screen capabilities, but once I got the lay of the land, I was off and running. And, my old MPC 1000 program files and samples loaded up just fine.

For those of you who may be new to the MPC ecosystem and terminology, a program is made up of a collection of samples, and a sequence is the recorded performance of those samples on different tracks. A song is made up of one or more sequences, and a project contains the song, sequences, programs and samples.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the use of the MPC Live for live performing. Users have the ability to launch clips directly from the pads, and the pads themselves are color-assignable. Pads can also be used to trigger different sequences, opening up all sorts of possibilities with live arranging, and extending sections songs. Future features include WiFi, which will be mainly for an Ableton Live link, and Bluetooth, which will support Bluetooth MIDI control (no outgoing MIDI).

In case you can’t tell, I love the MPC Live. I think the workflow is fantastic and, as you have ability to “Explode” (or stem out) your tracks, it is seamless to move files out of the unit and into other DAWs, if that’s how you prefer to work. Keep in mind that when you connect the unit to the computer, the internal drive will not mount on the desktop. If you do install an additional drive, that drive will mount. But, you can get quite a bit of mileage out of USB 3.0 and SD cards, and you may find them to be sufficient for your needs.

Also, projects that were created on the unit will open up in the 2.0 software and vice-versa.

The only caveat is that if you are using VSTs in your 2.0 session, they will not open up in the unit. Don’t shy away from taking your production all the way to mixdown from within the unit itself. There is a nice selection of onboard effects that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Producers, performers and DJs should definitely take one for a test drive at your local pro audio dealer. With a street price of $1,199, the MPC Live is a great buy. You are getting a control surface, along with a feature-rich, stand-alone music production center, all of the connectivity for peripherals, and the ability to work without AC power. Well-done, Team Akai, well-done!

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SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING

Mixon 4: Handles laptop or tablet with ease.

RELOOP MIXON 4: VERSATILE CONTROLLER

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

By Wesley Bryant-King

28

This past January, during my annual trek to Anaheim, Calif., for the Winter NAMM Show, there were a few things on the exhibition floor that really caught my eye, and one of them was found at the American Music & Sound booth: The new Reloop Mixon 4 DJ controller.

I must confess, after many years of reviewing DJ controllers, it tends to take something special to really grab my attention, and that’s the very reason why the Mixon 4 stood out.

What’s so special? The answer begins with a slot on the top of the unit — one that serves as an easel for Android tablets and Apple iPads, up to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro model. The answer continues with the Serato and Algoriddim logos, both screen printed on the face of the unit. As you’ve guessed by now, the Mixon 4 is a hybrid, multi-platform, multi-software controller — one with even more tricks up its sleeve.

For those not in-the-know, Münster, Germany-based Reloop has been making music gear for only a couple of decades now – it’s distributed Stateside by Newbury Park, Calif.-based American Music & Sound. In addition to the Mixon 4, Reloop makes a very wide range of goodies for the DJ and pro-audio markets, and in fact, a review of one of the company’s new DJ mixers is on my task list as we speak. But I must give the company serious props for out-of-thebox thinking with the Mixon 4.

Tablet DJing Goes Pro: As an iPad Pro user myself, I was particularly interested in how the Mixon 4 worked

with Algoriddim’s wildly popular app named, appropriately, “djay Pro” (leading lower case “D” intentional). It’s been nearly six years since I first looked at Algoriddim’s offerings, and back then, in my review, I stated: “Using an iPad to DJ was surprisingly fun, amazingly enjoyable, and shockingly effective. I’m not sure I can envision a professional DJ using their iPad for serious gigs.”

What a difference the intervening years have made, and I’m prepared now to eat those latter words. I must say that iPad DJing with the djay app and the Mixon 4 was, to use those same words, surprisingly fun, amazingly enjoyable, and shockingly effective. But as I said in 2011, it was essentially a window into the future, and the future is now. Reloop has brought iPad DJing to true professionals with surprising finesse, and as the technology has improved, I can’t see any reason not to go all-in on the concept. Perhaps the only drawback is getting your required music library physically onto the device, which on iOS, is more complicated than it should be compared to a regular laptop. (In contrast, users of most Android tablets will generally find that process pretty easy.)

Perhaps one of the most novel and useful elements of the combination of Algoriddim’s djay and the Reloop Mixon 4 is the former’s support for Spotify. Using Spotify APIs, djay unlocks a world of music that can supplement or replace locally stored material. With a paid Spotify account, you can tap into all the material the platform provides, along with your own playlists and the material within them. I can see this being incredibly powerful for mobile jocks in particular.

At my most recent wedding gig, I’d created a Spotify playlist with all the client’s musical choices already reviewed, screened, approved and loaded across two iOS devices. I found it far easier (and cheaper) than purchasing soft copies of everything they wanted that I didn’t have in my library, and having a consistent method of accessing the material was a welcome change, too.

The downside in this case, however, is that djay and the Spotify integration it provides have no method of locally storing material, and locally stored music you might have within your Spotify app is not accessible to djay due to the architectural limitations of iOS. As a result, a live Internet connection is required. That’s probably available in most venues, and even smartphone tethering or using a “MiFi” unit will give enough bandwidth to power it. However, depending on Internet connectivity for a paid gig carries some risks, and may not be one you want to take. Spotify’s catalog limitations, especially in the EDM space, may limit options as well. But that being said, having it available, even if just as a supplement to more efficiently handle those random, unexpected music requests of guests, has a huge amount of value — as I discovered using the set-up at another gig.

Let’s Not Forget the Laptop: Of course, tablet DJing is not the only thing in the Mixon 4 playbook. As I mentioned earlier there’s a Serato label screen printed on the front of the controller, and the unit provides extensive feature support for Serato DJ — as well as bundling the full version of the software with the unit.

When used with Serato, I found it effective, familiar, and straightforward. Controllers designed for Serato largely follow a general design template, it seems, for core functionality. That means it’s easy to jump right in with the basics, while learning the unique capabilities of each set-up, and the Mixon 4 is no different. Transport controls are where you’d expect, and the 2-x-4 grid

Solid Unit: Great control & 4-channel support.

of rubber-like, backlit pad buttons are there, too, to provide access to cueing, looping, samples and slicing.

Effects controls are fairly standard, as well – four knobs, four buttons. In combination, they let you select and control Serato’s excellent standard range of effects.

One handy feature, speaking of effects, is that the Mixon 4 has a combined LPF/HPF (low-pass and highpass filter) knob on each channel, just under the tri-band EQ knobs. While I tend to prefer separate LPF and HPF controls, a single combo knob lets you do most of what you need in terms of filtering. Otherwise, the Mixon 4 makes a pretty standard, but quite capable controller for Serato users.

A Lot to Like: After using the

Mixon 4 for a while with both djay Pro and Serato, I found a whole lot to like. The unit is solidly built, and the controls feels great — much as you’d expect for a controller in this price range (roughly $800 street price).

Support for four channels is a plus, and it’s nice that Reloop provided separate gain controls for each channel. On the front, you’ll find dual-size headphone jacks, as well as a ¼-inch mic input with gain knob. On the back, the availability of both XLR and RCA jacks for output, and ¼-inch TRS booth outs as well, makes it suitable for truly pro environments. I also appreciated the ability to disable the crossfader — great for DJs like me who prefer to use the channel faders instead.

However, I did also find some

drawbacks. Probably the biggest is that I found the platters to simply be too short. It was difficult to move them on their edges to adjust beat alignment without touching the top surface and braking the playback instead. That resulted in periodic (and embarrassing) performance mistakes that were nearly impossible to completely avoid; maybe it’d get better with more practice.

The lack of support for external inputs is also a bit of a drawback, and there’s no way to gracefully transition between laptop and tablet performance modes. While that’s perfectly understandable in some ways, technologically speaking anyway, it seems like it’s a situation that could conceivably be addressed in some way. Certainly, support for exter-

nal sources would at least provide a route to mask the transition between unplugging a tablet and plugging-in a laptop (or vice-versa). Alas, that may have to wait for a future iteration of this controller.

Conclusions: The Reloop Mixon 4 displays some serious out-of-thebox thinking, allowing DJs to use either laptop or tablet DJ software with equal ease — and with equal support for all the bells and whistles (effects, looping, cue points, and so on). It’s really the first controller I’ve used where I could confidently DJ from my iPad in a professional setting.

Given the unit’s equally competent support for Serato DJ, you can have your cake and eat it, too—and at its price point, you don’t even have to pay a particular premium to do it.

MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

on the state’s panhandle. He jumped on it.

“We broadcast live from the club on the radio,” he recalls, “and my name was being blown up on radio ads daily, which helped with private-event bookings.”

His Florida business, needless to say, took off. Today, he has nine DJs on staff there along with rentals, photo booth

DJ SPANS MULTIPLE ZIP CODES

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

By Stu Kearns

30

New York City — It was while playing keyboards in a seven-piece disco cover band out of high school — they were called “Afromative Action” — that Brian Buonassissi learned that he couldn’t pay his bills in a band of that size.

Then he met Karl Detken, at the time a Pioneer DJ executive, who convinced him to give DJing a shot. “He had a local karaoke residency at a club on Friday nights that I started co-hosting with him and then the club decided to start an open-format dance night,” says Buonassissi. “Not married and with more availability than him, Karl had me DJ these on Saturday nights.”

At first, Buonassissi says he “absolutely” sucked. “I knew music, but couldn’t mix myself out of a paper bag. Karl introduced me to some mixing legends who gave me some tips and I just practiced and practiced.

Patrons in those early days were very gracious. Finally, I turned a corner with my skills and caught the DJ bug.”

Eventually, Detken took him under his wing and brought him into the Pioneer DJ corporate fold. He managed all the tradeshow demonstrator programs, and after a reorganization he moved into sales. “My boss at the time, Neil Altneu, encouraged me to open my own mobile business, so I could really grasp the needs of the mobile DJ and be able to sell more effectively,” says Buonassissi. “This turned out to be a gamechanging decision that altered the trajectory of my life forever.”

Sharing $500 between seven guys in a band twice a week had put Buonassissi in major debt really fast. “Making $500 for myself in one night at the club was a turning point,” he says, “but when I got my first $1,500 private event booking, that’s when I knew that I could legitimately make this a career.”

Today he owns B-Boy Productions, with branches in Destin, Fla., Huntington Beach,

Nationwide: Brian Buonassissi operates in three states.

Calif., and New York City. The origin story goes like this: While at Pioneer, he was still DJing on the weekends and, through his Pioneer connections, he began doing celebrity/high-end private events, movie launch/wrap parties, TV shows, and celebrity birthday events.

“I had so much business coming in via word-of-mouth that when I left the corporate world, things really took off and I hired three guys—two of which are still with me to this day—to fill the demand.”

Then he received a job offer to move to Florida for an entertainment director/nightclub residency at the second-largest club

and photography company. Meanwhile, his SoCal clientele kept calling him to work private events. Says Buonassissi: “I decided to keep that division going as long as the phones were ringing.”

The New York division started due to a SoCal bridal client, who worked at the former Four Seasons Restaurant in Manhattan. After Buonassissi performed her wedding, she introduced him to a few New York City entertainment agencies and planners who would do luxury events.

“These clients wouldn’t think twice about flying me in based on the planner or agency’s recommendation,” he says. “Eventually, I was getting so many calls that I put in my notice at the Florida nightclub to focus on private events, and my newly married wife and I decided to move to the City, which was always a dream of mine, while keeping the other two divisions going.”

Whew. Get that?

Buonassissi says he’s looking to be the destination go-to DJ/MC for the luxury private-event destination market. “My goal is to change people’s perception of DJ entertainment one event at a time.

Most of that luxury clientele tend to book bands through agencies. The DJ is an add-on piece to these agency’s business model, not a featured option, so the quality control for DJs is poor at best. Being in New York City, I’m in the mecca of luxury destination event planners and agencies.

With the evolution of free social media marketing—through Instagram mainly— it’s much easier to get noticed by these planners and agencies.”

On the equipment front, Buonassissi chooses V-Moda M-100 headphones and, for PA, a variety of speaker solutions – from the Mackie SRM Series to QSC’s K series to the Electro-Voices ETX series.

For lighting systems, he subcontracts it all out, always using just what’s necessary.

“Gear, for me, literally changes by the event,” he says. “I always advise DJs with this analogy: Learn how to drive—the skills of DJing—then it won’t matter what vehicle—the DJ gear—you use.

“I recently did a corporate event in Grand Cayman and I had a small 3-by3-foot footprint—no joke. I’ve found for (continued on page 40)

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BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

DJ-BUSINESS TIPS: THE DO’S & DON’TS

By Sal Hyams Running a business is less art and more science, but running a successful one does require a bit of both — especially if you’re running it from a home office. Here are some things to keep in mind in your day-to-day that can help keep your sanity, in addition to making more money.

DON’T TRY TO BE A MASTER OF ALL THINGS. In other words, don’t wear all the hats, no matter how good you look in hats. Whether you’re a control freak, or don’t want to take on additional revenue drains, think again. Some DJs we spoke with said that the simple act of outsourcing the job or sending to and following up on contracts was an enormous relief.

Why spend five hours doing administrative tasks when you could pay someone who knows what they’re doing to get it done for you in much less time?

There are plenty of virtual assistants for hire that will enable you to concentrate on what you’re good at — getting new business, meeting with clients and vendors, and performing.

DON’T “WING” THE BUSINESS PLAN. A well-thought-out business plan can help in numerous ways, especially if you ever need capital and want to apply for a loan.

“As a commercial lender for over 30 years, I have seen countless business owners try to take control of their financial future only to veer off on a path they had not intended,” says Jerry Bazata, a banker/mobile entertainer based in Ogunquit, Maine. “It’s usually because of a lack of capitalization, financial discipline and a realistic understanding of what it takes to be profitable.”

Business plans help you look at all angles of your business and the expenses associated with it. Costs for a website, domain, marketing materials, membership and magazine fees, the DJ Expo, phones and office supplies do add up.

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

DO LEARN HOW TO SELL YOURSELF.

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DJ Expo is set for Aug. 14-17 at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, N.J. If you have any questions for Business Line, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.

Get out and sell your business. Create your one-minute “elevator speech” and share it with everyone you meet. Informal marketing is inexpensive and a great way for people to hear your passion about your company. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Ask yourself: What’s your differentiator? Why should a client hire you and not your competitor? If you were to exit the DJ business tomorrow, what DO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES. would the world be missing?

Unforeseen events such as the loss of a Of course, more than most businesses, the key employee — who usually starts his own success of a DJ company often relies on the skills company — and increases in costs or a diand personality of you, the owner. That’s why it’s saster (such as fire due to electrical shorts so difficult to scale this business — you can’t repor equipment theft) are common sources licate yourself. However, that’s why it’s important of problems for DJ companies that encounfor that elevator pitch to evolve into a system of tered financial difficulties. values for your company, which can then be abIn fact, it’s estimated that nearly 33-persorbed by anyone who you choose to bring into cent of all business failures occur because of the fold in the future. circumstances that were initially out of the owner’s control.

You’ll always have to adapt to changes DON’T MIX YOUR WORK AREA — consumer preferences evolve, so does WITH YOUR HOME SPACE. equipment and, of course, so does music.

A separate workplace will help you keep Failing to adapt can cause businesses to your sanity by providing a haven for focusflounder. ing on your business. There are also key tax It’s easier to roll with the punches when advantages, which you should explore with you anticipate them, and know that the one your accountant. constant of owning a DJ business is change.

First, set a schedule. It doesn’t have to Keep up on the pulse of the industry by be a traditional 9-to-5 schedule. In fact, if connecting with other DJs at conventions you have kids in the house, it probably can’t — the DJ Expo is a great start! — and logbe anything that resembles traditional. Try ging onto Facebook groups. setting a schedule that fits your needs, and No matter how capable you are as an remember that if you work three or four entrepreneur, financial difficulties can — and two-hour blocks throughout the day for six will — happen. Most often, early action can days, you can still get 40 hours in. lead to a successful turnaround.

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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Special K.2 QSC Audio 1675 MacArthur Blvd.

Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (800) 854-4079 www.qsc.com QSC’s K.2 Series is comprised of the eight-inch K8.2, 10-inch K10.2 and 12-inch K12.2 full-range loudspeakers. All of the models come equipped with a 2,000-watt power module, as well as DMT (Directivity-Matched Transition) for smooth coverage across the entire listening area and an on-board DSP with Intrinsic Correction voicing. All three models can be operated as either main PA or as a floor monitor. The line also includes the KS212C Cardioid Subwoofer, which features dual 12-inch long-excursion drivers and a 3,600-watt amplifier.

Just What the Doctor Ordered iZotope 1 Kendall Square Cambridge, MA, 02139 (617) 577-7799 www.izotope.com Studio-software developer iZotope introduced four versions of the latest RX software update, RX 6. RX Elements is budget-friendly version of RX featuring Voice De-noise, De-clip, De-click, De-hum plug-ins and the standalone audio editor. RX 6 Standard adds De-bleed, Spectral De-ess, Mouth De-click and Spectral Repair, while RX 6 Advanced further adds De-Wind, De-rustle and Dialogue Isolate. Finally, RX Post Production Suite 2 includes RX 6 Advanced, Neutron Advanced, RX Loudness Control and Insight, as well as a one-year all access pass to Groove 3 Video Training and 50 download credits to the Pro Sound Effects Library.

Double Vizi-on

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JULY 2017

ADJ Products 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.americandj.com

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ADJ’s Vizi Series of professional moving head fixtures now includes the 105-watt Vizi Hex Wash7 and the 280-watt Vizi Q Wash7. The Vizi Hex Wash7 comes equipped with seven 15-watt HEX (RGBWA+UV) LEDs, including an amber LED element for achieving warm white washes. The Vizi Q Wash7 is powered by seven 40-watt quad-color (RGBW) LEDs. Both feature WiFLY wireless DMX, 0-100-percent master dimming, and a variable electronic zoom that alters the beam angle from 5- to 55-degrees.

AUDIO…LIGHTING…

Prime Connection Denon DJ 200 Scenic View Drive Cumberland, RI 02864 (401) 658-5766 www.denondj.com The X1800 from Denon DJ is a 4-channel DJ club mixer designed to connect with the company’s SC5000 Prime Professional Media Player via the Engine Connect protocol. The mixer offers a 24bit, 96kHz audio output and features both a 4­port LAN hub and dual USB audio connections. There are dedicated Sweep and BPM FX controls that deliver dub, echo, noise builds and reverb effects for each channel.The unit features an EQ with switchable Classic and Isolation modes, as well as a BPM FX section with 12 effects, frequency-controlled Band Isolation, and an Effects Quantization touch strip.

The System is iRig-ged IK Multimedia 1153 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy.

Sunrise, FL 33323 (954) 846-9101 www.ikmultimedia.com IK Multimedia’s iRig Pro I/O is a plug-and-play interface that lets uses connect guitars, basses, studio mics, vocal mics, keyboards and other equipment to their mobile device or computer to record 24-bit/96kHz pro-quality audio and MIDI tracks. It comes with a 1/8-inch headphone/line out with level control, as well as MIDI input and output ports and a Neutrik XLR/¼-inch combo input.

Multi-color LED indicators are included for monitoring input signal, input gain level and MIDI in/out activity. Two AA batteries are included, and the unit can also run on USB and DC power.

Rule of Thump Native Instruments 6725 Sunset Boulevard, 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028 (866) 556-6487 www.native-instruments.com Native Instruments’ Elastic Thump features sounds recorded from the Roland Juno 106, Moog Minitaur and Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators. According to the company, it is designed to be a “fusion of funk, R&B, and house music.” Elastic Thump offers 120 Maschine drum synths, 274 patterns, 17 instruments, 350 one shots and more in a 304 MB library. Elastic Thump runs in the latest version of Maschine software on the entire Maschine hardware family. There is also a compact version available as an iMaschine expansion.

Mackie’s Big Knob Series features three models—Big Knob Passive, Big Knob Studio and Big Knob Studio+. The Big Knob Passive comes with a nopower-required passive design and it allows users to choose between two sources, two monitors “and control it all with one Big Knob,” the company said. Big Knob Studio offers all of those features, as well as USB recording/ playback and expanded I/O, while Big Knob Studio+ further includes a dedicated, amp-driven studio out for a headphone distribution system.

DJ TIMES

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

JULY 2017

Knob-Body But Me

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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

K-CAST Away VocoPro 1728 Curtiss Court La Verne, CA 91750 (800) 678-5348 www.vocopro.com VocoPro announced K-CAST, a battery-powered PA system with onboard LED video projector. The K-Cast’s portable PA system has a 12-inch woofer and horn tweeter, and it comes with two UHF wireless microphones. The back panel sports an LED projector that can produce an image from 60–200 inches. K-CAST accepts mp4, .avi, and .mkv video files.

It can stream directly from the internet when connected to a computer or smartphone, and it is capable of displaying HD video when used with an HDMI connected source or a USB thumb drive.

Bait & SoundSwitch Chauvet 5200 NW 108th Ave. Sunrise, FL 33351 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com Chauvet has been named the exclusive North American distributor for the SoundSwitch hardware/software package.

SoundSwitch mixes DMX lighting with live audio that “puts the total show experience under the control of the DJ,” according to Chauvet. Users can attach lighting cues to their audio tracks and video files and then trigger and keep their lighting in sync while performing live from the mixing or controller board.

SoundSwitch works with any DJ mixing board or controller equipped with Serato DJ.

Cube Libre

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Glorious International Schuckertstraße 28 48153 - Münster +49 251 6099347 www.glorious.de

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The Glorious Session Cube XL DJ workstation has three core parts that the company says are quick to set up and break-down for easy assembly and transport. It comes with a built-in cable-routing system and an integrated cable-tidy duct that can also act as a storage space for housing a multi-way power socket directly beneath the table’s surface. The included RGB LED illumination kit can be installed into the structure and controlled via the supplied remote control.

AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

It’s a Trap!

Future Loops www.futureloops.com Future Loops’ Trap Anthems is a collection of 544 royalty-free samples, including 93 drum one shots and 451 loops, designed for trap and hip-hop producers. Trap Anthems includes 15 construction kits, each of which feature full mix drums, individual drum loops, melodic loop and drum one shots. The 2.03 GB of content comes in WAV and REX formats. Trap Anthems works with Logic, Acid, Adobe Audition, Cubase, Kontakt, FL Studio, Ableton Live, Nuendo, ProTools and more.

GEAR

Fit to a ULT PreSonus Audio Electronics 18011 Grand Bay Court Baton Rouge, LA 70809 USA (225) 216-7887 www.presonus.com The ULT10 is the newest model in PreSonus’ ULT line of active loudspeakers. The system is biamped and driven by a 1,300-watt Class D amplifier, generating up to 130 dB SPL and a frequency response of 60 Hz to 18 kHz. The ULT10 features a Pivot X110 constantdirectivity, rotatable horn with 110 degrees of horizontal coverage and a 50-degree vertical dispersion. Housed in a lightweight, Baltic birch enclosure with a 16-gauge, powder-coated steel grille, the unit features two combo XLR and ¼-inch TRS inputs, as well as a 10-inch, low-frequency driver with a 2.5-inch voice coil.

Saints & Synthers

DJ TIMES

The TORAIZ AS-1 from Pioneer DJ is a monophonic synthesizer for music production and live performance. Housed in a metal chassis, the TORAIZ AS-1 is driven by a fully-programmable, analog synthesis engine based on the discrete analog circuitry in Dave Smith Instruments’ Prophet-6 synthesizer. There are 495 preset programs, each with a different sound and 64-step sequence that can be edited independently.

The unit also comes with a dual effects engine that includes Bucket Brigade Delay, Distortion, Ring Modulation, Chorus, High-resonance Phaser, Low-resonance Phaser and Maestro Phaser.

JULY 2017

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

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TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

Joey Negro

“PROVE THAT YOU’RE FEELING ME” B/W “EVERYTHING” u Joey Negro u Z Records Two tracks from the upcoming and much-anticipated Joey Negro LP, and both deliver the highest quality.

Fronted by Lifford, “Falling” offers some sharp, funky dancefloor flavor. But with sassy, soulful vocals from the late Diane Charlemagne, the bouncy, Chic-like “Prove…” is the pick here.

– Curtis Zack “FALLING” (REMIXES) u Alesso u Virgin Following its initial February release, Alesso’s smooth, catchy single has been brilliantly remixed for maximum dancefloor effect. Tregs’ mix uses a clear 4/4 beat and perfectly sampled vocals to create an irresistible track. Outrovert’s mix gets more uptempo, packing a trap drop with a bassline that will shake the venue.

– Matt Clark

“WHEN WILL I LEARN?”

u Michele Chiavarini feat. Tai Malone u Soulstice An electric house groove from the super-talented Michele Chiavarini on this new Soulstice release. Featuring the strong vocals of Tai Malone, this soulful-house cut is timeless stuff.

– Curtis Zack “GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS” EP u Demuir u GLA With an EP full of signature sounds—deep, lush strings, jacking house beats, and sexy, female vocals— Demuir delivers with another winner. Check the smooth, sweeping “Unicorn” if you’re looking for a hot, Nu Disco dancefloor slayer.

– Tommy D Funk “MOVE ON”

u Thomas Blondet feat. Michelle Rivera u Rhythm & Culture Music

u Soulstar Syndicate u King Street

This all-round great package includes a superb original house cut, plus a terrific Reelsoul remix, which goes deep and stays soulful.

Pure fire comes from Demarkus Lewis here, as he takes the unmistakable vocals of Dawn Tallman and layers them over a killer groove.

“B29” (ORIGINAL MIX)

“TAKE ME (MIND, BODY AND SOUL)”

– Curtis Zack “REAL LIFE”

u Duke Dumont & Gorgon City feat. Naations u Virgin This dreamy collab between two of U.K. dance music’s heaviest hitters exquisitely delivers the soulfulness of Duke Dumont and the vibrancy of Gorgon City. A bouncing bassline and deep-house piano accents swirl with the sweet and sultry vocal contributions from Naations – a feel-good, summertime staple.

– Curtis Zack

u Attila Syah & LTN u Suanda Music This solid trance track is well-equipped with a chugging bassline, ascending melody and muted synth.

While uplifting, it retains a sense of mystery. The breakdown is enriched with a string accompaniment, lending a sleek classical touch. But, the pounding kick comes back in and, once again, it’s full speed ahead! A great track to transition the mood from uplifting to menacing, or vice versa.

– Jennifer Harmon

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JULY 2017

– Jennifer Harmon

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Demarkus Lewis

Duke Dumont & Gorgon City

Thomas Blondet

Luke Solomon Alesso

Michele Chiavarini

Demuir

GUEST REVIEWER: NIK DEE “GYPSY WOMAN (SHE’S HOMELESS)”

u Crystal Waters vs. Loveface (2017 Remix) u White Label How do you remix an absolute classic? By completely re-working it from the ground up and giving it an ’80s feel-good vibe.

Elements of the original sneak through to make this a major contender for the track of Summer 2017. Hunt it down, play it loud, sit back and enjoy the dancefloor frenzy.

Nik Dee

“FLOWERED TEARS” u S.E.L. u Quantize Shaping up to be one of the songs of the summer, this one offers exquisite female vocals and a breezy house track to match. Worthy mixes come from DJ Spen and Michele Chiavarini, plus a Latin workout from Peppe Citarella.

– Curtis Zack Jazz-N-Groove

4 TO THE FLOOR PRESENTS FOURTH FLOOR RECORDS

– Curtis Zack DEFECTED PRESENTS HOUSE MASTERS: JAZZ-NGROOVE u Jazz-N-Groove u Defected On this 30-track mix comp from the Florida house duo, Defected brings us a slew of well-crafted club gems and classic cuts. They include Frankie Knuckles’ “Bac N Da Day” (Cleptos Mix), Moné’s “We Can Make It” (Jazz-N-Groove 12-inch Album Mix) and Soulsearcher’s “Can’t Get Enough” (Vocal Club Mix).”

Househeads, this is a must-have.

– Tommy D Funk

Compiled by Luke Solomon, this collection includes some terrific underground-house gems from back in the day. Check out classics like Arnold Jarvis’ ultra-soulful “Take Some Time Out,” Black Riot’s manic “A Day in the Life” and The Break Boys’ twisted “Give Us a Break” (Melting Acid Microdub). Fantastic.

– Tommy D Funk “MISSING YOU” u Will Dawson u Big Lucky Picking up support from house heavyweights like David Morales, this sleek cut finds Dawson linking up with vocalist Shniece. The original is a soulful gem, while on the remix from Full Intention really pumps up proceedings.

– Curtis Zack “NO MORE APOLOGIES” u Angelo Ferreri feat.Yakka u Mood Funk The undisputed king of jackin’ disco gets reworked by Italian duo Andy Tee and Micky More with a mix that takes the original and gives it a new lease on life – funky, breezy and working.

JULY 2017

Soundstate The underrated Café 432 returns with another soulful-house classic. This time round, it features the soaring vocal of Sheree Hicks backed by crisp beats and a lush groove. Tight.

u Various u 4 to the Floor

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“SEARCHING” u Café 432 feat. Sheree Hicks u

– Curtis Zack

39

Jus Jack

(continued from page 8) write things and blend things. I want a song to have substance. I want people to have an emotional attachment to my tracks and I feel like when you listen to most of my music it’s a story.

DJ Times: The Bearded Man is a label for “outside-the-box” music— how do you like releasing music on that imprint?

Jus Jack: It’s great. I feel like it’s a good platform for a label like Armada to get unique talent onboard and create better music. With house music and dance music, there is a core to it. When you are on the dancefloor you feel the emotion and you truly connect to the music. Nowadays, I feel like songs are very cookie-cutter.

These “out-of-the-box” labels are letting people express themselves in a great way. Being able to put something out on a label like this and having Armada backing gives artist a little more exposure than they would normally get.

DJ Times: What studio gear are you using?

Jus Jack: I use Ableton for quick editing and remixes. I use Logic when I’m doing full productions, and I record on Pro Tools any time I do vocals.

DJ Times: And to DJ? Jus Jack: I use a USB stick. I grew up in a culture where you played vinyl – and I tend to like making my

life more difficult [laughs]. I literally load up all my music and I just select things naturally. If I mess up, I mess up. It’s once in a blue moon I do, but sometimes I make something great out of it.

D J T i m e s : Yo u o w n C e n t r a l Lounge in Astoria, Queens. How do you balance being a DJ and a club owner?

Jus Jack: I was very torn about it for a while, but now I’m coming into stride with them and they both complement each other. I never wanted anyone to sign a record of mine because I owned a club and I never used my Jus Jack career to prompt the club. I’ve always kept them separate. I

wanted to know that I was good at both being a club owner and making music. Now, I’m at a comfortable level in my career where they are both doing decently well and I want to start tying them in a little bit more and start expressing that I am a DJ and a club owner.

DJ Times: What else can we expect from you this year?

Jus Jack: I’m really starting to get influenced by The Magician, Croatia Squad and Nora En Pure, but not as pretty – I’m a little grittier. I’ll be doing more production than actual touring this year, so I’m hoping to get another five or six releases this year.

– Michelle Fetky

then adding tons of effects: reverb in the verse, delay in the chorus, and stereo like doubling and pitch shifting.

“I hate recording vocals,” he says frankly. “So many singers can’t hit the notes and have funny quirks, like noise coming through their nose, which picks up on the microphone and takes ages to edit out and tune with too many takes to go through.”

Explaining the process for the surefire hit-to-be “No One Like You,” Havers says, “Niara Scarlett, whom I work with all the time, came around.

We began playing chords on the piano, recording them once we were happy with them and she began to create melodies. Every now and then, we would record some on top of the

piano over and over until we were happy with the melody. We then began writing lyrics in the same type of process. When she left I ditched the piano chords and turn to pads, strings, and ARPs to make more synthetic drum-n-bass sound. [Page] added the big brass chords, which we later re-recorded with a five-piece brass section, who kept adding their own big-band-style riffs, which I had to repeatedly take out and make them play just the boring chords.”

Due to Different Breed’s long gestation process, many of its tracks are familiar to drum-n-bass crowds in virtual dubplate form. In many cases, the tune is known, but the artist isn’t.

Now that the guys from DC Breaks

can reveal themselves as the artist, there is even more hype about their sets.

“When I first got into DJing, it wasn’t even the tunes you played, it was how you mixed them,” says Page. “Now when I play a record, it’s almost entirely because it’s going to be something really cool when I mix it with something else. I have my USB organized by sections where I know what the mixes are, how they work, and how the tunes interact. I think of a set not as, ‘I need to play this type of music,’ it’s more, ‘I need to do this mix.’ The mixes themselves are more exciting than individual tunes.”

– Lily Moayeri

tions. I was an early Serato DJ adapter and have been with them ever since I converted to an all-digital playing.”

Over the last few years, Buonassissi’s been going international with events not only in Grand Cayman, but also Mexico, Italy and Ireland, as well as domestic locations outside of his three regional locations. “I love the fact that I get to combine my passion of travel with my desire to deliver high-end entertainment event experiences,” he says. “I have no geographic

boundaries. I’m trying to break the mold and chart a new path as a mobile event entertainer.”

Full-time since 2006, Buonassissi says that if he were to give any advice to an up-and-comer, it would be to develop skills first. “That is the foundation,” he says. “It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised by how easy it is to market yourself as the best thing since sliced bread, but once you’re put in a pressure situation, you’re exposed for what you are. One of my

DJs put it best when he said, ‘What we do at private events is manage chaos.’ If you don’t have the skills as a foundation, it makes managing chaos impossible. With online reviews and referrals being so integral to our industry, this can take you down quick and be tough to recover. Put in the time to develop your skills through workshops and videos — and the DJ Expo. You will reap what you sow. I’m a case study of that philosophy.”

and-figure-it-out person.

Deorro: Yeah, I feel like that’s the trick, the key to success. I hope to give people motivation, because I feel a lot of people lack the confidence to just say, “I don’t know how to do this, but I’m going to figure it out.” It seems weird or awkward when you’re doing something you’re not used to.

For me to figure out how to work one sound into an infinite amount of

sounds, well, you see me doing things like doubling up the audio, and then twisting it, stretching it, this and that.

Maybe it’s not necessary, but I’m gonna do it anyways, because this is how, all of a sudden you’re like, “Woah!

That’s how you do that!”

DJ Times: You had a kid at a really young age. You were forced to figure out how to be a parent. Do you feel that’s a lesson you took away that

aided you as a musician?

Deorro: A hundred-percent. To understand anything completely is not just about learning it, it’s also being able to teach it. For being a parent, I don’t think you possibly can be ready, but you can prepare, and you can take advice. Every talent is different. It’s always the experience that teaches you what you need to know. But you can never really be ready. I don’t believe

DC Breaks

(continued from page 10) ing and adding and assign different parameters. Then for each oscillator you’ve got a huge amount of control over the unison settings which in Serum make it sound phat and wide if you want to add that in there. The distortion section in it is really good as well, so if you want to bring out that grid, you can do that with an oscillator so it starts off a bit rounder than sunny and warm, but then get the classic growl, which is the core of that bassline.”

Havers has his own challenges in the vocal department. For fast tunes, his vocal chain, which changes all the time, is a hard compressor and EQ cuts. For slow tracks, it is warm compressor with EQ boosts and de-esser,

Mobile

(continued from page 30) those environments a combination of Akai products – the AMX mixer and the LPD8 USB MIDI Pad controller – are ideal. In general, I lean towards Pioneer DJ gear products. Being a part of the design and manufacturing process gave me great assurances that their products were rock-solid.

I use a variety of them, from the DDJ controllers to the single CDJ player and DJM mixer lines. When I can, I’ll add the Akai LPD8 or the Novation Dicer for added control/effect op-

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

Deorro

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(continued from page 16) standing you get.” When it came to producing all those sounds, I really needed to understand them. I needed to hear what orchestras sound like. I even picked up an orchestra instrument to understand why it sounds like that. You really have to pay attention to detail, and that’s when you have to work with sound rather than music.

DJ Times: You’re a get-in-there-

MP3s in 6

Compiled As June 13, 2017

NATIONAL CROSSOVER POOL CHART

NATIONAL URBAN POOL CHART

1 Zedd F/ Alessia Cara Stay Interscope 2 The Chainsmokers & Coldplay Something Just Like This Columbia 3 Calvin Harris F/ Frank Ocean & Migo Slide Columbia 4 Katy Perry Chained To The Rhythm Capitol 5 Bruno Mars That’s What I Like Atlantic 6 Axwell & Ingrosso / Kid Ink I Love You Def Jam 7 Clean Bandit F/ Zara Larsson Symphony Atlantic 8 Kygo & Selena Gomez It Ain’t Me Interscope 9 Ed Sheeran Castle On The Hill Atlantic 10 Drake Passionfruit Republic 11 Rasmus Faber We Laugh We Dance We Cry Radikal 12 Lady Gaga The Cure Interscope 13 Louis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee F/J.Bieber Despacito Universal 14 Brian Justin Grum F/ Toy Armada Show Me Love Prop D 15 Austin Mahone F/ Pitbull Lady American 16 Ed Sheeran Shape Of You Atlantic 17 Dave Aude F/ JVMIE Back 2 Love Audacious 18 Bebe Rexha I Got You Warner Brothers 19 The Weeknd F/ Daft Punk Feel It Coming Republic 20 Gia 7 Live And Shine Stiletto 7 21 Dan Slater & JimJam F/ Nalaya Brown Minute Of You Swishcraft 22 Sander Kleinberg F/ Dyson Feel Like Home Armada 23 The Chainsmokers F/ XYLO Paris Columbia 24 Marian Hill Down Republic 25 Katy Perry F/ Drake & Lil Wayne Bon Appetit Capitol 26 Sir Ivan I Am Peaceman Peaceman 27 Clean Bandit F/Sean Paul & Anne-Marie Rockabye RRP 28 Pavlova Burn Bright Republic 29 Lorde Green Light Republic 30 Blondie Fun BMG 31 Zayn F/ Taylor Swift I Don’t Wanna Live Forever RCA 32 Camila Cabellio Crying In The Club Epic 33 Brooke Candy Living Out Loud RCA 34 Katy Perry F/ Migos Swish Swish Capitol 35 Tony Moran & Dani Toro F/ Zhana Roy Lick Me Up Swishcraft 36 Martin Garrix Scared To Be Lonely RCA 37 Calum Scott Dancing On My Own Capitol 38 Stargate F/ Sia, Pink Waterfall RCA 39 Emeli Sande Highs And Lows Virgin 40 Dj Pebbles Heart Away From You Friendship Collective

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

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

Sir Ivan Peter K Kim Cameron Rasmus Faber Katy Perry F/ Migos Loren Reed Miley Cyrus Louis Fonsi & Daddy Gia 7 Katy Perry F/ Drake

I Am Peaceman Every Day Dancing In The Dark We Laugh We Dance We Cry Swish Swish Something ‘Bout You Malibu Despacito Live And Shine Bon Appetit

Peaceman VMG Side FX Radikal Capitol Robbins RCA Universal Stiletto 7 Capitol

REPORTING POOLS

Peter K. Productions n Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo n Dj Stickyboots - Goshen, NJ; Blake Eckelbarger n Nexus Radio - Chicago, IL; Manny Esparza n Kahoots - Columbus, OH; Ilan Fong n Next Music Pool - Los Angeles, CA; Bob Ketcher n Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle n DJ Dark Intensity - Los Angeles, CA; Manny Martinez n Klubjumpers - San Antonio, TX; Dan Mathews n New York Music Pool - New York, NY; Jackie McCloy n Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller n DJ Rafy Nieves - San Juan, PR; Rafy Nieves n C-89.5 - Seattle, WA; Randy Schlager n Mixxmasters - Lithonia, GA; Brian Stephens n DJ Laszlo - Las Vegas, NV; Laszlo Szenasi

Future Gucci Mane F/ Drake Dj Khaled F/Beyonce & Jay-Z Migos F/ Lil Uzi Vert Bruno Mars 2 Chains F/ Quavo & Gucci Mane Kendrick Lamar Travis Scott F/ Kendrick Lamar J. Cole Fat Joe & Remy Ma F/ Ty Dolla $ign Big Sean Jeremih F/ Chris Brown & Big Sean Ayo & Teo J. Cole Rick Ross F/ Ty Dolla $ign Mary J Blige & Kanye West Tee Grizzley Bryson Tiller Chris Brown Rick Ross F/Young Thug & Wale

Mask Off Both Shining Bad And Boujee That’s What I Like Good Drink Humble Goosebumps Deja Vu Money Showers Moves I Think Of You Rolex Neighbors I Think She Like Me Love Yourself First Day Out Somethin Tells Me Privacy Trap Trap Trap

Epic Atlantic Epic Quality Control Atlantic Def Jam Interscope Epic Interscope Empire Def Jam Def Jam Columbia Interscope Epic Capitol Quality Control RCA RCA Epic

Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5

Tee Grizzley Bryson Tiller Lil Yachty F/ Migos Wizkid F/ Drake Mike Will Made-It

First Day Out Somethin Tells Me Peek A-Boo Come Closer Perfect Pint

Quality Control RCA Capitol RCA Interscope

NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL CHART 1. Luis Fonsi feat Daddy Yankee 2. V.I.P feat Tazz, Areli,LProfeta, J miguelo 3. Grupomania 4. Don Omar feat Sharlene Taute 5. La Banda 6. Ilegales 7. Nacho 8. Vakero 9. Aymee Nuviola 10. Puertorican Power 11. Gente de Zona 12. Don & Pete Perignon 13. Prince Royce feat Shakira 14. Prince Royce feat G Ortiz 15 Farruko 16. El Gran Combo 17. Karol G 18. Hector Acosta 19. Hector “Pichie” Perez 20. Hector Acosta

Despacito Toketeo Si Me Quieres No Me Quieres Encanto Pegadita de Los Hombres Tamos Happy Bailame Mi Sepelio Rumba De La Buena Ella Tiene Si No Vuelves Ahi Na Ma Deja Vu Moneda Don’t Let Go Besar tu Boca A Ella Amorcito Enfermito Cada Dia Te Queiro Mas La Maleta

Universal V.I.P Music Mania Music Latin hits Ent. Merenhits Dotel Prod.

Universal Mayimba Top Stop music Mambiche Sony Andujar Music Sony Sony Latin hits EGC Universal Dam Music SBD Prod.

Venemusic

Most Added Tracks 1. Limi T21 ft Elvis Crespo 2. Fito Blanco 3. Piso 21 4. Xuco 5. Jacob Duque

Like Shape Of You Besandote Gracias Mal De Amores

Renew Music Corp.

Crown loyalty Warner 226 Prime Time Music

REPORTING LATIN POOLS n Latinos Unidos Record Pool n Salsamania Latin Record Pool n Lobo/Bass Record

Pool n Urban Tropics Music Pool n North East Record Pool n Mixx Hitts Record Pool n Ritmo Camacho Record Pool n Ritmo Internacional Record Pool n DJ Latinos Record Pool n Mass Pool n Record Pool Latino n V.I.P. Chicago Record Pool.

LOOKING FOR THESE TITLES? YOU CAN HEAR THEM AND BUY THEM AT WWW.DANCEKINGS. COM. JUST CLICK ON THE LINKS IN THE CHART. DDK HAS LIMITED MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE

ATTENTION DJ TIMES READERS: DJ Times is currently looking for DJs that are interested in reporting to the DJ National Dance/Crossover chart and the DJ Times National Urban Dance chart.

Reporterships are open to Record Pools and individual DJs. For more information contact: Dan Miller, dmiller@testa.com

in ready. I believe in preparedness, so my advice is over-prepare and go with the flow.

DJ Times: Are any of those children’s voices on the album your kids?

Deorro: No, they’re not. I have my niece on there.

DJ Times: In the “Color Blind” interlude?

Deorro: Yeah, that’s my dad teaching my niece colors, and it’s pretty cool, because I’m color blind. The message in that is relating. Everyone is different individually, but there’s so much that bring people together. The differences that I found were colors.

You can see it, but I can hear it.

DJ Times: Like, you’re synesthetic?

Deorro: Like, if I see a color, it sounds like something in my head.

Each color individually… you can see it, I can hear it, and there’s a part that I actually didn’t leave in the song that says, “As long as we can feel it together.” Color also represents emotion, and because it’s about something you can feel, I felt it’s better if I just take it out. That way, it’s the song alone that makes you feel an emotion.

DJ Times: Are there other parts of the album that are autobiographical?

Deorro: The entire album is basically my perspective on life. I had an existential moment where I was terrified of life. I was like, “Oh my God – I’m gonna die.” It’s scary. We’re all gonna know how it feels to die, but it’s a positive outlook on how to embrace life and embrace death, because it’s a part of life. It’s all one gift, so be grateful and cherish it all together. Life is going to happen no matter what. Nobody else is responsible for your happiness. I see a lot of people struggling, and people say, “When’s my happiness coming?” We choose happiness.

DJ Times: It’s up to us…

Deorro: Happiness doesn’t mean fairy tales. Happiness means acceptance, being able to cope with things like death. When you’re actually experiencing it with a loved one, it’s really hard to fight through. I know someone that lost somebody to cancer, and they asked me, “How do I see this from a positive perspective?”

I told her, “The positive doesn’t mean good, happy, smiles.” I feel like the best thing they can see is an opportunity to say goodbye where a lot of us don’t get that. A lot of us just get a phone call and find out that our father’s passed, and it’s devastating. It’s really tough, but you’ve got to suck it up and embrace it. You’ve got to step up to the challenge, and the challenge is life. That’s what this album is for, to let people know my story. That’s why “Let It Go” is at the end. “Good to See You” is a hello. It’s a greeting to life, being born. “Let It Go” is the end.

DJ Times: Sound like you were genuinely inspired…

Deorro: This is my fifth album.

The first four I released independently. Every five albums, I want to create a piece like this, based on what I have learned. Hopefully, I make it to the tenth album.

DJ Times: Yeah, that’s a prolific statement.

Deorro: This album, it’s killing so many birds with one stone. You get to see what else people like, my supporters and followers. This album is showing me that they like me singing, they’re down for that, and then they like the hip-hop side, and it’s cool.

It gives me a clear vision on what I should do next. I’m also doing a Latin album. People like the bounce music, they like the heavier stuff, like my older music, so I’m gonna be doing that in

between. And, the way I made this album, this took forever. I don’t think I’ll be able to make every album like that.

DJ Times: But you were able to spread your creative wings so broadly.

Deorro: I’m showcasing my abilities. I want the audience to enjoy a musical piece, but I also want other artists out there to get to see what else I can do. I don’t want to just stay in EDM. I wanna get into the movie world. I have dream collabs, like Coldplay, Alicia Keys. I’d love to produce for Gorillaz. It’s cool to have something out that I can send to them and say, “This is what I can do.”

If I’m just an EDM DJ trying to go to someone like Rage Against the Machine, it’s like, “Dude, we don’t fuck with EDM.” Also, the ambiences and interludes is something I got really wanted to, a foundation I wanted to set for that soundtrack movie path that I hope I have access to one day in the future.

DJ Times: What are your plans for this music on the road?

Deorro: I mean, if I could actually blow this out of the water, I would take an orchestra on the road with a horn line and drum line. I would love that, but I’m not there. It’s cool to be able to stamp this practice, because if I could do one, I should be able to do it again, and hopefully I get to the point where I can afford that. But for that, I just got to keep working hard and hope for the best.

DJ Times: So where does all this depth come from? Do you read Buddhist texts?

Deorro: Ha-ha, not really. If I get an opportunity to be on my death bed and look back on my life, I like to put myself in that position and really feel like I’m there. I really believe that I’m not going to rest happy unless I

help others as much as I can. I don’t know how, but I’m just going to figure it out. If I’m going to give advice, it has to be personal experience. A lot of young producers will say, “How do you become successful?” Look, here’s my take: I’m sure there’s a myriad of ways to be successful, but here’s mine, and mine may be weird, because I didn’t do it how a lot of people do it. If I have to thank anything, it’s being positive about everything, having confidence. I’m basically here showing all my scars, telling you how I got them, and how you can survive it. I feel it all connects, the whole me being a performer and me wanting to get into the medical field, because that was Plan A. DJ Times: And music?

Deorro: Music is Plan B, actually. I wanted to be a trauma surgeon, and if I live long enough, it’s still something I wanna tackle. They are the ones who really effectively help humanity. You change lives being able to help people like that. The main thing I wanna do here is help others, and I also have fun, and make fun beautiful in so many ways, and also tell stories about life in as many creative ways as possible. If I can tell a story through a painting then I’m gonna paint that painting. Hopefully, I motivate enough people to also do the same, because everyone is living life, so everyone has stories to tell.

DJ Times: You did a great job with Good Evening. Knowing more about the work that you put into it, it’s just even more impressive.

Deorro: It was all worth it, and I’m so happy it happened. I learned so much. It was never a negative thing. It was a story about life, and since life was happening as I was making it, I n never got tired of it.

Maceo Plex: My Superhero Moniker

Photos by Pablo Bustos

DJ TIMES

JULY 2017

Maceo Plex is not my real name.

42

So, I changed it because…

Eric Estornel ain’t exactly Elvis Presley.

Maceo Plex, Next Month in DJ Times